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Market analysis

Year: 2010 2009 2008 2007
  • July

    Fat-tailed and frantic: why volatility is beating up the options market 28 July 2010

    Unlike other traders, options bods aren’t scared of volatility – in fact, they reckon they understand its ways. But this year, volatility has been a faithless friend. Theo Casey examines some of the freaky results.

  • Volcker-lite and Lincoln-lite: Chinese walls or Swiss cheese? 02 July 2010

    The Dodd-Frank Act still includes watered-down versions of the Volcker Rule and the Lincoln Amendment, both of which seek to limit deposit-taking banks’ engagement in riskier activities, often involving derivatives.

  • June

    Forced split of swaps desks is dangerous, warns Belchambers 28 June 2010

    US legislation to force banks to spin out their swaps desks would raise costs for derivatives users and could disrupt cross-border business, according to Anthony Belchambers, chief executive of the FOA.

  • Reform bill will hold unforeseen consequences, warns lawyer 28 June 2010

    Provisions in the Wall Street Reform Act which force banks to post more margin for derivatives trades and spin off some swap dealing activities will have unforeseen consequences, a lawyer has warned.

  • Massive record for futures and options in May 21 June 2010

    May was a record month for the global futures and options markets – and by a huge margin. FOi’s database reports that 2.204bn contracts changed hands in the month.

  • Farewell to the FSA – will derivative firms mourn its passing? 18 June 2010

    Derivatives specialists in London were today digesting the news of a radically changed UK regulatory structure, due to be introduced by 2012.

  • Movie Futures: The good, the bad and the risky 03 June 2010

    Two proposed exchanges that would allow investors to hedge the risk of the profitability of Hollywood movies have polarised the US film industry. Wyn Jenkins reports on box office futures.

  • May

    CTAs - good crisis, bad recovery? 20 May 2010

    Commodity trading advisors outperformed spectacularly in the traumatic markets of 2008, but were wrongfooted by the rebound in 2009. Have they emerged from the crisis with their appeal enhanced? Elise Coroneos reports.

  • Markets fizz for second week as traders’ sentiment swings 14 May 2010

    Derivatives trading has been volatile and volume has been high for a second week running, after the agreement of a euro zone debt rescue package last weekend and the formation of a new government in the UK.

  • FIA leads charge against energy position limits 13 May 2010

    The Futures Industry Association has urged the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission to withdraw its proposal to introduce position limits on US energy derivatives trading.

  • NYSE Euronext clearing houses: lock-in or route to choice? 13 May 2010

    NYSE Euronext’s decision to stop using LCH.Clearnet and create two new clearing houses of its own will lead to a substantial change in the European clearing landscape, and will feed into the interoperability debate .

  • Climate Exchange move should pay off for ICE, says analyst 06 May 2010

    Intercontinental Exchange’s £395m ($604m) takeover of Climate Exchange will give the group a further grip on the booming European energy markets, a senior London-based analyst has said.

  • April

    BRICs building - huge volume surges in Brazil and China 23 April 2010

    March was a dramatic month in listed derivatives markets, Futures and Options Intelligence's data report revealed this week.

  • Precious metals - is the boom sustainable? 20 April 2010

    Interest in gold, silver and other precious metals has soared during the financial crisis – and with it their prices. But is this just a speculative craze that will vanish as quickly as it came? Owen Sanderson reports.

  • Social media: back to the trading floor 20 April 2010

    The closure of the world's trading pits has isolated traders in front of flashing screens from Korea to Essex. Now, the social media phenomenon is offering to reconnect people - and futures and options specialists are loving it. Tom Osborn reports.

  • After the slump: Rates trading recovers, but market is changing 09 April 2010

    It was a long time coming, but the recovery in listed interest rate derivatives now seems well under way. But as Elise Coroneos reports, the market will not just go back to the way it was; this year is going to be lively.

  • Going down… like a cement balloon 01 April 2010

    Cement is one of the world’s most widely used and traded materials. Yet all attempts to offer futures on it have failed. Ben Beasley-Murray investigates.

  • March

    2009 contract survey: Asia leads the way 31 March 2010

    New contracts typically struggle to succeed. And they struggle all the more when times are tough. But, as Colin Packham discovers, while the majority of most new contracts in 2009 failed to attract interest, there were some notable winners, particularly in China.

  • Brazilian equity options: The carnival is just beginning 31 March 2010

    BM&F Bovespa and CETIP are readying a series of initiatives that should incentivise diversity in an equity options market dominated by just two names. Elise Coroneos reports.

  • Colocation: High stakes for the highest speed 31 March 2010

    The need for speed and the race to drive down latency has been one of the most keenly fought contests of 2009. As Mike West reports, there is every indication that this trend is set to continue.

  • US options market: The sky’s the limit — but for how long? 31 March 2010

    With a record 3.6bn equity options contracts traded last year and some nine exchanges serving the market by the end of the year, is there room for more growth? Elise Coroneos reports.

  • Carbon after Copenhagen: Living with uncertainty 25 March 2010

    The Copenhagen summit was a heavy blow to the hopes of environmentalists – and to prospects for a much bigger global carbon market. But emissions traders are taking it in their stride, as Siân Williams discovers.

  • Brazilian rates trading orgy linked to Meirelles departure 22 March 2010

    The exceptional surge in Brazilian interest rate futures trading last week was caused by uncertainty over the future of the Brazilian central bank’s rate setting team, a source has told FOW.

  • India to liberalise some aspects of equity derivatives 09 March 2010

    The Securities and Exchange Board of India has approved in principle the introduction of physically delivered equity derivatives.

  • February

    Energy market shrugs off ‘toothless’ caps 23 February 2010

    The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s long-awaited announcement on January 14 of a new policy on controlling energy speculation was greeted in the market with quiet relief and satisfaction.

  • Resilient derivatives job market gets ready to surge again 23 February 2010

    Gauging how many derivatives staff lost their jobs in the financial crisis and what effect that had on pay is not easy. Some segments of the market have remained bullish, however, as Hugo Cox discovers.

  • Singapore Exchange hopes third time will be lucky for fuel oil 12 February 2010

    With the launch of Singapore Exchange’s Fuel Oil Futures just days away, market participants have told Futures and Options Intelligence that the Asian bourse could succeed where two others have tried and failed.

  • Longevity derivatives: an idea whose time has come? 05 February 2010

    Every year, people live longer. That may sound nice, but it’s a big problem for the financial industry, especially pensions providers. Firms would love to be able to trade and hedge longevity risk, but there have been few practical solutions – until now.

Poll

Will the Dodd-Frank Act harm exchange-traded derivatives markets?

Yes
14%
No
71%
It's not clear
14%