Regulation
US merger brings uncertain future for BoA/Fleet staff
CHARLOTTE -- Bank of America’s (BoA) $47 billion purchase of FleetBoston Financial should bolster its regional US coverage in FX. But overlap in jobs is unavoidable with a bank the size of BoA, said analysts, and the outlook is uncertain for staff at…
GFI buys exotic options model
LONDON -- Inter-dealer broker and market data firm GFI Group has bought options pricing model dVega, and integrated it with the latest release of its flagship options pricing tool Fenics FX, GFI will announce today (October 27).
Euro needs more stability
BRUSSELS -- The EU Commission needs to solve the issues surrounding the EU stability pact for Eurozone countries before any new countries join either the currency or the European Union, analysts said last week. The consequences of allowing France and…
China export tax changes will not satisfy US, Japan and EU
BEIJING -- The Chinese government plans to cut tax rebates for exporters in a bid to reduce international pressure for yuan revaluation, local media in Hong Kong and mainland China reported last week. However, market participants in Asia-Pacific said the…
Funds fall for third month
STAMFORD -- Currency managers struggled to generate returns in August for the third consecutive month, according to the Parker Global Strategies’ FX Index, which was down 0.45% for the month. Of the minority of funds that showed a profit for the month,…
Pressure on funds’ currency management set to intensify
LONDON -- An inquiry into the failure of a prominent insurer's staff to hedge risks will bring increased pressure on pension funds to address their currency strategy.
FSA warns of treasury management flaws
LONDON -- The Financial Services Authority, the UK regulatory body, has highlighted key areas of weakness in UK treasury management following a survey of banks and building societies.
NFA suspends California FX firm
CHICAGO -- Regulatory body National Futures Association (NFA) suspended California-based futures commission merchant FX First, effective September 26.
Philippines SEC drafts FX reporting guidelines
PHILIPPINES -- The Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last week announced draft guidelines on the preparation of foreign currency-denominated financial statements for corporations in the country.
Portals see record FX volumes
LONDON -- Heightened volatility last Tuesday (September 30) created one of the busiest days in years for FX trading, senior officials told FX Week . Electronic portals proved their worth, with many managing record spot volumes.
IASB favours banks, says Treasury Association Group
LUXEMBOURG -- The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is favouring the demands of banks and insurance companies over the interests of corporations, the International Group of Treasury Associations (IGTA) said last week.
Italians step up FX use
ROME -- Italian corporates have increased their derivatives use over the past 12 months as companies have honed their risk management skills to battle against currency volatility.
PHLX set to launch cash-settled futures contracts
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX) will launch cash-settled FX futures contracts next month, subject to CFTC approval, a senior PHLX official told FX Week .
Options software boosts exotics appetite
LONDON -- The use of independent FX options pricing software by corporates may have narrowed banks’ margins, but it has given a substantial boost to the exotics market, banks told FX Week .
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
BoJ still to intervene despite August respite
TOKYO – Analysts expect further intervention in the currency markets from the Bank of Japan (BoJ) in September, following reports that the central bank had already sold yen at the end of last week.
CLS to include Korean won
NEW YORK -- CLS Bank, which operates the continuous-linked settlement service for FX, will today announce its plans to include the Korean won as a CLS-eligible currency.
Banks win a partial reprieve from IAS 39
BRUSSELS -- The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has approved an amendment to rules for macro hedging under the upcoming IAS 39 accounting standard for European banks.
Lehman Brothers continues forex hiring drive in London
LONDON -- Lehman Brothers has hired nine forex staff in London in the past three months as part of its continued FX build-up. Two more -- including global head of FX Grant Whiteside -- have transferred to the City from New York, as the bank pursues a …
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 .
Single currency in west Africa still a long way off
ABUJA -- Efforts to establish a single currency across west Africa continue to falter due to a lack of political commitment and inconsistencies in meeting the convergence criteria, said Joseph Sanusi, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, speaking in…
Reuters sues Bloomberg
Trading technology rivals’ battle heats up over forex patent claims NEW YORK -- US trading technology firm Bloomberg could be forced to stop using parts of its FX matching and conversational dealing technology, if its UK rival Reuters succeeds in a…
Reuters sues Bloomberg
Trading technology rivals’ battle heats up over forex patent claims NEW YORK -- US trading technology firm Bloomberg could be forced to stop using parts of its FX matching and conversational dealing technology, if its UK rival Reuters succeeds in a…
Yuan’s US dollar peg to stay despite speculation
Beijing – Speculation that China may relax the yuan’s US dollar peg refuses to go away. Following media reports in June of US Treasury Secretary Jon Snow saying the Chinese government is considering widening the yuan’s trading band, the rumour mill is…