John Walsh of the OCC says that current regulation proposals to fix derivatives far exceed the scope of the problems. Hedge funds, having loaded up on Greek debt, are trying now to unload the paper to avoid a bad haircut but are finding few takers. The SEC is stalled in the process of creating rules to require broker fiduciary duty to clients. The FIA establishes a post-MF Global problem-fixing task force, with super-sized companies appointed to steer the effort. In today’s top box, commentary from Doug Ashburn on the state of the Swiss Franc; and a lighter view of a hefty award delivered to the CME Group.
Observations – Statistics – Commentary
While Regulators Hammer Away At Stock Market, Participants Suggest A Fix
Emily Lambert - Forbes
Financial market regulators have spent the past two years trying to fix everything from inadequate derivatives oversight to stock market flash crashes. It’s slow going. [...] But while regulators have slowly forged ahead, some market participants have been testing possible solutions for problems such as gaming and fragmentation.
http://jlne.ws/A6DydN
**** Nice PDQ aspect to the story.
++++
After MF Global’s Demise, Futures Industry Explores Tougher Rules
New York Times
The Futures Industry Association has set up a committee to explore new safeguards for customer money, including having firms enforce tougher internal controls and regularly reporting the money’s whereabouts.
http://jlne.ws/wdGCYv
FIA Establishes Task Force to Respond to MF Global
Press Release
Washington, D.C.—Jan. 24, 2012—The Futures Industry Association announced today that it has established a special committee to address issues related to the bankruptcy of MF Global. The Futures Market Financial Integrity Task Force will develop and recommend specific measures that can be implemented in the near term through both industry best practice and regulatory change. In addition to these measures, the FIA intends to work with end-users and other market participants to examine the adequacy of current customer funds protection models in response to concerns raised by the MF Global bankruptcy.
http://jlne.ws/zSuPwM
**** Not a blue ribbon panel, but a task force. The problem I see with this committee, and the FIA, is that it just represents the big FCMs and or banks. A lot of the problems over the years, before MF Global, were at smaller FCMs. Where is the small or non-clearing FCM representation on this committee? I did not see any proprietary or principal trading firms on the list either. Some of them have been very outspoken in private meetings about all of this.
++++
Price Asset Management Announces New CEO and COO
Press Release
Price Holdings, Inc. is pleased to announce it has formed a strategic partnership between its asset management subsidiary, Price Asset Management, Inc. (PAM), and Peak View Capital, LLC (Peak View). As part of this partnership, Peak View’s founder, John D. Reese, will join PAM as Chief Executive Officer and will become a member of the board of directors of Price Holdings, Inc. David F. Schink, a managing partner in Peak View, will also join PAM as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel.
http://jlne.ws/Amq4NT
**** This is big news in the life of Price Asset Management and Price Holdings, Inc.
++++
CME Group Announces Trading Volume Record in Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures
CHICAGO, Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – CME Group, the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, today announced a record in daily trading volume for its benchmark Henry Hub Natural Gas futures contract.
http://jlne.ws/cjpXe7
++++
[Eurex] Milestone for BTP futures reached with five million traded contracts
Press Release
On 24 January 2012, the international derivatives market Eurex Exchange exceeded five million contracts traded in the BTP derivatives segment since trading began in September 2009. The segment comprises three futures based on notional short-, medium- and long-term bonds issued by the Republic of Italy (Buoni del Tesoro Poliennali – BTP).
http://jlne.ws/x79t71
++++
Quick View: Last-minute lifeline or false hope?
By Jeremy Grant – Financial Times
As my Brussels-based colleague Alex Barker reports, Michel Barnier, Europe’s heavyweight head of the region’s internal markets, has reserved the right to oppose his antitrust colleagues in Brussels, who are saying the Deutsche Börse-NYSE Euronext deal should be blocked. Meaning: he may come out and say it should be allowed after all.
http://jlne.ws/xhDZSR
**** Lifeline? Which one? Poll the audience, phone a friend or 50/50?
++++
Commitment to accuracy of CFTC data questioned
By Gregory Meyer in New York – Financial Times
As a tool for divining commodity markets, Commitments of Traders reports lie somewhere between hard statistics and reading chicken entrails. Now the needle has moved even further away from precision.
http://jlne.ws/xsYIjl
**** Assumptions of accuracy are the mother of all…
++++
The world’s hunger for public goods
By Martin Wolf – Financial Times
Public goods are the building blocks of civilisation. Economic stability is itself a public good. So are security, science, a clean environment, trust, honest administration and free speech. The list could be far longer. This matters, because it is hard to secure adequate supply. The more global the public goods the more difficult it is. Ironically, the better we have become at supplying private goods and so the richer we are, the more complex the public goods we need. Humanity’s efforts to meet that challenge could prove to be the defining story of the century.
http://jlne.ws/AuLisc
++++
After timeliness is stability in Switzerland
By Douglas Ashburn, Editor-at-Large, John Lothian News
Switzerland is well known for its timeliness – from train schedules to watches. But lately, the focus there has been on stability – as in a very steady Swiss franc.
The currency is back in the news this week, just as the world’s financial movers and shakers descend upon Davos for the annual World Economic Forum. It seems the Swiss National Bank (SNB), fresh off its latest controversy involving the wife of then-SNB President Philipp Hildebrand, is getting nervous abut recent renewed strength in the franc. Recall, back in September 2011, after massive inflow to the Swissie drove EUR/CHF from its long-term average around CHF1.40 to near-parity within a matter of months, the SNB drew a “line in the sand” at CHF1.20. Since then, EUR/CHF stayed relatively constant around CHF1.23.
In all honesty, I had sort of forgotten about the CHF1.20 floor. Last week, however, in light of continued uncertainty in the eurozone, EUR/CHF moved back into the 1.20 handle, finishing the week at CHF1.2060. So, on the eve of the Davos summit, SNB interim president Thomas Jordan was forced to go to the media and “talk down” the currency. The bank will keep the CHF1.20 floor ” for as long as it is necessary and will defend it with utmost determination,” Jordan said.
Many within the Swiss export sector are dissatisfied even with the CHF1.20 floor, and would like even more devaluation effort from the SNB. They desire a return to the long-term average rate of around CHF1.40. This, they say, would be more in keeping with “purchasing power parity,” an economic measure of relative costs of goods among different regions. To this, I say, “dream on.”
For the rest of the commentary and deeper coverage of the FX sector, visit the JLN FX website at http://jlne.ws/wTrCLW
++++
Dozens protest CME Group incentives in Loop
By Alejandra Cancino – Chicago Tribune
Dozens of moms, dads, community leaders and young activists chanted slogans against CME Group Inc.’s “corporate welfare” as they delivered a golden toilet to Chairman Terry Duffy.
http://jlne.ws/wOWNIs
It’s Golden…
A golden toilet was delivered by protesters from Stand Up! Chicago to CME Group Chairman Terry Duffy on Tuesday. The um, gift, was a protest against the state and local tax incentives
CME recently received. Here are the Top 10 things Terry Duffy didn’t say (but maybe should have) upon receiving the award:
“Whoa! I’m flush with appreciation.”
“If you want to speak with Craig Donohue, he’s number two here.”
“Hey! CME’s new seg fund fraud-proof clearing system!”
“This is nice, but Leo’s is bigger.”
“The tax break was not a lump sum.”
“Who’s behind Stand Up! Chicago? Sprecher, show your face!”
“Just curious, what comes out the other end of this thing?”
“This is the executive bathroom upgrade?!!!!”
“This isn’t coin operated, is it? Whew.”
“Thanks, but I already have one of these. Charlie Carey gave it to me for Christmas.”
**** We could not resist making fun of this story as I think we could all use a good laugh these days. Thank you to Stand Up! Chicago for their humor/political expression. We normally stay away from this type of thing, but when the CME is presented with a golden toilet, there is only one way to go with it.
++++
MarketsWiki Page of the Day
Andrew Levander
http://jlne.ws/zkKD2V
++++
MarketsWiki Recent Updates
People
Helen Banton; Karen A. Ogulnick; Mary McHenry; Jacques Ripoll; Françoise Guillaume; Jay Biancamano; Andrew Levander
Companies, Organizations and Groups
Gryphon Strategies; Patsystems Plc; Actant; ELX Futures, L.P.; Aritas Securities; Pipeline Financial Group Inc; Pipeline Trading Systems LLC
Miscellaneous
Statistics
18,670,131 pages viewed, 6,663 articles, 135,938 edits
MarketsWiki Statistics
_______________________________________________________
Lead Stories
OCC’s Walsh Warns of ‘Vast Over Reaction’ in Derivatives Regulation
By Alan Zibel and Jamila Trindle – Dow Jones
A U.S. banking regulator warned Tuesday against a “vast over reaction” in regulation of derivatives markets, offering a contrast to other regulators who have called for an aggressive approach to that corner of the financial system.
http://jlne.ws/AsXwEG
Hedge Funds Scramble to Unload Greek Debt
By LANDON THOMAS JR. – NY Times
So much for that big fat Greek payday. Hedge funds that in the past month or so have purchased an estimated 4 billion euros, or $5.2 billion, of beaten down Greek bonds that mature on March 20 are now trying to unload their positions, according to brokers and traders.
http://jlne.ws/wCKWm3
The Battle Over Brokers’ Duty to Their Clients Reaches a Standstill
By SARAH MORGAN – Dow Jones
It may not be a household word, but the battle over your broker’s “fiduciary” role has moved in a new direction—away, some say, from a lot of clients’ best interests. A major push by consumer advocates to hold stockbrokers to the same client-comes-first standard of care required of investment advisers—the so-called fiduciary standard—seemed close to success only a year ago.
http://jlne.ws/zeZkOI
SEC Struggles with Investor-Protection Rules
Jake Zamansky – Forbes
The Securities and Exchange Commission, after over a year of “study,” still cannot pull the trigger on new investor-protection rules it was tasked with implementing under the Dodd-Frank Act. The proposed “fiduciary duty” rule would raise the standard of conduct for financial advisors in their dealings with investors. After plenty of wrangling, the securities industry and investor groups have finally blessed the new rule, but the SEC has failed to act.
http://jlne.ws/ABoODJ
US Swaps Professionals Devise Plan To Stop Trades ‘Breaking’
By Katy Burne Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)–U.S. representatives of banks, investors and clearing firms in the multi-trillion-dollar, off-exchange derivatives markets think they have solved a problem that has plagued the industry for more than a year: trades breaking–or failing to be completed–before they can be processed and guaranteed by central clearinghouses. [...] The meeting concluded with “an agreement to establish market standard protocols” for verifying prior to execution that trades can go through, the person said, adding that this will allow participants to “start preparing for the inevitable clearing mandate.”
EU ministers agree OTC clearing powers
By Philip Stafford – Financial Times
One of Europe’s key pieces of derivatives reform has overcome a key stumbling block after European finance ministers on Tuesday agreed a compromise on regulatory powers to oversee clearing of over-the-counter trades.
http://jlne.ws/zC1ENB
IMF warning of global recession a cold slap in the face for investors
Gail MarksJarvis – Chicago Tribune
Although the stock market has displayed the most powerful early year rally in 15 years, investors hesitated Tuesday as the International Monetary Fund said the globe is in a precarious financial situation and at risk of a worldwide recession.
http://jlne.ws/wgIbQ4
Can Europe stomach Greek default? Depends on flavor
Reuters via Yahoo! News
LONDON (Reuters) – The euro zone is inching closer to breaking its long-held taboo against a Greek default, but can still escape financial market mayhem and a body blow to the euro. It all comes down to whether the default is controlled or chaotic.
http://jlne.ws/wLeRFR
Environmental Trading News
Green Bond Underwriters From Japan to Sweden Top U.S. in $7 Billion Market
Bloomberg
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEBA) and Daiwa Securities Group Inc. have underwritten the most green bonds since the securities were first issued in 2007, indicating the dominance of Swedish and Japanese banks in the market.
http://jlne.ws/y9dJ7A
Gridlock likely, ‘grand bargain’ possible, for US environmental policy in 2012 – Van Ness
Environmental Finance
Such a grand bargain – while unlikely in 2012 – would have implications for the expiration of the production tax credit for wind energy, of the tax credit for cellulosic ethanol, and extension of the Section 1603 grant programme, which has supported renewable energy, Van Ness Feldman says.
http://jlne.ws/x23AVO
EU launches attempt to deliver shipping emissions trading scheme
Business Green
The EU is asking for views on how best to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping in a move that could pave the way for the sector to follow aviation into the bloc’s carbon trading scheme.
http://jlne.ws/zpyH0t
For more environmental trading news, subscribe to the Environmental Markets version of the John Lothian Newsletter edited by Jim Kharouf.
Visit http://www.jlnenvironmental.com to subscribe.
Exchange & ECN News
Boerse Chairman: Europe’s Scattered Exchanges Can’t Compete Globally
Ulrike Dauer, Dow Jones Newswires
FRANKFURT -(Dow Jones)- Europe cannot compete in global financial markets due to its “scattered exchange landscape,” Manfred Gentz, supervisory board chairman of Deutsche Boerse AG, said Tuesday, in a strong move to advocate the merger plans with U.S. peer NYSE Euronext.
http://jlne.ws/zhIIOH
EU’s Barnier: Need Time To Review Deutsche Boerse/NYSE Merger
By Jacob Bunge and Matthew Dalton Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
A key member of the European Commission signaled Tuesday that he wanted more time to review the proposed merger of NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Boerse AG, casting new uncertainty around a deal that many investors and analysts already have given up for dead.
http://jlne.ws/zIv0NB
Barnier provides hope for DB-NYSE
By Alex Barker in Brussels – Financial Times
Deutsche Börse and NYSE Euronext have been given some hope of mustering support to save their merger after Europe’s leading financial regulator moved to reserve his right to oppose a recommendation to block the tie-up of the German and US exchange operators.
http://jlne.ws/xOVQ8r
NYSE Dream of Global Exchange Coming Apart on Derivatives Review
By Nina Mehta
Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) — A decade-long march by market owners toward greater worldwide scope may be ending in Europe with antitrust regulators recommending against Deutsche Boerse AG’s bid for NYSE Euronext.
http://jlne.ws/xiK4Ma
Deutsche Börse launches algo news feed in Brazil
Press Release
Deutsche Börse: Deutsche Börse – Market Data & Analytics has launched “AlphaFlash”, its algorithmic news feed, in a data center in Sao Paulo. The feed is available now in Brazil, marking AlphaFlash’s official expansion into South America.
http://jlne.ws/z3rDsW
EEX Opens Office In Brussels
Press Release
http://jlne.ws/xHxZdj
N2EX Welcomes Drax Power Limited
Press Release
http://jlne.ws/ySf7q4
Nordic Growth Market NGM AB: NGM Welcomes BNP Paribas As Member Of The Exchange
Press Release
http://jlne.ws/zCbawi
Transaction Fees for the CBOE Emerging Markets ETF Volatility Index Options
http://jlne.ws/wRPAdv
BM&FBOVESPA: Sao Paulo City Anniversary
This Wednesday (January 25) there will be no trading on the equity, private securities and derivatives markets.
http://jlne.ws/xt59dP
Banks, Brokers & Dark Pools
Morgan Stanley Names 210 Managing Directors, Fewest Since 2008
BusinessWeek
Morgan Stanley, owner of the world’s largest brokerage, appointed 210 managing directors, the fewest to achieve the company’s highest rank since 2008.
http://jlne.ws/yN0JoA
Citigroup sued for fraud over $1 billion of CDOs
Reuters via Yahoo! News
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Citigroup Inc was sued for fraud by Loreley Financing over nearly $1 billion worth of collateralized debt obligations purchased in 2006 and 2007. Citigroup is accused of defrauding Loreley into purchasing “fraudulent investments that are now worthless,” Loreley said in a complaint filed Tuesday in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
http://jlne.ws/zc912Q
DealBook: In Europe, a Conflict Over Bank Capital
New York Times
As European banks move to shed businesses and write off losses, their regulators might veto any steps they fear could inflict further damage.
http://jlne.ws/z6hudU
[Video] Dimon Talks Politics, Regulation and His Legacy at JPMorgan
FOX Business
Jamie Dimon sat down with the FOX Business Network to discuss the state of the banking industry, the impact of new global banking regulations on the financial industry and the economy, his disagreement with the Obama Administration and how taking up boxing when he was out of work helped him re-tool his career.
http://jlne.ws/ysZgO9
RBS ‘urged to halve Hester bonus’
Press Association
Royal Bank of Scotland is said to be coming under pressure from the Government to halve chief executive Stephen Hester’s bonus.
http://jlne.ws/yYYsTz
RBS Board Meets on Bonuses as Policy Makers Demand Restraint
BusinessWeek
Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc’s directors meet today to discuss bonuses as U.K. policy makers urged Britain’s biggest government-owned lender to show restraint.
http://jlne.ws/yXjLUQ
Citigroup to Consider More Cuts in Trading, Investment Bank
BusinessWeek
Citigroup Inc., the third-biggest U.S. bank, may make more spending cuts at its securities unit after an investment of almost $1 billion in the business last year failed to boost revenue.
http://jlne.ws/zRO6O3
RBS Defends Libor-Related Dismissal Of Singapore Trader
FOX Business
Royal Bank of Scotland Plc. (RBS) has defended its decision to terminate the employment of a Singapore-based trader who it claims sought to improperly manipulate the setting of the benchmark London interbank offered rate, or Libor.
http://jlne.ws/wYK0xv
Speech By Mervyn King, Governor Of The Bank Of England At The Grand Hotel In Brighton
Press Release
http://jlne.ws/wJjfYx
HSBC sells Central American businesses
ShareCast
LONDON (SHARECAST) – International banking giant HSBC is to exit Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras. The company has conditionally sold its operations in those countries to Banco Davivienda , a banking group listed in Colombia.
http://jlne.ws/y49L6N
State Street Global Advisors Issues 2012 ETF & Investment Outlook
Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance
http://jlne.ws/wQKYDn
Regulatory News
The SEC News Digest
The SEC News Digest provides daily information on recent Commission actions, including enforcement proceedings, rule filings, policy statements, and upcoming Commission meetings.
http://www.sec.gov/news/digest/2012/dig012512.htm
Shake-up in US fixed income research rules
By Telis Demos in New York – Financial Times
New rules to deal with conflicts of interest in fixed income research are set to be proposed by US financial industry regulators, bringing regulation of bond market coverage more in line with equity analysis.
http://jlne.ws/wQWnwP
Stanford told ‘lie after lie’ to fund ‘lavish lifestyle’
By Kara Scannell in Houston – Financial Times
Allen Stanford told investors “lie after lie” so he could use their money to fund the “lavish lifestyle” of a billionaire as part of a $7bn Ponzi scheme, a US prosecutor said as the trial of the Texas businessman began on Tuesday.
http://jlne.ws/x7kIOt
Industry Participants Have Developed Common Standards That Will Restore Post-Trade Transparency In The European Equity Markets
Press Release
http://jlne.ws/zvdiAk
ASIC welcomes international endorsement of Australia’s regulatory regime on credit rating agencies
http://jlne.ws/xeq2XL
[ASIC] Personal Property Securities Register
http://jlne.ws/nHhjWI
Investments – Indexes – Managed Futures – Managed Funds
Mudd Resigns as Fortress Chief Executive
By MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED – NY Times
The Fortress Investment Group said on Tuesday that Daniel H. Mudd had resigned as the investment firm’s chief executive, as he remained the subject of a government lawsuit tied to his tenure as the head of Fannie Mae.
http://jlne.ws/wC9UXg
DTCC Eyes 2Q Launch For FX Swap Data Warehouse
By Katy Burne Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)–A leading trade processor and settlements provider in the global financial markets is working to create a log of privately traded currency derivatives that would help regulators and participants monitor the $64.7 trillion market.
http://jlne.ws/xHdsmw
MarketAxess Eyes Bid/Ask Spread Moves; Unveils Index
By Katy Burne Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)–The difference between what customers paid to own debt from U.S. companies and the price at which they sold corporate bonds widened dramatically in the second half of 2011 amid concerns about Europe’s debt crisis and banks’ readiness for pending regulations, according to trading platform operator MarketAxess Holdings Inc.
http://jlne.ws/ykxaHk
Gross Counters Gundlach Pushing U.S. Bank Bonds DoubleLine Shuns
BusinessWeek
Pimco’s Bill Gross bet on debt of big U.S. banks last year, his worst against peers. DoubleLine Capital LP’s Jeffrey Gundlach cut bank bonds in May, dodging their second-half slide and beating 99 percent of rivals.
http://jlne.ws/ADakSW
Sandy McIntyre appointed Chief Executive Officer of Sentry Investments Inc.
Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance
TORONTO, ONTARIO– – John F. Driscoll, Chairman and Director of Sentry Investments Inc., on behalf of the Board of Directors, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sandy McIntyre to the position of Chief Executive Officer.
http://jlne.ws/w7Rr7K
CBOE to Launch Trading in CBOE Emerging Markets ETF Volatility Index Options on January 31
CHICAGO, Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) announced today that it will begin offering trading in options on the CBOE Emerging Markets ETF Volatility Index (VXEEM) on Tuesday, January 31.
http://jlne.ws/wIgv74
Six new Lyxor equity index ETFs launched on Xetra
http://jlne.ws/zZ4ctA
Technology News
SunGard’s Valdi To Support Trading On BETa, New European MTF
SunGard has extended its Valdi trading solutions suite to provide access to BETa, the European Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF) launched by the Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE) in November 2011 to serve retail investors.
http://jlne.ws/zWMMhJ
FFastFill Sees 50% Reduction In Exchange Round Trip Order Latency With LME Proximity Hosting
Press Release
http://jlne.ws/zyc5Cx
ASX welcomes FFastFill to ASX’s New Data Centre
Sydney, January 25, 2012 – The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), the leading securities exchange in Australia, and FFastFill PLC, a leader in providing Software as a Service (SaaS) to the global financial marketplace, today announced that FFastFill will be adding its globally renowned SaaS infrastructure and services within ASX’s new data and co-location centre – the ASX Australian Liquidity Centre (ALC). This new service will become operational on 20 February 2012.
http://jlne.ws/wfgVh9
AlgoSpan Launches LSE Connect Low Latency Trading and Market Data Access
Press Release
AlgoSpan now offers a great alternative to the LSE Extranex service, with high performance, competitively priced point-to-point ‘shortest-path’ connectivity between your systems and the Exchange’s trading and information services.
http://jlne.ws/xZExA9
Media News
Revere Provides More Data for Google Finance
Revere’s New Global Sector Classification System RISC Focus and Revere Relationships Provide Google Finance Users With Increased Visibility Into the Global Marketplace
SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire – Jan 23, 2012) – Revere Data, LLC, an industry leader in sector classification systems and supply chain data, has expanded the scope of data it provides for Google Finance with the licensing of RISC Focus and display rights for Revere Relationships. Google Finance can now adopt and display Revere’s global sector classification for approximately 40,000 publicly-traded companies from 80 countries and detailed interconnections of suppliers, customers and competitors for over 5,800 companies currently trading in major U.S. exchanges.
http://jlne.ws/xnz8NI
Google changes privacy policies; will merge more user data across products
Los Angeles Times
Google is alerting hundreds of millions of users of its products that it’s changing the way it treats users’ data, combining even more information it knows about them from all of its products, from Gmail to YouTube.
http://jlne.ws/yH99r3
Reports
Briefing.com Economic Calendar
http://www.briefing.com/Investor/Public/MarketAnalysis/Calendars/EconomicCalendar.htm
USDA Today
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/index.asp
CBOE Events Calendar
http://www.cboe.com/AboutCBOE/EventCalendar.aspx
Economic Release Calendar
The Economic Release Calendar (PDF) is a schedule of government, academic and industry economic releases, provided as a service to CME customers.
http://www.cmegroup.com/tools-information/calendars/
Asia-Pacific News
HSBC Seeks Buyer for Japan Retail-Banking Ops
Bloomberg
HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA) , Europe ‘s largest bank, is seeking buyers for its Japanese consumer banking unit four years after starting the business, said three people familiar with the matter.
http://jlne.ws/yc4UpT
Investing in Burma? Brace for pain
GlobalPost
Will Southeast Asia’s last frontier economy implode before it ever takes off? Patrick Winn As Western governments ramp up to the inevitable — removing heavy sanctions against Burma, officially known as Myanmar — investing in Burma may seem attractive to those who bet on emerging markets.
http://jlne.ws/xQsTBw
Thai Bourse Plans To Launch Trading Rules For New Trading System
Press Release
http://jlne.ws/wWxBBJ
Frontier Markets
Ace Commodity Exchange starts future trading in Soybean
Moneycontrol.com
Mumbai, January 25, 2012: Ace Derivatives and Commodity Exchange Limited (“Ace”), a Kotak Group anchored commodity exchange in India, will commence futures trading in Soybean Meal from January 27, 2012.
http://jlne.ws/yEjVPG
Fund managers see Africa as next investment hotspot: survey
Reuters via Yahoo! News
(Reuters) – Global institutional investors plan to boost their asset allocation in African markets over the next five years, and are shifting to long-term investment strategies from more speculative, short-term bets, a survey showed.
http://jlne.ws/xKRk3J
Workshop By Qatar Exchange On QE’s Venture Market – Venture Market Website Launched
Press Release
http://jlne.ws/y4V3dX
Speech By Andre Went, Chief Executive Officer Of Qatar Exchange, In The Opening Of The SME Market Workshop – January 25th 2012
Press Release
http://jlne.ws/xGsOdo
MENA Private Equity Association Launches At DIFC
Press Release
http://jlne.ws/zEEZB9
Miscellaneous News
Gates to Pitch His Charity Work at Davos
By ERIC PFANNER – NY Times
DAVOS, Switzerland — Some people come to the World Economic Forum expecting caviar. Bill Gates said he would bring cassava.
http://jlne.ws/xq2ohc
















