Foreign exchange
Swiss franc: safe-haven currency?
With banks widely recognising US dollar weakness and uncertainty over the eurozone as an ongoing trend in FX markets this year, Miriam Siers talks to currency strategists about the prospects for the Swiss franc
Duffie paper sparks debate over credit risk in FX swaps and forwards
Market participants respond to calls from academic Darrell Duffie for more analysis before finalising exemption of FX swaps and forwards from clearing requirements
State Street admits to SEC pricing probe
SEC is investigating State Street over its FX pricing as part of ongoing regulatory probe into overcharging by major custodians
Nomura’s cable strength call prevails
Japanese bank's view that GBP/USD would rise over the past 12 months proved to be accurate
European Commission ‘unhappy’ with Dodd-Frank extraterritoriality
EC official voices concern at London conference over the long arm of US swaps regulations
Informa’s ECB rate-based bet pays off
UK analysts bet euro would stay strong as ECB moved ahead of others to hike interest rates
Closing the FX gender gap
As in much of the financial services sector, the upper echelons of the foreign exchange industry are male-dominated, but a number of market participants say opportunities for women are improving, particularly at the graduate level. Chiara Albanese reports
CLS appoints Naresh Nagia as CRO in New York
Nagia started May 4 and will replace Carol Simon after a transition period
Audio: To QE or not to QE, is the only question?
Markets could be sleepwalking into global crisis 2.0 as a third round of quantitative easing becomes increasingly likely, cautions Nick Beecroft, senior markets consultant at Saxo Bank in London.
Sanity check on the value of emerging markets
April in perspective: investors and managers appear to have become more averse to the risk posed by emerging market currencies after volatility struck in March
Top European banks see Q1 Ficc revenues fall
Deutsche, Barclays, UBS and Credit Suisse all saw some fall in Q1 revenues compared with the same period last year
Spotlight on: Thanos Papasavvas, Investec Asset Management
The head of currency management at Investec Asset Management talks to Joel Clark about the firm’s focus on institutional investors and its expectations for the euro, emerging market currencies and the yen
The euro: weathering the perfect storm
Fiscal concerns continue to haunt peripheral European countries and the wider eurozone, but the euro has strengthened against major currencies in the first four months of the year and economists no longer question the currency’s future. Nikki Marmery…
CBA on top with accurate view on dollar weakness
Australian bank expects US dollar will strengthen again towards year-end, once the Fed begins to raise interest rates
Dovish Fed statement heightens dollar bearishness
April 27 FOMC statement confirms QE2 will end in June and interest rates will remain low for an extended period
Charitable sector gets savvy in FX hedging
Investment managers that serve the not-for-profit sector say charities have become more sophisticated in hedging their currency risk after experiencing increased volatility. How do charities typically hedge their FX risk? Chiara Albanese reports
Speculation surrounds FOMC meeting for clues on possible dollar rally
First-ever FOMC press conference on April 27 could give market some indication of the impact of the end of QE2 and the possible timing of rate hikes, strategists hope
Thomson Reuters success hinged on bullish sterling stance
UK-based analysts predicted cable would rise to 1.63 during the first quarter, putting Thomson Reuters at the top of this week's three-month rankings
Reality check on CAD and AUD assumptions
Jeremy Stretch, head of FX strategy at CIBC in London, asks whether the Canadian or the Australian dollar is a better buy in an environment in which both appear attractive alternatives to struggling traditional currencies
UBS adopts flexible approach to euro forecasts
Swiss bank adjusted forecasts during eurozone sovereign debt crisis to put it at the top of 12-month historical index
Reserve managers diversify away from traditional currencies, report finds
Non-traditional currencies play an increasingly important role in central bank holdings as a result of eurozone sovereign debt concerns and ongoing economic weakness in developed markets, according to Central Banking Publications report
Spotlight on: Joe Norena and Jacqueline Liau, HSBC
Joe Norena, chief operating officer for FX and metals at HSBC, and Jacqueline Liau, global head of product and services for FX Prime, talk to Farah Khalique about the bank’s plans to offer clearing services for FX products