Structured Investment Distributor Of The Year

Barclays Capital--iPath In the year since BarCap launched the iPath exchange-trade notes, they've attracted more than USD2.6 billion from investors impressed with the instrument's liquidity features--weekly redemption--and choice of underlying--including the iPath MSCI India index. Philippe El-Asmar head of investor solutions, and his New York team have continued to add to the range of underlying this year, with iPath ETNs referencing the Chicago Board Option Exchange's S&P 500 Buywrite index and several other exchange rate-linked notes.

 

Fortis Investments

Fortis forged ahead in new markets this year, proving the Brussels-based firm is an up-and-coming force to reckon with. Under ceo Richard Wohanka, the EUR131 billion firm lobbied for structured funds in Turkey, expanded into Asia and opened its first office in Hong Kong. The group also debuted its first Shariah fund in Indonesia and unveiled its first rupiah-denominated structured fund. Moreover, Fortis maintained a foothold in a range of structures, including capital-protected real estate, credit structures, commodities and equities.

 

Société Générale Christophe Mianné's equity derivatives division has continued to build on its success with private investors as a result of expanding its SG Hambros private banking arm this year and marketing structured products direct to clients. The French house has also partnered with onshore providers in the Americas and Asia. Investors like its complex products, particularly in the U.S. for the Best Alpha notes linked to five managed funds and the Dow Jones Stoxx50 Return Index. Taking a view on the retail property market, the firm offered U.K. investors an opportunity to benefit from a downturn in property companies this year through its U.K. Property Index Reverse Accelerator.

 

UBS/Standard Chartered

UBS got a boost in Asia this year through its collaboration with Standard Chartered, though it already was a favored counterparty for Asian equity structured note buyers. In April UBS and Standard Chartered China structured a product tied to climate change under the QDII platform, creating three customized indices linked to clean energy, water and waste, and energy. The product was well received in China and illustrates the popularity among retail investors of theme-based structured products. UBS also brought its first Hong Kong-structured credit-linked note to the retail market and said it plans to develop more products in this area.