Foreign exchange
Two FX options traders quit Merrill Lynch
LONDON - Merrill Lynch has lost two star foreign exchange options traders in London, market sources tell FX Week .
UniCredit eyes up US
NEW YORK - UniCredit has turned its sights to the US by making key foreign exchange hires, after driving its sales and trading businesses in Asia.
Calyon adopts Caplin Trader front end
LONDON - Calyon plans to use multi-asset class web-based front end Caplin Trader, by London-based web technology vendor Caplin Systems, for its new online single-dealer portal for fixed-income trading.
Foreign exchange: the entrepreneurs' market
Does anyone get the impression Michael Spencer is not only taking over the foreign exchange industry but also keeping developments in the family?
BoA hires London forex duo
LONDON - Bank of America (BoA) is hitting back after making severe cuts to its foreign exchange team in January by boosting its sales and trading franchise in London with two senior hires.
Barclays Capital loses two in European sales
LONDON - Barclays Capital has lost two senior foreign exchange salespeople in London, according to industry sources.
TD Securities expands in forex options
LONDON - TD Securities has hired David Hitchins as managing director and global head of foreign exchange options in London to spearhead the global expansion of the dealer's FX options business.
Solid Q2 for FX
NEW YORK - Lehman Bros and Goldman Sachs attest to solid foreign exchange revenue gains in the second quarter, according to results released last week.
SuperDerivatives upgrades forex platform
LONDON - Seven banks have begun using upgraded pricing and risk management software offered by SuperDerivatives that includes expanded exotics support and integrated price discovery, marketing, reporting and online execution.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.