Corporates
Kissing with confidence is key to FX
Keep it structurally simple (Kiss), says Evan Steed, director FX options trading and sales TD Bank Financial Group. This truism is especially appropriate as the greenback faces an uncertain future and regulatory change comes to Canada
The American-style participating forward
Clients wishing to trade at a pre-specified strike rate during a certain window period, should consider the American-style participating forward, say Bank of America options specialists Jim Kamphoefner in San Francisco and Ravi Chopra in Singapore
Hedging when the market moves against you
A nine month sliding forward structure can help your company achieve attractive FX hedging rates when the market has moved substantially beyond your budget rates, says Adam Gilmour, head of FX options sales in Citigroup's emerging markets sales and…
Euro doubts remain despite EC growth forecasts
LONDON – Economic growth in the eurozone is set to exceed the European Commission’s forecast of 1.7% in 2004, it said in its quarterly report last week – but analysts remain sceptical that this will be enough to sustain the euro’s current rally.
An average rate option to protect the budget
As euro/dollar continues its descent, Rabobank’s corporate sales desk in Utrecht suggests one way for European corporates to profit from the move
Time is right for early barrier forwards
The high level of volatility in the market makes this an opportune time for corporates to use early barrier forwards to hedge cable risk, says Barclays Capital’s senior FX structurer in London, James Edwards
IAS39 amended for macro hedging
LONDON -- The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) last week announced an amendment to IAS39 to aid the use of macro hedging.
NAB report: managers axed
FX head and three executives leave NAB in wake of report on forex losses MELBOURNE -- National Australia Bank (NAB) sacked head of FX Gary Dillon on Friday (March 12) after he was criticised by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ independent report into the bank’s A…
Correlation for hedging and speculation
One of the most surprising FX developments in the past year has been the re-emergence of the use of correlation products. Ade Odunsi, a director in Merrill Lynch’s FX risk advisory group in New York, suggests two such solutions for a hedging and a…
How to ride out the rising Aussie
The stellar rise of the Aussie doesn’t have to be bad news for Australian exporters. Wes Price, of ANZ Bank’s consultative risk management group in Melbourne, explains why
May - Banks’ operational risk lapse exposed
A special investigation by FX Week in May revealed a lapse in operational risk management at banks that do not separate risk management budgets from business lines.
Hedging Taiwan dollar risk
Exporters exposed to movements in the Taiwan dollar must hedge by using the non-deliverable forwards market. Michael Image, FX options structurer for northeast Asia at Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong, suggests a zero upfront premium solution, which…
Central Europe sees shift in fortunes
BUDAPEST -- Economic fortunes have been changing in central Europe, possibly more so than markets have recognised, said FX strategists at Merrill Lynch.
Won worries for Korea
SEOUL -- The Korean won could be weakened in the medium term by the slowing of South Korea’s economy and government policy failing to tackle a slump in consumer spending, says a recent report by Barclays Capital.
Multi-choice options for eurozone exporters
The multi-choice strategy forward option can offer flexibility to a euro-denominated exporting company looking to hedge its long-term dollar exposures, says Roman Stauss, head of FX product development at Commerzbank Securities in London
Banks counter IAS39 threat
LONDON -- Banks are developing new structuring models for corporate clients to ensure the IAS39 accounting standards do not result in a reduction of complex FX hedging activity.
Hedge optimisation under IAS39
All European Union listed companies must implement IAS 39 by the end of this year. Raymond Franzi, head of structuring, and Emmanuel Burot, head of structuring and accounting at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein in London, outline how a European firm should…
Crackdown on risk budgets
Trader sign-off on revaluing data must end, says industry body NEW YORK -- The Professional Risk Managers’ International Association (Prmia) is considering issuing guidelines recommending banks separate their risk management budgets from FX and other…
The leveraged reverse knock-in forward
With the recent strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the US dollar, a Canadian exporter with US receivables would be wise to consider a reverse knock-in forward, says Richard Stang, vice-president in FX sales at TD Securities in Toronto
RBS FiXes benchmarks with EBS
LONDON -- The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has gone live with a new benchmark engine for spot and forwards FX rates, called RBSFiX.
Digital strike combats Korean hedging worries
A local importer in South Korea with upcoming dollar payables would be wise to consider a digital strike forward as tensions increase in North Korea, says Charlie Brown, head of structuring and solutions for global FX options at Standard Chartered Bank…
Shift in risk sentiment shores up Australian options market
SYDNEY -- A change in risk sentiment, coupled with major underlying spot moves in local currencies, is bringing extra FX options business to Australia, according to local dealers.
Hungary: when the funds go marching in
The Hungarian forint’s peg should be scrapped before another speculative attack on the currency, say Marios Maratheftis and David Mann, economists at Standard Chartered Bank in London