Trading
Fighting chance for new player
In the first of a series of profiles of the multi-bank portals, FX Week analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the players in this crowded market-place. This week: Lava FX
BoE rate cut: about time too!
Alan Clarke, UK economist at BNP Paribas in London, predicts that last week's cut is unlikely to spark a wave of rate cuts by the Bank of England
The longer-term picture
Top-ranking forecasters get their feel for the direction of currencies from varying market indicators.
Diversification needed for Asian central banks
TOKYO – As much as $450–$500 billion may have to be shifted from dollars to yen and euros if Asian central banks are to avoid big yearly losses, said Thomas Stolper, global market economist at Goldman Sachs in London.
Protection with potential
Besa Deda, Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Sydney-based currency strategist, presents a way of combining a view that the aussie will weaken while protecting against adverse fluctuations for an Australian exporter
US FX catching up with UK
LONDON & NEW YORK – Growth in the US FX market is outstripping the UK, according to official figures released last week.
ABN Amro cashes in on retail demand
HONG KONG – ABN Amro is capitalising on retail demand for exposure to forex markets with the launch of the first FX-linked equity notes for retail investors based in Hong Kong.
Emerging markets on the rise
Maintaining a consistently bullish view on the dollar has helped HBOS Treasury services top the three-month rankings.
Asia takes electronic currency route
Electronic currency networks are coming to the fore in Asia as daily trading volumes reach an all-time high, according to Michael Weiner, co-founder and managing partner at CoesFx
Renminbi takes first step
BEIJING – Banks are predicting further significant appreciation in the renminbi following the long-awaited shift in the currency announced last Thursday.
How exchange rates drive monetary policy
With interest rates being a major driver of exchange rates, Peter Luxton, global markets adviser at Informa Global Markets, says with US rates appearing stretched, the outlook for the dollar is changing
Relative value after the peg
Marios Maratheftis, FX strategist with Standard Chartered in London, looks at where to find value in Asian currencies following the end of the Renminbi's dollar peg
Cyclical factors maintain greenback's strength
Calyon has maintained its dominance of the 12-month ranking because it has been consistently bullish on the dollar for the past year, according to Mitul Kotecha, global head of FX research at the French bank in London.
Swissie likely to return to strength
Uninspiring Swiss fundamentals, a recovery in risk appetite, positive surprises in prominent global data indicators and potential political risks in Switzerland have all hurt the Swiss franc. However, EUR/CHF is on its way up, says, Benedikt Germanier,…
Euro 'particularly vulnerable'
Pronet Analytics tops the one-month ranking this week following a realignment of its view on the dollar.
Hedging North Asia FX risk
Michael Image, FX structurer in Hong Kong, and Callum Henderson, head of FX strategy in Singapore, at Standard Chartered Bank, look at appropriate hedging strategies such as structured forwards or daily accrual forwards for hedging North Asian currency…
RBS hits the heights on Cfets
SHANGHAI AND EDINBURGH – Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has done the most deals and seen the highest volume on Chinese trading system China foreign currency trading system (Cfets) since its launch.
London blasts hit e-trading
LONDON – Last Thursday’s terrorist attacks in London caused widespread disruption to electronic trading, with spreads widening considerably and at least one bank not delivering prices to a portal.
BNP tops by picking dollar rally
BNP Paribas has jumped 10 places to top the one-month ranking, following its prediction that the dollar would rally, driven by interest rate and growth differentials.
Hedge fund interest in forex continues
London – High profile banks and investment houses are launching currency fund of hedge funds (FOHFs), showing the continuing interest as FX as an asset class.
More terror likely to hit markets
The terrorist attacks that hit London are not the last we will see, and invetsors should react accordingly, says Andrew Busch, global market strategist at Bank of Montreal in Chicago
Icap offers streaming FX prices
LONDON – Icap is set to offer streaming prices to customers on its forwards platform, as the broker seeks to expand its presence in the electronic broking space, and offer competition to Reuters.
Predicting the unexpected
Extreme value theory is an effective way of predicting the large moves frequently seen in currency markets, says Collin Crownover, global head, investor risk advisory group at Citigroup in New York
Central Europe and Turkey: no cause for concern
The EU’s referendum/budget does not, as some have suggested, spell doom for central European currencies and the Turkish lira, says Meg Browne, head of FX research at Brown Brothers Harriman