Derivs - People and Markets

A key area of derivatives focus in the planned merger between data firms Markit and IHS will be opening up Markit's credit default swap analysis to IHS corporate clients, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

Credit derivative indices rolled into new series on Tuesday, with traders reporting a big long bias in the outgoing US and European investment grade indices among buyside participants that caused the new series to trade tighter than the level implied by fair value.

Concerns about further delays to the finalisation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II were raised this week, after communications between the European Commission and the European Securities Markets Authority (ESMA) appeared to have become strained.

Credit Suisse will shrink its global markets business even faster than previously planned, shutting several desks entirely, including European securitization trading, distressed credit, and long-term illiquid funding. The bank wants to shrink its trading unit to $60bn of risk-weighted assets before the end of the year, rather than $83bn-$85bn as previously announced.

Credit derivative indices rolled into new series on Tuesday, with traders reporting a big long bias in the outgoing Series 24 of iTraxx Europe among buyside participants that caused the new index to trade tighter than the level implied by fair value.

Credit index options prices have fallen so far following recent central bank moves that implied volatility measures are below trailing measures of realised volatility for the first time in four years.

Derivatives exchanges are broadening their reach in China through futures and options and build the H-shares product suite.

Eurex has hired a senior derivatives specialist from Banco Santander and has launched dollar denominated futures on the Euro Stoxx 50 index.

Analysts are touting five year break-evens and calls on correlated currencies to ride US inflation growth.

GlobalCapital is pleased to announce the nominees for its 2016 US Derivatives Awards. Nominations are based upon market feedback and research conducted in recent months. Winners will be unveiled at a gala dinner in New York.

In this round-up, China's cross-border trade settlement fell to a near three-year low in February, CME reports record levels of trading in its offshore RMB futures, RMB spot trading fell but swap trading surged on the Moscow Exchange, Singapore renewed its currency swap line, and Deutsche Bank sets up a the first interbank host-to host platform by a foreign bank in China. Plus, a recap of GlobalRMB's top stories this week.

The US Federal Reserve added fuel to an already dramatic rally across asset classes this week, as it scaled back its expectations for rate hikes this year. This came a week after European Central Bank president Mario Draghi had worked the market into a frenzy by increasing the scope of the bank’s asset purchase programme.