Derivs - FX

Calyon has appointed a Hong Kong-based director as head of its interest-rate derivatives and hybrid structuring group for Asia ex-Japan.

Calculating life expectations will be key to growing longevity derivatives, Swiss Re managing director David Mordecai said at yesterday's ISDA conference.

Investors were trading at-the-money options on euro/sterling late last week after three-month implied volatility on the pair jumped nearly 10 basis points to 9.95% by last Thursday, while the spot price leveled to GBP0.7998.

The brief credit rally came to a halt last week as more disappointing earnings were revealed.

Lehman Brothers has been on a derivatives specialist hiring spree in Australia, setting up a trading, rates and commodities outfit and expanding its credit team.

Structurers are putting together foreign exchange baskets to cash in on the fortunes of raw material exporters like China, Russia and Chile.

Structurers are looking to put together stock baskets that could profit in the event of a downturn in commodities prices.

Speaking at yesterday's Euromoney Seminars' China Derivatives Summit, the Chinese banking regulator discussed expected growth of yuan derivatives and the need to improve liquidity in these instruments.

Asian firms are seeing an increased interest from companies wishing to discuss potential hedging or yield-enhancing derivatives strategies to their exposure to renminbi.

An executive at one of Russia’s largest banks is urging local issuers to use currency derivatives for cross-border deals.

Domestic turnover of over-the-counter derivatives trades in South Korea ballooned in 2007, according to Financial Supervisory Service figures obtained by DW.

FASB has amended an accounting standard to increase transparency and disclosure of U.S. entities' derivatives positions.