Hedge funds that bet the yen would materially weaken following last weekend’s Japanese election were left disappointed after prime minister Shigeru Ishiba announced he would stay on, despite his ruling coalition party losing control of the country’s upper house. Going into the election, investors had turned bearish on the yen, holding roughly $1.1 billion in […]
For years, bitcoin was seen as a speculative outlier: volatile, loosely regulated, and detached from the macroeconomic fundamentals that drive traditional asset classes. Today, we’re seeing something different. Bitcoin is not just part of the global investment conversation, it also responds to it in real time. New research from LMAX Group, based on millisecond-level data
US mutual funds and exchange-traded funds went into April’s tariff turmoil holding the highest net long US dollar position in recent years. According to FX Markets’ Counterparty Radar data, mutual funds’ net long USD notional position, via foreign exchange forwards, stood at $455.7 billion by the end of the first quarter, the highest long USD position
Taiwanese life insurers are expected to increase foreign exchange hedging after recent tariff-driven market volatility led to losses on their US dollar-denominated assets. Despite fears that the Taiwan dollar’s recent rally might be more than a short-term fluctuation, high hedging costs have so far delayed action – even as a lack of domestic investment alternatives means
Dealers are seeing renewed hedge fund interest in the Hong Kong dollar carry trade due to the wide gap between Hong Kong and US rates, after many were stopped out on similar trades in early May. “Hedge funds [and] fast money [accounts], which reduced some of their long USDHKD position in early May during the
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
The deal contingent (DC) hedge market has been making a comeback, after President Trump’s chaotic tariff policies in April led to a sharp dropoff in public merger deal activity amid the widespread economic uncertainty. “The tariff discussions and news flow saw a lot of timelines pushed out, but I feel deals are coming back in
It takes a market-wide crisis to know how stable the underlying pipework is that supports it. In the $7.5 trillion foreign exchange market, the measure of its stability is liquidity. This was put to the test last month, as intraday volatility triggered by president Donald Trump’s tariff announcements on April 2 resulted in an explosion
With FX volumes in Asia-Pacific (Apac) growing rapidly on the back of heightened volatility, HSBC is leveraging its regional and international footprint to broaden its FX offering, providing clients with robust solutions to meet their trading and hedging needs As worldwide trade disruptions have led to market volatility and uncertainty in Apac, market participants in
When the New Taiwan dollar (TWD) surged unexpectedly on May 2 and 5, the country’s giant life insurers were immediately blamed for the move, given their huge size relative to the Taiwanese domestic market. Market participants, however, have mixed views on how active the insurers really were – but they agree the moves were exacerbated
Tariff volatility pushes banks to tighten close-outs – FX Markets End of drawer navigation content Skip to main content Lawyers say dealers are looking to update playbooks for terminating derivatives trades Banks have been looking to update procedures for dealing with over-the-counter derivatives close-outs and margin calls following the recent bout of US tariff-driven market
US president Donald Trump’s whipsawing tariff policies created a perfect storm for foreign exchange options dealers, as hedge funds rushed to short US dollar positions while systematic volatility sellers and large macro funds sat on the sidelines. The ensuing volatility left traders wondering if they had slipped into the wrong desks, or even another dimension.
FX liquidity ‘worse than Covid’ amid tariff volatility, dealers say – FX Markets End of drawer navigation content Skip to main content Available liquidity for single clips dropped to as low as $20 million ahead of tariff pause Liquidity conditions in the global spot foreign exchange markets have been strained since US President Donald Trump
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
In the US, March Madness is synonymous with the annual knockout college basketball tournament, known for its unpredictable results and stunning turnarounds. But the country has seemingly exported this concept to its foreign policy in the past month, with shifting tariff threats, territorial disputes and abortive peace talks with Russia putting foreign exchange on the
Automated market-making tested by intraday FX vol – FX Markets End of drawer navigation content Skip to main content Price gaps in spot FX markets could be exacerbated by algos trading on headline risk The increase in sudden large movements in foreign exchange spot markets driven by President Donald Trump’s chaotic tariff announcements may be
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
