Westpac
Westpac opens shop in Shanghai Free-Trade Zone
The Australian bank opens a branch in China's pilot financial area after both countries sign a key trade agreement and Sydney becomes a RMB hub
NZD/CNY begins direct trading agreement
The announcement of a direct FX trading relationship between New Zealand and China will lead to improved efficiency, say approved market-makers
Westpac expands Hong Kong presence to tap into RMB demand
Australian bank makes senior appointments in Hong Kong to strengthen renminbi business
Westpac tops table with pessimistic dollar view
Australian bank tops this week's three-month currency forecast rankings after predicting events in the US would weaken the dollar against the euro
Scepticism over tapering pays off for Westpac
Westpac tops this week's one-month currency forecast rankings with low expectations for the dollar and the yen
Dual reporting requirements in Asia cause concern
While Singapore will mandate single-sided trade reporting, regulators in Australia and Hong Kong will follow the European Union’s requirement for dual reporting, leading to concerns among market participants
Westpac wins with bet on sound pound
Westpac's head currency strategist says market has been overexcited over the prospect of tapering in the US, while sterling shows more promise
Aggregation hampered by predatory execution
New aggregation guidelines from EBS could help to increase transparency of aggregation, but the relationship between liquidity makers and takers remains strained
EBS takes aim at maligned aggregation practices
Icap’s EBS is setting out new best practices on aggregation and will only connect to aggregators that adhere to them, as it seeks to further overhaul the experience of its liquidity consumers
NAB's new trading head sets sights on EM FX
David Jones, newly promoted head of FX trading at National Australia Bank, is based in London rather than Sydney, and has a mandate to focus particularly on emerging markets
Westpac partners with Broadway Technology for aggregated solution
Australian bank replaces in-house aggregation tool with a white-label offering to increase capacity
Banks beef up in real-money sales
Westpac sales head Corinna Wong joins Morgan Stanley, while Craig Weiner moves from JP Morgan to Standard Chartered
Traders surprised by Australian rate cut
Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to cut interest rate to 2.75% came earlier than traders expected
Direct trading kicks off in Australian dollar and Chinese yuan
China allows direct trading between the yuan and Australian dollar to deepen financial links between the two countries and improve price transparency
Aussie strength causes problems for corporates after commodities fall
Australian mining companies have historically relied on the correlation between the Aussie dollar and commodity prices as a natural hedge for their AUD exposures, but a recent dislocation has made that hedge less reliable
Aussie forecasts revised after RBA decision to hold rates
Strategists have revised upwards their expectations for the Australian dollar after last week's RBA decision, but some expect further weakness next year
Trading places, October 15, 2012
New appointments at Westpac, Icap, HKSI and LGIM, while Goldman Sachs loses in FX sales and regulatory expert departs Deutsche Bank
BoJ inertia informs Westpac's chart-topping yen forecast
An accurate forecast on the direction of USD/JPY - based on the view that the Bank of Japan would remain behind the curve on intervention - lands Westpac at the top of the three-month rankings
FXecosystem hires US salesman
FX sales veteran Robert Dantone will join FXecosystem from FlexTrade on June 1
Aussie banks join e-FX arms race
Ramping up single-dealer platforms and connectivity to multibank portals is a key priority for Australian banks, as they seek to ensure their forex business is not poached by global banks with superior technology
Westpac continues FX hiring spree
Blake Jensen, formerly of RBS, has joined Westpac in institutional sales as the latest in a number of key hires across sales and trading globally
Aussie demand surges following RBA rate cut
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to cut interest rates on May 1 led to a sharp fall in the Australian dollar, but has also caused an uptick in demand for the currency, according to FX traders and strategists in the region
Record Currency Management loses counterparty management head
Preeya Patel is to leave Record Currency Management after five years, and is understood to be joining Westpac