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Asian buyers of structured-equity products, such as private banking clients, are becoming increasingly sector specific in selecting equity underlying, according to sales heads in the region.

Barclays Capital is marketing fully-rated index-based notes which pay a guaranteed coupon so long as a reference index stays below a preset trigger level.

A market for trading credit recovery risk is getting underway because firms such as Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers and Citigroup have started issuing collateralized debt obligations backed by fixed recovery loan-only credit-default swaps.

Capitânia Asset & Risk Management, a São Paolo-based hedge fund and advisory firm, has been increasing the proportion of its hedge funds' equity investments.

There is mounting interest in Asia and the rest of the financial world for collateralized debt obligations backed by commodities.

Credit Suisse and Cairn Capital are planning a second tap of their first managed investment-grade rated equity tranche.

DBRS's revised rating criteria for leveraged super senior tranches funded by Canadian commercial paper conduits had the market buzzing last week as the changes appear to be a stronger shift toward requiring a global rather than just Canadian standard of liquidity.

The Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia has entered interest-rate swaps to hedge a USD126 million subordinated bond issuance.

The credit curve began to flatten last week, as traders sensed the end of the recent steepening trend and started selling longer dated protection.

Goldman Sachs has hired Karen Fang, the AIG Financial Products managing director regarded as a major contributor to the U.S. structured investments business.