Top Headlines

Has Someone Found a Clever Edge in Trading Major Releases? – Profit & Loss (subscription)
On Tuesday – for the third time in a row – there was suspicious price action ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s monetary policy announcement. I am confident there is no leak from the RBA; indeed several sources familiar with the matter say they believe a similar move happened ahead of last Friday’s employment report, which would suggest that someone is ahead of the game somehow. It would not be the first time that a firm with what it believes is an edge in FX markets starts in local markets before angling for bigger fish.

Hedge Fund Silver Ridge Delays Launch Amid FCA Inquiry – Wall Street Journal (subscription)
The launch of a hedge fund by the former head of foreign exchange at Citi has been delayed because of an inquiry by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, according to one of the founders of the fund. Silver Ridge Asset Management, a macro hedge fund set up by Anil Prasad, head of Citi’s currencies business until 2014, and Farhang Mehregani, a former equity trader at the bank, was due to start trading in early April.

Dollar Weakens Against Yen as BoJ Stands Pat, FOMC Minutes Eyed – Reuters
The dollar fell on Wednesday, retreating from a near three-week high hit against the yen the previous day, after the Bank of Japan kept monetary policy unchanged despite slowing inflation.

Dollar Bulls, Your Path Just Got Rockier – CNBC
Dollar bulls appear to be back in the driving seat but analysts warn the good times are not expected to last that long as the firm US currency faces a tougher time pushing higher amid mixed economic data and growing signs of a recovery in Europe.

Denmark Stays Out of Currency Market – Wall Street Journal (subscription)
Denmark’s central bank refrained from intervening in the foreign exchange market in March, in a sign that the national currency has stabilised against the euro following weeks of volatility brought on by the European Central Bank’s stimulus efforts.

SNB Foreign-Currency Reserves Hit Record as Franc Appreciates – Bloomberg
The Swiss National Bank’s foreign-currency reserves rose to a record in March as the franc appreciated against the euro. The central bank’s holdings of foreign currency increased to 522.3 billion francs last month from a revised 509.2 billion in February, according to data published on its website on Tuesday.

A Chinese Win at IMF No One-Way Bet for Yuan – Reuters
Later this year the IMF might include the Chinese yuan in its official basket of reserve currencies, a political and economic triumph for Beijing in the teeth of U.S. opposition, but slowing growth in China is likely to limit the impact of the victory.

New City Index Boss Attacks Lax Checks on ‘Kermit’ Customers – The Independent
Customer background checks among some spread betting and currency trading firms are so lax that would-be punters are opening accounts under names including Kermit the Frog and Mickey Mouse, according to the new owner of City Index.

 

 

Regulatory News

Emir Clearing Rules Set for Further Delays – Financial News (subscription)
European regulators are unlikely to force central clearing on the swaps market for at least another 12 months, according to industry experts, increasing pressure on the units established by banks since the crisis to handle an expected surge in demand for clearing services.

Australian Central Bank: Bitcoin Regulation Not Worth the Cost – CoinDesk
The Reserve Bank of Australia has indicated that it is not in favour of regulating bitcoin and other digital currencies, stating that “it is currently unlikely that any benefits of regulation would outweigh the potential costs”.

Why Firms Need to Follow Plans for Uncleared Swaps – FOW Magazine (subscription)
Last autumn, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and five US prudential banking regulators released proposed rules for margin requirements for uncleared swap transactions for the entities subject to their regulation. The margin requirements, when finalised, will play a significant role in determining the economics of the post-­Dodd­ Frank uncleared swaps market, including the extent to which market participants may favour or disfavour uncleared swaps in comparison with other types of transactions. If implemented in their proposed form, the rules will pose many challenges for market participants.

Australian Derivatives Shift to Centralised Clearing – Financial Times (subscription)
The derivatives market in Australia has experienced a pronounced shift towards centralised clearing, a central aim of regulators since the financial crisis. The value of derivatives contracts compiled in the Australian Securities Exchange’s derivatives clearing house – one of the largest in the country – has soared, the Sydney-based exchange said on Tuesday.

China to Loosen Capital Controls for Foreign Firms – Reuters
China will loosen capital controls for foreign-funded firms, allowing them to convert all foreign-currency capital into yuan to help them hedge currency risks and cut costs, the foreign exchange regulator said on Wednesday.

 

 

Company News

Top Executives at FXCM Redraw Their Contracts – Wall Street Journal (subscription)
Currencies broker FXCM won a lifeline after January’s surge in the Swiss franc almost put it out of business, but insiders are still bracing for more stress at the firm. Several top executives have redrawn their contracts to make sure they are better compensated in the event they are ousted or the company is broken up.

 

Company News

Top Executives at FXCM Redraw Their Contracts – Wall Street Journal (subscription)
Currencies broker FXCM won a lifeline after January’s surge in the Swiss franc almost put it out of business, but insiders are still bracing for more stress at the firm. Several top executives have redrawn their contracts to make sure they are better compensated in the event they are ousted or the company is broken up.

 

 

Market Savvy  

BoJ Welcomes USD Resurgence Ahead Of Elections
Seeking Alpha
The Bank of Japan will end its two-day meeting on Wednesday, with little change expected to its current monetary policy. Upcoming elections and a weaker JPY will lead the central bank to refrain from taking any real action, though Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s aides are demanding further stimulus.

 

 

Press Releases

EBS Select Goes Live with Beta
EBS, Icap’s electronic FX business, announces today that EBS Select, its non-disclosed, segmented, bilateral liquidity pool, has gone live with a beta version, with the first trade completed on 24 March.

London Capital Group (LCG) Gains Competitive Advantage with SmartTrade Technologies
SmartTrade Technologies, a provider of multi-asset, end-to-end trading solutions for tier1, tier 2, regional Banks, brokers and asset managers, has been selected by London Capital Group to deliver a fully automated and hosted FX trading platform.

 

 

Industry Events

 

 

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