Trading
Asian currencies at risk from oil surge
JAKARTA – Asian currencies have taken a hit from surging oil prices, which remained above $60 last week despite falling off record levels set earlier this month.
UK banks storm ahead in forex
LONDON – UK banks are storming ahead in FX, with a strong set of results reported for the first half of the year.
The greenback correction
Rabobank has maintained its consistent position at the top of the year-to-date one month forecast by anticipating the greenback's correction that began in early June, said Jeremy Stretch senior market strategist at the Dutch Bank in London.
ACM expands in Middle East
DUBAI – ACM-Refco, the online currency and metal trading firm, has opened a representative sales office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Voting underway for Best Banks Awards
LONDON – Voting for the FX Week Best Banks Awards 2005 got underway last week, with more than 300 votes already having been cast.
China announces reference basket
BEIJING – The People's Bank of China (PBoC) has announced the four currencies that will act as a basket against which the renminbi (RMB) will be pegged.
The relative merits of zero-premium structures
Zero-premium structures can do a better job as a hedge than a vanilla instrument, when the full cost of insurance is paid. By Kenrick Ramlochan, director, FX analytics and risk advisory at ABN Amro in London
Keeping current at Currenex
In the second in a series of interbank profiles, FX Week looks at the prospects of Currenex
Broker consolidation in the spotlight
LONDON – Consolidation of the broking industry is looming large again, with the unexpected announcement by Collins Stewart Tullett (CST) last week that it had received a number of bids for the company.
PBoC liberalises derivatives market
BEIJING – The People's Bank of China (PBoC) has issued new regulations allowing banks to trade renminbi forwards and cross-currency swaps in the interbank FX market. Meanwhile, non-bank companies such as insurance firms and asset managers can also apply…
Equity culture postpones dollar rally
Stephen Jen, head of currency research at Morgan Stanley in London, explains why he continues to expect strength in the greenback
Dresdner continues FX restructure
LONDON – Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein (DrKW) has seen the departure of three members of its foreign exchange sales and trading team, as the bank continues to restructure its FX desk.
Fighting chance for new player
In the first of a series of profiles of the multi-bank portals, FX Week analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the players in this crowded market-place. This week: Lava FX
Reuters enters post-trade market
LONDON – Reuters is to move into post-trade settlement of FX transactions with the forthcoming launch of its Reuters Trade Notification Service (RTNS).
BoE rate cut: about time too!
Alan Clarke, UK economist at BNP Paribas in London, predicts that last week's cut is unlikely to spark a wave of rate cuts by the Bank of England
The tip of the eFX iceberg
GREENWICH, CT – Electronic FX volumes could hit a new wave of growth if the banks behind spot broker EBS' buy-side initiative stay committed, according to research by Greenwich Associates.
The longer-term picture
Top-ranking forecasters get their feel for the direction of currencies from varying market indicators.
Diversification needed for Asian central banks
TOKYO – As much as $450–$500 billion may have to be shifted from dollars to yen and euros if Asian central banks are to avoid big yearly losses, said Thomas Stolper, global market economist at Goldman Sachs in London.
Protection with potential
Besa Deda, Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Sydney-based currency strategist, presents a way of combining a view that the aussie will weaken while protecting against adverse fluctuations for an Australian exporter
US FX catching up with UK
LONDON & NEW YORK – Growth in the US FX market is outstripping the UK, according to official figures released last week.
ABN Amro cashes in on retail demand
HONG KONG – ABN Amro is capitalising on retail demand for exposure to forex markets with the launch of the first FX-linked equity notes for retail investors based in Hong Kong.
Foreign banks slammed in Seoul
SEOUL – Three foreign banks have been reprimanded by Korean authorities for selling inappropriate FX derivatives contracts to state-owned companies.
Emerging markets on the rise
Maintaining a consistently bullish view on the dollar has helped HBOS Treasury services top the three-month rankings.
Asia takes electronic currency route
Electronic currency networks are coming to the fore in Asia as daily trading volumes reach an all-time high, according to Michael Weiner, co-founder and managing partner at CoesFx