Foreign exchange
Ringgit peg likely to end, say analysts
KUALA LUMPUR & SINGAPORE – The days of the Malaysian ringgit’s six-year peg to the dollar look to be numbered, according to analysts in the region.
Q4 forex gains at US banks
NEW YORK – US banks have posted strong revenues from their forex business in the last quarter of 2004, reversing the dismal returns from the previous quarter.
Private bankers boost structured products sales
LONDON – Private bankers are buyoing the expanding market for structured products linked to currency movements, in a bid to provide more attractive yields to their clients.
HK FX traders favour service over price
HONG KONG – Service rather than price is the key determinant for FX traders, according to a survey carried out in Hong Kong.
Corporate confidence in FX on the rise
LONDON – Forex activity from corporates will continue to grow in 2005, following the introduction of accounting standard IAS 39 and the Homeland Investment Act, according to banks.
The greenback/HK dollar digital deposit
Hong Kong dollar interest rates remain suppressed. Michael Image, FX structurer for Northeast Asia at Standard Chartered shows a way for HK$ depositors to achieve higher interest rates by taking advantage of the fact that US$/HK$ forwards are trading at…
UBS win prestigious forex derivatives award
LONDON – UBS won a leading industry award as the best forex derivatives house of 2004 for its cutting edge business development work.
Man Financial posts strong forex results Reuters to report revenue rise
LONDON – Reuters’ share price rose by 4.8% on the London Stock Exchange on January 13, from £3.8175 to £4, and hovered at that level by close, following a statement by the vendor on its Q1 performance.
Further boost for Asian forex volumes
HONG KONG – Asia’s forex markets will continue to see strong activity this year as more participants pile into the asset class.
Global expansion at Hotspot FXi
SINGAPORE – Hotspot FXi has boosted its global presence by opening an office in Singapore. It also plans to set up in Chicago and to add to its staff headcount worldwide.
Brokers criticise UBS futures trading deal with Bloomberg
LONDON – A deal agreed between Bloomberg and UBS on global futures trading has led to unfair competition, some leading brokers are claiming.
StanChart in global sales push
SINGAPORE – Standard Chartered has carried out a major restructuring of its sales team in a bid to boost growth, according to David Carr, global head of sales and e-commerce at the bank in Singapore.
Towards risk-free emerging markets investment
Pete Eggleston, head of quantative solutions at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), outlines a way of benefiting from the high yields associated with emerging market investing while controlling the inherent risk
Strongest year ever for forex
NEW YORK and CHICAGO – December was yet another record month for foreign exchange as platforms and exchanges posted their highest ever volumes, making 2004 the strongest ever year for the asset class.
No 2005 rally for the greenback, say analysts
WASHINGTON – The dollar is unlikely to see a revival in 2005, and could weaken further against Asian currencies, according to bank analysts.
Review of 2004 - November: Forex liquidity crisis looms
LONDON – UBS, Deutsche Bank and Barclays Capital warned of a potential liquidity crisis in foreign exchange at the FX Week 2004 Congress.
Banks lose on FX in fourth quarter
NEW YORK – Two North American banks reported fourth-quarter drops in profit in forex last month.
Review of 2004 - December: Deutsche cuts global forex
FRANKFURT & SINGAPORE – Deutsche Bank was in the process of a major restructuring of its foreign exchange capabilities globally.
Review of 2004 - September: Reuters widens FX access
LONDON – Reuters announced that fund managers, corporates and mid-tier banks would soon get access to the firm’s interbank FX rates for the first time. The firm announced it would take spot dealing prices from its Matching service, used by 7,000 users at…
Review of 2004 - October: Shock job losses at Tullett
LONDON – Tullett Liberty suffered a surprise defeat in the integration of its forex business with rival Prebon Yamane. Broking sources in London said Tullett’s FX forwards team left in the two weeks following the completion of parent Collins Stewart…
Review of 2004 - February: RBS and Deutsche lead the way
FRANKFURT AND LONDON – February was a good month for Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Deutsche Bank with both reporting figures showing that they were gaining on their rivals.
Euro gains status as reserve
FRANFURT – Buying by some of Eastern Europe’s and Africa’s central banks is buoying the euro as the central bankers come to the realisation the currency is here to stay, according to a leading forex fund manager.