Trading
Trading FX implied volatility – part II
The use of at-the-money straddles can be an effective way to trade implied volatility, but it is not without its limits. In the final part of a two-part series, Duncan Farnsworth, head of risk analytics in the currency structuring group at Royal Bank of…
Is sterling ripe for a fall?
The trade-weighted value of sterling has dropped to levels last seen in late 2003. At the start of Q2 there has been much speculation about the increasingly negative prospects for the UK economy and sterling, writes Jeremy Stretch, FX strategist at…
Carry trades driving the greenback
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) increased its average accuracy in the one-month historical index by accurately predicting a USD/JPY of 118. The mean forecast was 116.
Icap concludes deal with EBS
LONDON – Interdealer broker Icap's agreement to acquire electronic forex heavyweight EBS last week could signal a shift in the current landscape of the forex market, say analysts.
China is not the only egg in the basket
Reuters' deal with Union Bank of India demonstrates that there is a wealth of opportunity in the sub-continent for banks looking to drive forex returns in emerging markets.
Yen and RMB undervalued, finds survey
LONDON – The majority of fund managers believe the yen is undervalued based on current fundamentals, according to research by US investment bank Merrill Lynch.
Union Bank of India to use Reuters FX portal
MUMBAI – Union Bank of India (UBI) has selected Reuters, the global information company, to implement an online FX trading portal.
Dollar remains supported for now, says ABN Amro
ABN Amro has topped the one-month rankings forecast and places second in the three-month thanks to its sceptical take on bearish greenback sentiment, according to Tony Norfield, global head of foreign exchange strategy in London.
Hungarian Forint: A foggy forecast for forint exchange
The first half of the two-leg election in Hungary points to political status quo in the central European nation, but analysts point to significant likely volatility in the forint over the next few months.
There are no options benchmarks
The following is a case study of option volumes with delayed delivery, by Nasir Afaf, global head FX options, Commerzbank Corporates & Markets in London
Pressure likely for the greenback
The improvement in February's US trade data is likely to be short-lived. Deutsche Bank's strategy team continues to look for EUR/USD to grind higher over the course of the quarter. Is the deterioration of the US basic balance still a valid reason to sell…
MAS maintains forex policy
SINGAPORE – The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) maintained its stance of 'modest and gradual' appreciation at its semi-annual policy review last Tuesday.
Currency managers down in March
LONDON – Most currency funds had a tough time generating positive returns last month, indicates research from ABN Amro.
JP Morgan hit by sales departures
NEW YORK & LONDON – JP Morgan's FX sales operation has been hit by a number of departures including a number of defections to Merrill Lynch.
A changing regime
Low-yielding currencies are set to make a comeback, writes Teis Knuthsen, head of FX and fixed-income research at Danske Bank in Copenhagen
Knight Capital completes HotspotFXi acquisition
JERSEY CITY, NJ – Knight Capital Group last week completed the acquisition of Hotspot FX in an all-cash deal for $77.5 million.
Defrosting the myths
The risk of an Icelandic crisis and its impact on other high-yielding currencies has been strongly exaggerated, says Beat Siegenthaler, senior strategist at TD Securities in London
Reuters to calculate official spot rate
HONG KONG – Reuters is to be the official exclusive calculator and distributor of the benchmark spot US dollar/Hong Kong dollar fixing rate. This new official spot USD/HKD fixing is owned and administrated by Treasury Markets Association (TMA) in Hong…
No change is good news for forecasters
Investors Bank & Trust (IB&T) has moved into the top five of every forecast category, making it the most consistently accurate forecaster across the board so far in 2006.
JP Morgan hit by sales departures
NEW YORK & LONDON – JP Morgan's FX sales operation has been hit by a number of departures including a number of defections to Merrill Lynch.
China's forex reserves exceed Japan's
BEIJING – CHINA, with $853.7 billion in FX reserves, has surpassed Japan's long-held status as the world's largest holder of foreign exchange reserves, state media reported last week.
SEB paints bright US economic picture
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) maintains the bullish dollar view that has seen it remain at the top of the one-month historical table since February 6. It has held a positive view on US economic growth despite EUR/USD depreciation of nearly 10% over…
The end of emerging market exuberance?
A plunge in high-yield currencies has triggered concerns that global investors had become too lax in their evaluation of emerging market risk, but Caroline Blyth, emerging market manager at Informa Global Markets, says the likelihood of a serious…
Currency trading for DGCX
DUBAI – The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) is set to launch currency futures trading in coming months – the first such products to be made available in the Middle East.