Derivs - Equity

The Chicago Board Options Exchange plans to launch options trading on the FTSE Emerging Index next week, offering market participants exposure to the performance of large and mid-cap companies from advanced and secondary emerging markets.

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission has reprimanded HSBC and fined it HK$2.5m ($$322,260) for regulatory breaches and internal control failings linked to position limit failures, it said in a statement.

The US Commodity Trading Futures Commission's split over whether to accept Japan's uncleared margin rules as equivalent to the US was not an ideal outcome. But the decision, however contentious, is a pragmatic step which will motivate further convergence between regulatory regimes.

Stoxx has licensed its newly created iStoxx FactSet Thematic Indices to BlackRock’s iShares to provide the underlying for four exchange traded funds.

The US Commodity Trading Futures Commission (CTFC) is divided over derivative rules as it agreed by split vote on Thursday to accept substituted compliance comparability for Japan uncleared margin rules. And one of its three commissioners, Sharon Bowen, raised a number of concerns for systemic financial risk as she voted against the motion.

Eris Exchange, the US-based futures exchange group, has opened a London office and hired a long-serving Barclays banker to oversee the European operations.

Crédit Agricole CIB plans to restart its equity derivatives business, and start issuing structured notes with equity underlyings, according to the bank’s head of global markets. The bank sold a €12.5bn notional equity derivatives book to BNP Paribas in 2013, but now plans to get back into the business through its new “Equity Solutions” division.

Credit Suisse has named Brian Chin, the co-head of credit, as chief executive of global markets, replacing Tim O'Hara.

Credit investors have built up close to all-time record long positions in iTraxx indices, with the approaching September roll increasing reluctance to hedge against a potential move wider despite near historically low volatility.

Barclays has hired Tim Throsby, who is global head of equities at JP Morgan, to two senior roles, as chief executive of the corporate and investment bank, and president of Barclays corporate and international. Throsby will take up the posts in January, subject to regulatory approval.

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) and Deutsche Börse have submitted their merger plans to European competition regulators, in the hopes of wrapping up the deal in the first half of 2017.

Singapore Exchange (SGX) and the Baltic Exchange have agreed terms for a recommended share offer as the Asian company looks to proceed with a proposed acquisition.