Trading
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
Deutsche Bank sells dbFX to Gain Capital
German bank says further growth of the retail trading business requires a specialist like Gain Capital as it sells the dbFX offering it has built up since 2006
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
Deutsche and Barclays sweep into CNH derivatives
Banks both now offer offshore renminbi trading in spot, forwards and swaps on their FX platforms after new launches over the past fortnight
Testing the limits
Thomson Reuters Spot Matching suffered a major outage last month, with trading unavailable on any currency pairs for four hours. Chiara Albanese speaks to FX trading platforms to assess how they test their technology to prevent such outages
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
Clearing discussion still in flux, says Esma chair
In his first public speech since becoming head of key regulatory body, Steven Maijoor gives no hint as to whether FX swaps and forwards might be exempted from mandatory clearing
FX dealers commit to greater standardisation in latest Fed letter
Voluntary OTC commitments touch on standardisation of FX products and the selection of a trade repository for the FX market by Q2 2012
Isda raises concerns over Russian netting laws
But despite the challenges involved, banks and brokers are excited by the progress being made to open up the Russian market
Icap updates rules for EBS Spot Ai customers
Interdealer broker limits top-of-book quote interrupts to 200 per institution per day
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
CIBC euro view based on expected ECB rate hike
The Canadian bank expects EUR/USD will fall back to 1.37 following ECB action as FX markets await outcome of Fed meeting at the end of April
Social media finds a foothold in FX
Banks are evaluating the value that can be delivered to the foreign exchange business by investing in social media. What are the potential benefits and challenges of using such tools? Chiara Albanese reports
Dollar weakness: Passing fad or long-term reality?
The weakness of the US dollar has been a dominant theme so far in 2011, with many strategists predicting the currency will remain on a weak footing for some time. Miriam Siers speaks to currency strategists about the prospects for the dollar in the…
EBS decimals move has divided the spot market, admits Icap
Interdealer broker tells conference delegates it has made both friends and enemies by introducing decimalised pricing on major currency pairs
FX Invest North America: Beware of EM risks, buy side warns
The danger of not being able to unwind a position in an illiquid currency during a crisis could outweigh the possible returns in many cases, according to conference delegates
FX swaps and forwards headed for exemption, argues former bank clearing head
John Wilson, who left RBS earlier this year, expects FX to be exempted from clearing but expresses concern about outstanding issues in US and EU derivatives legislation
EU Council disputes Esma’s power to determine clearing eligibility
Legal precedent suggests European Commission might have to determine which contracts should be cleared under new derivatives rules, rather than Esma as originally planned
CBA completes first phase of FX systems overhaul
Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Baxter e-FX platform set to go live this week
Spotlight on: Kevin Rodgers, Deutsche Bank
Deutsche’s global head of FX spot, e-trading and derivatives talks to Joel Clark about how the bank is positioning the different elements of its FX business to satisfy the changing demands of its clients and the evolving regulations
Wells Fargo's winning forecasts driven by effects of QE2 on the dollar
US bank believes US monetary policy was the major driver of FX markets in the first quarter