Derivs - Equity

Japanese investment firms have either already registered as major swap participants, or are in the midst of preparing to register with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission as they near the USD8 billion swap position threshold set by the regulator.

A number of South Korean asset management firms are looking to issue synthetic exchange-traded funds in the country later this year.

Staffers working in derivatives units at European banks in the U.S. and Asia Pacific would be hit hard should restrictions surrounding bonus payouts from the European Union go into force.

Hedge funds in Asia are buying three-to-six-month quanto calls on the Nikkei that are settled in U.S. dollars to skirt the continued depreciation of yen.

Munich-based Assenagon Asset Management, which manages assets of more than EUR10 billion, is set to launch a credit selection fund that invests in corporate bonds and default swaps.

A number of South Korean asset management firms are looking to issue synthetic exchange-traded funds in the country later this year.

Singapore began its over-the-counter derivatives reform program in July 2011 when the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the central bank and financial services regulator, announced it would meet the objectives set by the G-20 in Pittsburgh in Sept. 2009 as well as the recommendations of the Financial Stability Board set out in its report to the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Oct. 2010. Although not a member of the G-20, Singapore is a member of the FSB.

LCH.Clearnet has tapped David Weisbrod for a newly-created role as ceo of its U.S. subsidiary, based in New York.

Jeff Christian, a managing director in equity derivative sales at Deutsche Bank in San Francisco, has left the firm.

FTSE Group has launched the FTSE Implied Volatility Index Series that measures the implied volatility of the FTSE 100 and FTSE MIB.

Institutional investors are showing interest in custom dispersion basket trades. They’re scoping delta-hedged options that go long a selection of stocks with low implied volatility, while funding the position by going short volatility in the underlying index.

Thai domestic structured product regulation is leading to greater volumes as issuers and investors now have greater legal clarity.