Trading
Reuters cuts EM options brokerage fees in half
LONDON – Reuters' decision to revamp its FX options matching system has increased competition for e-broking of options, with the prospect of slashed brokerage fees.
Dollar pressure is a boost for Citigroup
Citigroup has topped this week's one-month forecast rankings on the back of recent dollar weakness.
History calls for caution on Kiwi
History suggests we may see one last squeeze higher over Christmas for the kiwi, says Rhiannon Healy, solutions specialist for ANZ in London
Four more currencies for JP Morgan
JP Morgan has added the forint, Czech koruna, zloty and rand to its electronic interest rate swaps trading platform.
The mixed blessings of co-operation
Co-operation in the foreign exchange industry has generally tended to bolster the market.
More regional differentiation in 2007, says Société Générale CIBM
Expect more regional differentiation next year, said Adrian Hughes, currency strategist at Société Générale CIBM (Corporate and Investment Bank) in London.
Strong activity continues as dollar slides
GLOBAL – Last week again saw big moves in the major currency pairs as traders capitalised on a weaker dollar to make much-needed trading gains.
Positive factors supporting the pound
Barclays Capital (BarCap) has adjusted its sterling view to align with its position on the greenback, on advice from recent Bank of England hire, Paul Robinson.
Preparing for a return to volatility
Persistently low levels of volatility have made it tough to trade the currency markets since late august. Simon Derrick, head of currency strategy at Bank of New York in London, investigates whether the past few months have been anomalous, and how to…
Relief for traders as volatility returns
LONDON – Last week saw unexpectedly large moves in the dollar/yen and euro/dollar as traders welcomed a pre-Christmas build-up in volatility after a year of flat markets.
ISE prepares FX options launch
NEW YORK – The International Securities Exchange (ISE) has begun publishing the underlying rates for its new ISE FX options, in preparation for launch next year.
Relief for traders as volatility returns
LONDON – Last week saw unexpectedly large moves in the dollar/yen and euro/dollar as traders welcomed a pre-Christmas build-up in volatility after a year of flat markets.
Complacency leads to a hard landing
Going against consensus view, Sharada Selvanathan , currency strategist at BNP Paribas in Singapore, advises preparing for a hard landing in the US economy
The carry trade shows best returns
LONDON – Carry trading can still produce positive returns, but trend trading models are losing ground, Citigroup's risk advisory group director, Jessica James told the FX Week Europe Congress.
EBS and Reuters pool resources for BoE
LONDON – Rival brokers EBS and Reuters are pooling resources to launch a new benchmark page for spot FX price fixings, to replace data currently provided by the Bank of England (BoE).
Icap pushes into options
LONDON – Icap plans to launch non-deliverable forwards and develop an electronic FX options trading platform, CEO Michael Spencer told the FX Week annual congress in his keynote address.
Asia to support global growth
LONDON – Asia holds the key to global growth amid a US slowdown, Marios Maratheftis, FX strategist at Standard Chartered in London told delegates at last week's FX Week Europe Congress.
Acknowledge the role of central banks
Forecasters need to acknowledge the role currently being played by central banks in maintaining range trading, said Forex Capital Markets' (FXCM) chief strategist, Kathy Lien.
GFT predicts increased volatility
Global Forex Trading (GFT) predicts that market volatility will increase in 2007, but said increased activity is needed to break current range-trading.
UBS triumphs as Citi bounces back
LONDON – UBS retained its top spot in this year's FX Week Best Banks Awards, as Citigroup bounced back to take second spot.
Dresdner joins EBS as prime bank amid rising volumes
LONDON – Dresdner Kleinwort has joined EBS as a prime bank, with the spot broker saying sharp increases in prime volumes demonstrate its ability to withstand challenges from new entrants.
Taking advantage of variance swaps
Loïc Henry, head of structuring at Calyon in Paris, suggests using variance swaps to trade non-directional strategies in an environment of low volatility
Icap sets up Russian service
LONDON & MOSCOW – Icap last month established a rouble rates desk, as the money broker looks to build its capabilities in the rapidly expanding market.