News
BIS review reveals slowing growth in OTC derivatives
BASEL – Growth in over-the-counter FX derivatives slowed in the second half of 2006, rising only 5% versus 21% in the first half of the year, according to research released last week.
Japan volumes breach symbolic barrier
TOKYO – Retail margin trading volumes in Japan hit ¥109 trillion ($896 billion) in the first quarter, smashing the symbolic ¥100 trillion mark for the first time, the Financial Futures Association of Japan said last week.
Credit Agricole and Macquarie post mixed results
PARIS & SYDNEY – Credit Agricole and Macquarie Bank posted differing results earlier this month, with the former experiencing buoyant gains in its FX business, the latter a decline.
EBS acquisition drives Icap results
LONDON – Interdealer broker Icap’s profits for the year ending March 31 rose 11%, largely on the back of last year’s acquisition of electronic broker EBS.
GCC currency uncertain after Kuwait abandons dollar peg
SAFAT, KUWAIT – The decision to abandon the Kuwaiti dinar’s peg to the US dollar in favour of a basket of major currencies has brought into question plans to introduce a single currency for the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.
UniCredit strengthens forex in London and New York
LONDON & NEW YORK – UniCredit has strengthened its selling power by making additional FX sales hires in two areas.
EBS puts key stations in front of buy side
LONDON – Interdealer broker Icap is to begin piloting an extension to EBS Prime, to enable manual keyboard access to the EBS platform for the buy side in coming weeks.
Progress offers algo platform as a customised
BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS – Progress Software Corporation has packaged its Apama algorithmic trading platform for sell-side banks to offer as a complete web-based service to buy-side clients.
NFA suspends two FX FCM principals
The National Futures Association (NFA) has suspended the membership of two FX futures commission merchant (FCM) principals.
Forex traders face greater pressure from e-trading
LONDON – The surge in electronic trading and advances in derivatives structuring is putting greater demands on FX traders, say market participants.
Lehman set to capitalise on FXCM
LONDON & NEW YORK – Lehman Brothers is in the running to acquire a 35% stake in online currency trading platform FXCM, FX Week has learned.
BNP hires in structuring
LONDON – BNP Paribas has created four fixed-income structurer roles in London as part of a drive to build this area of the bank's business.
Fenics FX adds emerging markets and exotics support
NEW YORK – Interdealer broker GFI is releasing version 10.5 of its options pricing software Fenics FX with added support for emerging markets and exotic options.
Retail investors drive strong FX trading volumes
GREENWICH, CT – Retail FX trading volumes accounted for around $11 trillion of the $70.6 trillion global FX market in 2006, according to research released last week.
Trading places
Citi, Credit Suisse, Merrill, Cottle, ABN Amro, BarCap, Nomura, GFI, Akass
JP Morgan to offer structured deposit system
SINGAPORE – JP Morgan plans to go live with a structured deposit pricing and processing system by mid-June, to automate the roll-out of dual currency investment products.
Caplin Systems unveils web trading tool
LONDON – Market data systems vendor Caplin Systems is today (May 21) launching Caplin Trader, an out-of-the box web trading application that enables banks to build multi-product trading portals in FX and fixed income, officials at the company told FX…
Automation hot for Russia
MOSCOW – Automation was the central theme at the third annual international foreign exchange seminar in Moscow last Tuesday (May 15).
Lehman hires in London and Hong Kong, loses in NY
HONG KONG, NEW YORK & LONDON – Lehman Brothers is building up in structuring and sales with hires in Hong Kong and London.
NFA fines Gain Capital over AML and promos
CHICAGO – FX trading company and futures commission merchant Gain Capital Group has been fined $100,000 by the National Futures Association (NFA).
Four dealers to bid for FXCM
NEW YORK – Four dealers are thought to be interested in bidding for a 35% stake in online currency trading company FXCM.
Beau Taylor quits JP Morgan
NEW YORK & LONDON – Beau Taylor has resigned as JP Morgan's head of global energy in New York.
StanChart hires global head
SINGAPORE – Standard Chartered has hired Leonard Feder to run its global financial markets unit.