News
Deutsche strengthens in Russia
MOSCOW & BRASILIA - Deutsche Bank has boosted its FX operations in Russia and Brazil by recruiting staff from JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch.
ABN upbeat on US dollar
FRANKFURT - ABN Amro has launched two capital-protected notes in Germany designed to provide exposure to the appreciation of the US dollar against the euro. The notes are targeted at investors anticipating a move towards a sustainable US base interest…
Margin FX "gambling" banned in China
BEIJING - China's banking regulators have issued a ban on FX margin trading, citing poor risk management among Chinese commercial banks licensed to provide the service. Existing margin trading accounts need to be settled as quickly as possible, added the…
Libor gets an overhaul
LONDON - The British Bankers' Association (BBA) has announced changes to the governance of the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor).
Russia confirms rouble conversion
ST PETERSBURG - The Russian Government has confirmed plans to convert the rouble into a reserve currency in the near future.
Staff shedding continues at JP Morgan
NEW YORK AND LONDON - In one of the first cuts to its own FX team, JP Morgan is said to have axed a senior FX salesperson in New York, as part of a continuing attempt to reduce headcount after acquiring troubled bank Bear Stearns.
Hotspot gets summer upgrades
JERSEY CITY, NJ - Knight Capital Group has embarked on a summer-long software revamp of Hotspot, its electronic FX platform. The broker-dealer has already stripped two-thirds of round-trip time from the software.
Westpac boosts FX sales ahead of merger
LONDON AND NEW YORK - Australian dealer Westpac is bolstering its FX sales presence in the US and UK, less than a month after announcing plans to merge with domestic rival St George.
Gulf single regional currency approved
DUBAI - Central bankers from Arab Gulf states approved a draft monetary union treaty last week (June 9) for creating a single regional currency. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait agreed to create a Gulf currency by 2010…
Saxo Bank boosts white-label partnership
COPENHAGEN - Saxo Bank has boosted its white-label partnership by appointing Stephan Martinussen to a new role as global head of partner sales.
Standard Chartered gains French foothold
PARIS - Standard Chartered opened a branch in Paris on June 5 in response to the growth in its global corporates and financial institutions business in France.
TD Securities expands in FX
LONDON & SINGAPORE - Canadian bank TD Securities is continuing to build up its FX business, with a hire in London and a transfer in Singapore.
Rising dollar brings Parker FX down
STAMFORD, CT - The Parker FX Index produced a 0.01% loss in April, as the US dollar rose against a basket of G-6 currencies for the first time in several months.
India to allow exchange-traded FX futures
MUMBAI - Indian regulators have recommended the introduction of exchange-traded currency futures to further develop the India's foreign exchange markets.
Deutsche builds EM options
LONDON - Deutsche Bank has moved to enhance its emerging markets options capabilities with a key hire from Goldman Sachs in London.
Lloyds TSB expands in derivatives
LONDON - Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets is continuing to expand its global derivatives business, with two key hires for its foreign exchange derivatives trading team.
Short volatility strategies profitable again
LONDON - A short volatility strategy would have gained currency managers the highest returns in May, according to strategy research carried out by ABN Amro.
RBC Capital Markets cuts London forex
LONDON - RBC Capital Markets has made cuts to its London foreign exchange team in the wake of a fall-off in second-quarter results.
Saxo opens in Tokyo
TOKYO - Saxo Bank has announced it is opening a Tokyo office, Saxo Bank Japan, to expand its trading presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Funds becoming more reliant on e-FX
STAMFORD, CT - Requirements to prove best execution have led to an increased reliance on electronic trading by fund managers and pension funds, according to research released on June 2.
More FX departures at Bear Stearns
NEW YORK & LONDON - Bear Stearns' foreign exchange team continues to suffer departures as the bank's FX business gets merged with that of JP Morgan.