Investors hope US rate cuts will lower FX hedging costs – FX Markets Skip to main content End of drawer navigation content European investors in US assets set to boost hedge ratios as implied yields rise As the US dollar has continued its fall after April’s tariff turmoil, foreign investors in US assets have had […]
One of the last bastions of cash-only payments in the financial markets is showing signs of wavering. Global banks accepted $325 billion of non-cash variation margin (VM) at the end of 2024, according to the International Swaps and Derivatives Association’s latest margin survey – accounting for a record 31.6% of the roughly $1 trillion in total
Foreign exchange structurers are seeing increased demand from US corporates for options-based hedges that can limit losses on their net investment hedges caused by the US dollar’s selloff. While the economic value of derivatives hedges offsets changes in foreign assets, when those positions hit maturity companies can face hefty mark-to-market payments. Bank structurers, though, say
When the economist and geopolitical strategist Brunello Rosa was finalising drafts of his book Smart Money last year, he noted presciently that critical events might unfold before its publication in paperback. The book, written with co-author Casey Larsen, envisages a new cold war unfolding between the US and China in which “digital de-dollarisation” plays a
Goldman Sachs was the top US dealer for foreign exchange trading revenues in 2024, which more than doubled at the firm thanks to increased trading activity at the end of the year, according to regulatory filings. The investment bank generated revenues of $6.3 billion for the year, up 125% from $2.8 billion in 2023, thanks
European financial institutions are concerned that any renewed escalation of trade tensions with the US could spill over into actions that would limit their ability to source dollar funding. A chief risk officer (CRO) at a European wealth manager says this scenario remains “extreme”, but not impossible. “One of the scenarios I have been starting
The sharp fall in the US dollar following President Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs announcement saw intense activity on foreign exchange options desks, leaving dealers rushing to buy volatility to re-hedge EUR/USD books as spot surged. “It was manic… it almost made the Turkish lira [moves] irrelevant,” says one head of FX derivatives at a
US corporates are having a hard time responding to increased currency volatility as internal restrictions around hedging programmes make it difficult for them to react quickly to the shifting strength of the dollar. Heightened foreign exchange volatility, driven in particular by President Donald Trump’s chaotic tariff announcements, has seen the dollar weaken and made it
The so-called Trump trade of going long the US dollar via foreign exchange options has seemingly come to a sudden stop following the euro’s massive rally last week, forcing traders to U-turn on their bets. “I think the Trump trade is now dead and all the USD calls that were bought in various forms are
The London gold market is facing a mounting structural crisis. Bullion banks that lend precious metals to producers and each other moved over 200 tonnes of gold to New York in January in response to US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, leaving the London market desperately short of physical supplies. Dealers in London routinely borrow
Foreign exchange losses have begun to mount for some of the largest global corporates, with the likes of Amazon, Apple and Nike reporting revenues negatively affected by continued US dollar strength in the fourth quarter. Since September, the dollar has risen by as much as 7% against many G10 and emerging market currencies, reducing the
Corporates eye complex FX hedges as carry costs mount – FX Markets End of drawer navigation content Skip to main content Leveraged forwards and options-based structures entice treasurers facing rates uncertainty and FX volatility The shake-em-up economic policies trailed by new US president and so-called “disruptor-in-chief” Donald Trump have left corporate treasurers on both sides
Does no-hedge strategy stack up for mag seven mavericks? – FX Markets End of drawer navigation content Skip to main content At Amazon, Meta and Tesla, the lack of FX hedging might raise eyebrows, but isn’t necessarily a losing technique The so-called magnificent seven – the seven largest US tech companies that famously make up
Amazon, Meta and Tesla reject FX hedging – FX Markets End of drawer navigation content Skip to main content FX Markets study shows tech giants don’t hedge day-to-day exposures Amazon, Meta and Tesla – three of the so-called magnificent seven tech firms that drive US stock market performance – decline to hedge their day-to-day foreign
Franklin Templeton has become the largest user of foreign exchange options among US mutual funds, taking the top spot from Morgan Stanley Investment Management for the first time since the end of 2020. The California-based fund manager increased notional volumes by around $340 million during the third quarter of 2024, taking the total size of
