Investment
Banks failing SMEs on hedging
LONDON -- More than half of UK businesses with exposure to currency transactions totalling £20 million per year are failing to hedge their exposure, according to research produced by currency services firm Travelex in the UK. The lack of protection is…
The hedge that lets you ride the wave
David Faller, Chicago-based head of FX options at BMO Financial Group in Chicago, and Evan Steed, FX options trader in Toronto, suggest a cost-effective hedging strategy to enable a Canadian exporter to fully hedge 12 months of equal US dollar…
Asian intervention tops G7 agenda
DUBAI -- Japanese and Chinese manipulation of the FX market will top the US agenda at this week’s meeting of the Group of Seven leading industrial nations in Dubai, analysts said. The US could shoot itself in the foot, however, as China and Japan are…
Forward hedge overlay for euro
A Middle Eastern importer could change its risk profile by overlaying its forward hedges, says Charlie Brown, head of structuring and solutions at Standard Chartered in London. By pairing euro puts at lower levels with euro calls, the importer can assure…
All eyes on the Middle East
Growing interest in Islamic banking, new technological developments and a wave of freshly repatriated money have put forex trading in the Middle East on the cusp of an exciting new era, reports Nikki Marmery
Malaysia leads the way in the Far East
KUALA LUMPUR -- The Middle East is not the only region in which Islamic banking is undergoing development. The Asia-Pacific region has a thriving Islamic finance industry, based chiefly in Malaysia, which is home to the Islamic Financial Services Board …
Participating in rupee options
Following the launch of rupee options trading in India in July, Arun Khurana, head of financial markets distribution & derivatives marketing at ABN Amro in Mumbai, proposes a zero-cost 'participating forward' solution for an Indian client wanting to…
HSBC issues remittances challenge to Citi
LONDON -- HSBC last week issued a challenge to Citigroup by declaring its intention to target the $10 billion a year US/Mexican remittances market.
Amex Bank results jump
American Express Bank last week reported year-on-year growth of 30% in revenues from FX trading for the first half of 2003.
Basel may advise banks on outsourcing
BASEL -- The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision may investigate the risks associated with outsourcing trading systems to third parties, a senior Bank for International Settlement (BIS) official told FX Week .
Mitigating euro/krona uncertainty
FX quantitative strategist Giovanni Pillitteri and corporate risk structurer Bertrand Nortier at Deutsche Bank in London present a solution for a Swedish client to monetise flow uncertainty and participate in case of the Swedish krona weakening
German hedge fund reform raises FX hopes
MUNICH -- New proposals for the laws governing hedge funds and funds of funds in Germany could open up the market to a wider audience and heighten FX opportunities.
A ‘worst-of’ option to hedge dollar weakness
Andy Kaufmann, FX structurer at Merrill Lynch in London, explains a solution for an investor who is looking to benefit from a USD move against a variety of currencies
Dealing with yen downside risk
A collapse in the dollar/yen could offer significant trading benefits. How should an FX trader deal with the downside risk? By John Taylor, chairman of FX Concepts in New York
Fed cut boosts dollar, but doubts remain
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Federal Reserve’s 25 basis point interest rate cut last week did little to excite the FX markets, and analysts said the US currency could be entering a period of consolidation.
Hedging solution for Canadian exporters
A series of Canadian dollar calls could be the solution to Canadian exporters’ concerns about the direction of US dollar/Canadian dollar, says Shaun Osborne chief currency strategist at Scotia Capital in Toronto
SG launches first UK currency warrants
LONDON -- SG, the investment banking arm of Société Générale, has issued the first currency warrants in the UK. This follows the release of warrants linked to oil, gold and house price moves by Goldman Sachs, SG’s biggest rival in this area.
Cheap volatility brings yen opportunities
Japanese economic growth has outstripped many western economies over the past year, and the next currency breakout in the FX markets could be yen strength. Alex Schumann and Trevor Nathan, of Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney, show how investors…
ACI/ICA link-up welcomed
BEIRUT -- Forex vendors last week welcomed the decision by ACI -- The Financial Markets Association to combine its global forex congress with the InterArab Cambist Association (ICA) congress in Beirut, Lebanon.
ACI/ICA link-up welcomed
BEIRUT -- Forex vendors last week welcomed the decision by ACI -- The Financial Markets Association to combine its global forex congress with the InterArab Cambist Association (ICA) congress in Beirut, Lebanon.
Cashflow control for pension portfolio hedges
Neil Record, chairman and chief executive officer of Windsor-based currency overlay manager Record Currency Management, offers a solution to an FX-related problem facing a UK pension fund