Trading
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.
Asia should ditch USD to cut settlement risk
HONG KONG & TOKYO - US dollar settlement risks in the Asian foreign exchange market could be reduced by using an Asian vehicle currency for intra-regional trade and direct settlement among Asian currencies, according to economists.
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.
ABN upbeat on US dollar
FRANKFURT - ABN Amro has launched two capital-protected notes in Germany designed to provide exposure to the appreciation of the US dollar against the euro. The notes are targeted at investors anticipating a move towards a sustainable US base interest…
Margin FX "gambling" banned in China
BEIJING - China's banking regulators have issued a ban on FX margin trading, citing poor risk management among Chinese commercial banks licensed to provide the service. Existing margin trading accounts need to be settled as quickly as possible, added the…
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.
Range-bound prediction pays off for BMo
The Bank of Montreal (BMo) found itself at the top of this week's one-month forecast rankings by predicting a certain amount of stability in the main currency pairs over the past few months.
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.
Gulf single regional currency approved
DUBAI - Central bankers from Arab Gulf states approved a draft monetary union treaty last week (June 9) for creating a single regional currency. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait agreed to create a Gulf currency by 2010…
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.
Aussie star on the wane
The good times are over for the Australian dollar, as the economy stalls, writes Stephen Koukoulas, global strategist at TD Securities
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.
Gain Capital's sideways glance pays off
Gain Capital topped this week's one-month forecast rankings by predicting a sideways environment with a positive dollar bent in the main currency pairs over the past few months.
Rescue the rouble
Igor Souzdaltsev, head of financial institutions at OTP Bank (Russia) in Moscow, calls to stave of another financial crisis
Rising dollar brings Parker FX down
STAMFORD, CT - The Parker FX Index produced a 0.01% loss in April, as the US dollar rose against a basket of G-6 currencies for the first time in several months.
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.