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ING Financial Markets is getting ready to move its Hong Kong-based fixed income trading, structuring and research operation to Singapore early next year. "We're centralizing all financial markets businesses in one hub," said Sheel Kohli, spokesman in Hong Kong, adding, "This makes sense from a business efficiency point of view."

"Most people here, accountants, lawyers and bankers, are trying to work out how they can make money out of this problem rather than what the solution is."--Jonathan Laredo, founder of Solent Capital Management and former head of structured finance for Europe and Asia at JPMorgan in London, commenting on derivatives professionals' reaction to the introduction of International Accounting Standards. For complete story, click here.

Korean non-life insurance firms have decided to make first their forays into global collateralised debt obligations next year. Officials at the KRW2 trillion (USD1.6 billion) Oriental Marine and Fire Insurance and the USD900 million Shindongah Fire and Marine Insurance, said they aim to get a higher return by diversifying into CDOs because yields from Korean bonds are too low.

Companies have been spared the need to publish comparable accounts for derivatives when the new rules go live in 2005, but conference delegates did not think the market would be so lenient. IASB dropped the need for comparable accounts because companies' systems were not ready, explained Peter Clark, senior project manager at IASB in London.

Korea's Financial Supervisory Service has issued a warning to BNP Paribas in Seoul for charging above market pricing on an interest rate swap with a Korean counterparty. The investigation centered on a swap BNP entered last month with Shinhan Card Co. on the back of a EUR300 million (USD352 million) asset-backed security the Korean credit card company issued, for which BNP was also the underwriter. Choi Sung-Ho, spokesman at Shinhan Financial, said the firm was unaware of any warning by the FSS to BNP, declining further comment.

This article examines why structured finance CDOs are attractive and the structural features of the instruments. Next week's article will look at collateral and ratings.

Namaste Capital Management anticipates entering equity derivatives to risk manage its Namaste Fund, a long/short equity fund scheduled to be launched in January. Rui Matos, portfolio manager in Los Angeles, said the firm will buy puts and sell covered calls on both individual positions and indices in order to hedge the portfolio. Individual trades might stand as large as USD400,000 notional, while total derivatives contracts may represent around 50% of total assets under management, he said.

BondWeek is the leading news publication for fixed-income professionals, covering new deals, structures, asset-backed securities, industry and market activity.

BondWeek is the leading news publication for fixed-income professionals, covering new deals, structures, asset-backed securities, industry and market activity.

BondWeek is the leading news publication for fixed-income professionals, covering new deals, structures, asset-backed securities, industry and market activity.

BondWeek is the leading news publication for fixed-income professionals, covering new deals, structures, asset-backed securities, industry and market activity.

BondWeek is the leading news publication for fixed-income professionals, covering new deals, structures, asset-backed securities, industry and market activity.