SG Corporate & Investment Banking
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| David Escoffier |
SG CIB carries away the European equity honors for its ambitious innovation across both retail and institutional products this year. The firm's well-regarded hedge fund group, led by Alastair Beattie, has maintained its edge by working on improvements to existing instruments this year, such as the so-called 'upside' variance swap. This variation on a traditional variance swap records the change of the value of a stock or index, but only on days when the value is higher than on the swap's start date. The French house has also expanded its equity coverage for insurance companies and pension funds this year, setting up a combined debt and equity group to target these clients. Among other things, the group is working on tailored deals to minimize volatility of investment portfolios.
SG's extensive sales and distribution channels keep it ahead of the rest of the pack, said one rival. "In Europe, their sales infrastructure is unbeatable," he added. David Escoffier, head of equity derivatives for the U.K. and Northern Europe, has been building out the firm's sales and distribution capabilities this year, with hires in new geographic regions.
Nominees:
* Barclays Capital * JPMorgan
* Deutsche Bank * Morgan Stanley
