Christopher Whittall

2 weeks ago | ifre.com | Christopher Whittall |Steve Slater

Investors scrambling to adjust positions in response to the US tariff announcement on April 2 look set to deliver another bumper payday for bank trading desks, which continue to capitalise on volatile moves and record client activity this year across financial markets. Equities plunged, government bonds surged and the US dollar skidded lower after president Donald Trump announced harsher-than-expected tariffs on US trading partners.

Dec 6, 2024 | ifre.com | Christopher Whittall

Investors scrambling to shield themselves against the fallout from France’s political turmoil have driven a surge in derivatives volumes linked to French government debt. A record amount of French bond futures contracts changed hands on Monday after France’s far-right and far-left parties submitted no-confidence motions against prime minister Michel Barnier, according to LSEG data.

Nov 29, 2024 | ifre.com | Christopher Whittall

Bank of America is making gains in the fast-changing world of corporate bond trading after pouring significant resources into the business in recent years. BofA was the largest bank in North America flow credit trading by revenue in the first three quarters of the year, according to data provider Vali Analytics, referring to activities in which banks buy and sell corporate debt, credit default swaps and other related financial instruments on behalf of clients.

Nov 8, 2024 | ifre.com | Christopher Whittall

Hedge funds have significantly increased their presence in energy markets this year, traders say, as macro managers with money to put to work have increasingly looked to take advantage of wild commodity price swings to turn a profit. Volatility returned to oil markets last month following an escalation of tensions in the Middle East. Prices jumped after Iran launched missiles against Israel, only to fall again when Israel avoided Iranian oil facilities when it struck back.

Nov 1, 2024 | ifre.com | Christopher Whittall

Banks are ramping up efforts to reduce the amount of regulatory capital they hold against derivatives trades, with many developing complex hedging arrangements to offload risks to specialist investors. Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and Natixis are among several banks that have crafted bespoke hedges over the past year or so against so-called credit valuation adjustment risks, in which banks account for the possibility of losses stemming from exposures to derivatives counterparties.