News
Markets get off to a busy start
LONDON -- There was no rest for FX markets through the festive period and into 2003, as the euro hit a three-year high against the dollar before the greenback fought back to recover.
Trading places
SG’s Debonneuil dies in car crash
No lull for FX dealers
LONDON -- The usual pre-holiday lull in FX markets was pushed back last week as growing risk aversion kept dealers busy.
V-Banking upgrade
SYDNEY -- Australian FX dealing technology firm Velocity Systems International last week unveiled a new version of its web-based e-treasury software.
Tech briefs
Bank One installs Calypso to help expand interest rate derivatives
Problem trades are ‘eating up forex profits’ -- SunGard
LONDON -- Nearly a quarter of FX transaction profits are eaten up by ‘exceptions’, or problem trades, according to a survey of 500 financial institutions.
Hotspot FXi plans launch in Europe
NEW JERSEY -- Online institutional FX trading platform Hotspot FXi will launch a European office in the first quarter of next year, in response to increasing volumes, president and chief executive officer John Eley told FX Week .
Prebon derivatives reorg
LONDON -- UK-based inter-dealer broker Prebon Marshall Yamane has reorganised its cash forwards and derivatives businesses in London.
ABN Amro names A-P sales head
SINGAPORE -- ABN Amro last week announced the appointment of Wolfgang Platzer as regional sales head for Asia-Pacific, in the banks and brokers division -- a subdivision of Global Transaction Services (GTS).
Merger sparks vendor war
LONDON -- Sparks were flying in the e-forex industry last week, as banks, vendors and brokers reacted to the fallout from Reuters’ purchase of rival FX trading software firm AVT Technologies.
Prat-Gay takes central bank reins in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES -- Alfonso Prat-Gay, former global head of FX research at JP Morgan Chase in London, has been appointed president of the Argentine central bank.
Global tensions force euro higher
LONDON -- The euro hit a three-year high against the dollar late last week on heightening risk aversion among investors as global political tensions mounted.
ING breaks new ground in FX swaps
SEOUL -- Dutch bank ING is to provide a 21-year swap for South Korea’s first cross-border residential mortgage-backed security (RMBS). "This is the first 21-year cross-border swap done in the Korean market," said Marc Choo, a Hong Kong-based director in…
Pronet seeks global distributors
LONDON -- FX analysis firm Pronet Analytics is in talks with several parties regarding the global distribution of its products, said Shane Smith, chief executive of Pronet.
Commerzbank cuts in London
LONDON -- Commerzbank has shed four foreign exchange jobs in London, a source at the bank told FX Week .
Icap charity day raises £3 million
LONDON -- Icap, the world’s largest inter-dealer broker, raised more than £3.3 million on its 10th annual charity day last Wednesday (December 11).
Will Snow fix flaky dollar policy?
WASHINGTON, DC -- The appointment of John Snow as US treasury secretary last week may signal a change in the US strong-dollar policy, analysts told FX Week .
IFX announces tripling profits
LONDON -- Financial trading and spread-betting company IFX last week announced its interim profits have tripled year-on-year.
Streaming data in demand
LONDON -- Streaming data provider Dealing Technologies is seeing strong interest from FX banks in its new product, senior officials at the firm told FX Week.
Aussie fights the flames
High-yielding currencies such as the Australian dollar continue to enjoy a measure of support among international money managers, says Michael Derks, chief global strategist for Commonwealth Bank of Australia in London
Japanese FI goes international
TOKYO -- Japanese fixed-income investors added $25 billion of global forex volume in the past year through diversification of their portfolios, according to a report made public last week.
Trading places
AIG chief dealer moves to Clearview
AIG makes senior FX appointments
GREENWICH, CT -- AIG Trading Group has made four senior FX additions to its global operation over the past two months, a spokesperson in the bank’s Greenwich, Connecticut headquarters told FX Week.
Emerging markets success for FX funds
STAMFORD, CT -- Emerging markets currency funds outperformed their G7 counterparts in October, according to the Parker FX index, which published figures for the month last week.