Derivs - People and Markets

Overall credit default swap notional reported to swap data repositories last week increased by 17% from the previous week, according to data from the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. This follows four weeks of a consistent uptick in CDS notional, with a combined increase of 102%.

New York-based boutique financial services firm Exceed Investment is preparing a first quarter 2015 launch of exchange-traded and mutual funds on its latest range of beta indices, which are based on structured notes that track the S&P 500.

Derivatives market participants have eliminated $284.3bn in notional principal in the first compression cycle for cleared South African rand interest rate swaps using TriOpima’s triReduce and LCH.Clearnet’s SwapClear services.

Integrated asset management, private equity and hedge fund shop FinEx Group, has launched a commodities boutique that will provide hedging and risk management services via derivatives and structured products to commodity producers and consumers globally.

Fast money and pure volatility investors were seen selling volatility through a 60bp straddle trade on iTraxx Main as credit volatility reacted sharply to events this week.

Samuel Rosenberg, the ex-global head of financial engineering at Newedge in New York, has joined Natixis, also based in New York.

William Knottenbelt, senior managing director; Europe, Middle East and Africa and ceo at CME Europe in London, has been promoted to senior managing director, international at the firm.

New York-based financial boutique Exceed Investments is looking to launch a set of defined-outcome indexes based on structured investments that will give exposure to the S&P500.

Overall credit default swap notional reported to swap data repositories last week increased marginally by 4% from the previous week, according to data from the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. This follows three weeks of a consistent uptick in CDS notional, with a combined increase of 98%.

The Foreign Exchange Benchmarks Group has recommended the fixing window used to calculate FX rates should be widened from its current width of one minute, following its review of major FX benchmarks on the back of allegations that FX fixing rates were being manipulated.

Overall credit default swap notional reported to swap data repositories last week increased marginally by 4% from the previous week, according to data from the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. This follows three weeks of a consistent uptick in CDS notional, with a combined increase of 98%.

Chicago-based CME Group has signed a market data provision agreement with the China Financial Futures Exchange, that country’s sole derivatives-focused bourse.