Trading
When is it appropriate to use average rate options?
Corporates can fall into the trap of using average rate options as a cheaper alternative to European options. Jeff Cooper (right), vice-president, foreign exchange, Bank of Montreal in Toronto, clarifies the misconception
China stirs the pot
Daniel Katzive, UBS currency analyst in Stamford, looks at the implications of China's decision to widen the band on the yuan peg
UBS reaps distribution rewards
STAMFORD – UBS is seeing strong take-up for dual currency deposits (DCDs) by US retail clients after launching the product for the US market earlier this year.
GFI and Traiana offer processing boost for forex options trading
NEW YORK and LONDON – FX options trading is to get a boost, with broker GFI and technology vendor Traiana both launching automated processing services in the market.
Structured products in the spotlight
WASHINGTON, DC – Concerns over the mis-selling of structured products to investors in the US has prompted the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) to issue guidelines to ensure members fall within the scope of sales practice codes.
RBS hits top spot in Risk poll
LONDON – Derivatives market giants Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, UBS and Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) are facing a threat from a wider number of banks trying to capture interbank business.
CST merger leads to derivatives domination
LONDON – The £132 million Collins Stewart Tullett (CST) acquisition of Prebon Yamane last October has propelled the combined group to domination of the broker categories for interest rate and currency derivatives in sister pulication Risk 's 2005 inter…
Platforms adopt algorithmic trading
NEW YORK – Algorithmic trading continues to gather momentum, with trading platforms EBS and Hotspot FXi linking to software provider Progress Software Corporation's Apama Algorithmic trading software.
Iceland builds foreign reserves
REYKJAVIK – The Central Bank of Iceland (CBI) has decided to increase its USD/ISK weekly buying from $2.5 million to $12.5 million by the end of the year following the improved liquidity position of the Treasury.
The first to Connect
In the penultimate platform focus, FX Week assesses the prospects of pioneering platform FX Connect
Oiling the wheels of kroner strength
Adam Myers, FX strategist at UBS in London, discusses the potential for a Norwegian kroner (NOK) setback in the short term Ministry of Finance and the Norges Bank Petroleum fund
Katrina adds to uncertainties
Recent events, notably hurricane Katrina, have jolted currency markets out of recent stability. This helped Bank of Montreal race towards the top of the three-month ranking as it predicted a weaker dollar in June.
Platforms adopt algorithmic trading
NEW YORK – Algorithmic trading continues to gather momentum, with trading platforms EBS and Hotspot FXi linking to software provider Progress Software Corporation's Apama Algorithmic trading software.
Banks risk US regulatory backlash
NEW YORK – FX banks could face a regulatory backlash in the US for the mis-selling of FX products by retail brokers, warn market players.
GFT tops the trend-spotters
GFT tops the three-month year-to-date forecasts this week by focusing on technical analysis, fundamentals and sentiment to obtain short- and long-term perspectives for determining currency trends, said Paul Jamgotch, managing dealer.
Major banks to pilot SwiftNet TSU
COPENHAGEN – Swift announced that 13 major trade banks have signed on to pilot the SwiftNet Trade Services Utility (TSU) solution.
Corporate customers 'unhappy with bank service' – SAP boss
COPENHAGEN – Corporate customers are dissatisfied with current levels of service from their banks, said Léo Apotheker, president of global field operations at technology vendor SAP at the 2005 Sibos conference held last week.
Dollar boosts FX derivatives
BASLE – The rally in the US dollar has worked to the benefit of exchanges offering trading in currency derivatives.
Keeping up to speed
Nigel Renton tells FX Week how the eSpeed FX platform competes in an already full market
Sign up for buy-side involvement
Olaf Ransome, head of transactions development and support at Credit Suisse in Zurich, calls on FX management to embrace plans to adopt an agreement that would make it much easier for the buy side to sign up to continuous linked settlement
Hedging rupee currency pairs
The global markets team at ICICI Bank in Mumbai suggests ways for Indian corporates to hedge against volatility in the Indian rupee currency pairs.