Derivs - Credit

Nomura Holdings is said to be planning to establish an equity capital markets desk in Australia as part of its plans to expand Down Under.

StormHarbour Securities has opened an office in Copenhagen as part of its plan to expand its product offering to institutional investors in the Nordic region.

Better-than-expected news on the E.U.’s financial stability plan prompted hedge funds to cover shorts on credit derivatives indices over the past few days.

Uncharacteristic decisiveness from the E.U. took the markets by surprise this week and helped sovereigns withstand the risk aversion created by the tragic events in Japan.

The China Banking Regulatory Commission will likely take a stance on credit derivatives when it writes rules for local compliance with Basel III capital adequacy requirements.

European members of Parliament have moved to exempt fx and real estate businesses from forthcoming over-the-counter derivatives legislation in the E.U.

The U.K. House of Lords E.U. Subcommittee on Economic and Financial Affairs is against a ban on naked short selling and credit default swaps on sovereign bonds.

Assenagon Credit Management plans to launch a EUR200-250 million (USD279-348 million) fund that will deploy equity and credit derivatives.

A midsize South Korean chemical company is entering a variable quantity forward--an fx forward with a notional size linked to the price of oil.

Daniel Goldstein, the ex- head of equity flow sales at BNP Paribas in London, is launching a hedge fund startup called Apson Capital.

Credit Suisse is set to hire Dimitris Melios to trade credit default swaps out of its London office.

The number of firms licensed to trade credit risk mitigation instruments in China has grown from 17 to 38 since the pilot program kicked off in November.