Trading
Benchmarking against competitive exchange rates
The dollar decline has led to competitive divergences between those currencies that tag the dollar and those that have suffered. This is likely to bring increased FX volatility, says Peter Luxton, economic adviser at Informa Global Markets in London
Politics overshadows economics for zloty
WARSAW -- The resignation of the Polish prime minister from the leadership of the ruling Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) Party will lead to continued volatility in the zloty, which is already close to record lows, analysts said last week.
NAB report to reveal ‘control breakdowns’
MELBOURNE -- Pricewaterhouse- Coopers’ (PWC) report on the forex options trading scandal that has shaken National Australia Bank (NAB) in recent weeks is expected to expose a number of risk control problems at the bank, Graham Kraehe, NAB’s new chairman,…
RBS leading UK FX race
LONDON -- Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) reported a 24% increase in foreign exchange revenues for 2003, the largest year-on-year rise among UK banks reporting their results last week.
FXCM hits back at CFTC charge
NEW YORK -- Online trading firm Forex Capital Markets (FXCM) hit back at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) last week, after the regulator charged it with liability for an allegedly fraudulent trading firm.
Reflationary effects on dollar/yen
Strong cross-border portfolio inflows into Japan are unlikely to falter. Consider either Seagull or reverse knock-in option strategies to protect against further yen strength, say State Street Global Markets’ currency options and currency strategy teams
Market to test central banks post-G7
LONDON -- The G7 communiqué released after the Boca Raton meeting on February 7 will lead to the market testing the resolve of central banks to limit FX moves, analysts agreed last week.
UBS and CSFB to grow prime brokerage
ZURICH -- Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse both nominated prime brokerage as key areas of growth for their financial markets businesses, in their annual results reports published last week.
Ex-MMS team sets up new analysis firm
NEW YORK -- Three managers from the former MMS International, the currency analysis firm bought by publishing group Informa, have set up a new real-time technical analysis service for spot FX.
Time for Asia to flex FX
A week after the Boca Raton G7 communiqué, and the market is flexing its capital muscle, prompting a broad appreciation of Asian currencies, writes Claudio Piron, head of FX strategy at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore
Tradition takes 10% stake in IFX Group
LAUSANNE -- Swiss broker Compagnie Financière Tradition has taken a 10% stake in UK online trading firm IFX Group, the firm announced last week.
CME slashes fees
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Mercantile Exchange will slash Asian and North American trading fees from March for new members, as it seeks to widen its client base after the launch of Eurex US.
Changes afoot at Merrill Lynch
NEW YORK -- A major restructuring of Merrill Lynch’s FX management is underway, according to sources close to the bank in New York.
Deutsche closing gap on Citi?
FRANKFURT -- Deutsche Bank could be about to close the forex-earnings gap with rival Citigroup, if FX figures match the 33% dollar-terms improvement in its debt group, announced last week.
Accrual strategy counters euro/dollar vol
The next phase of dollar weakness is unlikely to be as monotonous as the previous one. Dollar sellers should therefore use an accrual strategy to exploit market volatility, says Bart Wong, senior FX structurer at Barclays Capital in London
Banks hire for Euro corporates
LONDON -- BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank SEB and SG Corporate & Investment Bank are among the banks building European corporate FX sales teams, as clients step-up activity in response to volatile markets.
End of the line for euro/dollar ascent?
The market may push euro/dollar higher to challenge the European Central Bank’s resolve, but economic fundamentals are stacking up against the euro, says Stephen Jen, currency economist at Morgan Stanley in London
Thai baht flies high despite bird flu
BANGKOK -- Market participants remain bullish on the outlook for the Thai baht, despite the outbreak of avian influenza that has hit Thailand and other parts of Asia in recent weeks.
New accounting rules put focus on training
LONDON -- New accounting regulations and recent instances of suspected fraud in the forex markets should make training financial markets staff a top priority, said officials at online training firm Intuition in London.
Saxo’s FX volume growth builds profits
COPENHAGEN -- Saxo Bank had its most active trading month ever in January, with over $93 billion worth of forex trading on its platform, officials said last week. The volumes represent an increase of over 200% since January 2003, when volumes were $28.5…