Standard Life Investments is looking to add an income product to its structured investments range. Morag Lakie, product development manager, said providers of investment structures with annual coupons seem to have disappeared from the U.K. market.
"We are keen to talk to banks that think they can offer an income product," said Lakie. But U.K. interest rates and low volatility on the FTSE100 favor growth structures over income, according to providers. Lakie however, challenged City derivatives houses to structure a deal for Standard Life.
Data from structuredretailproducts.com indicates only 2% of new issues in the GBP6 billion structured products market last year were income products. If the balance of income and growth products shifted closer to 50/50, assets invested in structured products could grow substantially, suggested Lakie.