Opinion/Risk Management
Managing exposure to forex volatility
Manuel Deijk in the structured FX team at UBS looks at a selection of quantitative methods applied in the implementation of FX risk management policies
Human touch will always be needed
Markets have been on the move again this week. Comments from retired Fed chairman Alan Greenspan about the US housing market and noise surrounding China's reserve policy ensured that the greenback at last broke through the 1.26–1.28 range that it had…
CLS: a slow adopter, sticking fast
The move by CLS into China reflects well on the settlement system. The fact that the bank-owned utility spent more than two years diligently negotiating Bank of China’s (BoC) path to becoming a shareholder shows it is genuine about welcoming emerging…
Anonymity does not always equal profitability
FXall has jumped on the anonymity bandwagon, and the Reuters/CME venture offers another way to access liquidity discretely. But whether these ventures will succeed is debatable.
Building long AUD/NZD positions with less risk
Besa Deda, Sydney-based currency strategist for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, looks at how to gain long exposure to AUD/NZD amid high volatility
The Chinese way
A lot has happened in China since its accession to the WTO in 2001. Arnie Papp, general manager for Asia-Pacific at Calypso, explains the effect the changes have had on FX in the region
Creating an algorithmic safeguard
Stuart Crooks, vice-president, sales for FlexFX in London, points to algorithmic trading as a way to keep up with the increasing speed at which the market moves
MarketSpace: a tough challenge for CLS
The joint venture between CME and Reuters to create a market-wide FX exchange has every chance of changing the face of the industry.
A simple strangle for EUR/GBP vol
Currency managers can insure against unexpected moves in the EUR/GBP using a simple low-cost method, says Neil Mellor, currency strategist at the Bank of New York in London
Diversifying through Africa
African basket options are a good vehicle for picking up yield and diversifying away risk, says Marios Maratheftis , FX strategist at Standard Charterd Bank in London
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…
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
Retail growth needs responsible attitude
The rise in financials' use of foreign exchange over 2005, as demonstrated by Greenwich Associates research (see related article, this issue), shows just how important it is becoming as an asset class.
April – a perfect storm for Asian FX?
Investors could profit from the prospect of an unusually volatile month for the normally low-vol USD/SGD. Sean Callow , senior currency strategist at Westpac Institutional Bank in Singapore, explains how this can be achieved
Trading FX implied volatility
How frequently does one need to hedge to effectively trade implied volatility? Duncan Farnsworth , head of risk analytics in the currency structuring group at the Royal Bank of Scotland in London, offers a solution
Future opportunities from EUR/CHF
Corvin Codirla and Adarsh Sinha, fx strategists at barclays capital in london, show that while low eur/chf volatility may be justified at present, investors should position for a pick-up further out
The bonuses of networking
Ronald Balzano , president of COESfx, says businesses relying too heavily on trading desks will lose out to firms that offer customers quick and easy access via ECNs
Opportunities from Asian tension
Niels Christensen , senior currency strategist at Société Générale in Paris, sees opportunities for dollar bulls and bears when trading the Hong Kong dollar despite the peg
A new maturity for FX?
Justyn Trenner , chief executive and principal of consultancy firm ClientKnowledge, says a more discriminating approach to how liquidity is channelled is essential to the continued growth of the market
Facilitate to accumulate
Kim Fournais, chief executive of Saxo Bank, says the race to deliver the perfect multi-product trading platform need not be a zero-sum game
Preparing for Korean won under-performance in 2006
Standard Chartered’s economics and FX strategy team suggest ways to position for a weaker Korean won in 2006
Enigma – a cracking good model
Pete Eggleston, head of quant solutions at the Royal Bank of Scotland, financial markets, in London, discusses systematic trading of FX implied volatility using the 'Enigma' model
Time to get with the program
Banks are having to move rapidly to develop their platforms just to stand still. They have been launching new products onto platforms to meet demand from customers looking to do business in new ways, as shown by the increasing number of banks trading…
The passport option
Jeffrey Todd Lins, Director, Quantitative Analysis At Saxo Bank In Copenhagen, Suggests Passport Options As A Way To Maximise A Longer-Term View During Non-Trending Periods