Volatility is a major factor in equity and option investments, and the Chicago Board Options Exchange Market Volatility Index (VIX), has been a popular and carefully-watched indicator almost from the moment it was launched. Though VIX may or may not be a rigorous substitute for risk, investors and financial commentators nevertheless watch this indicator to measure the tenor of investor attitudes about... 

When Lehman Brothers collapsed in September 2008, the asset manager that it owned, Neuberger Berman, was successfully spun out. Neuberger, however, has not managed to completely shake its connection to Lehman. Last week, a three-member arbitration panel ordered the New York firm to pay more than $5 million to four former clients who bought structured products from Neuberger. These products, they say,... 

The new iPath Long Enhanced S&P 500 VIX Mid-term Futures ETN (NYSEArca: VZZB) was launched at an initial price of $30 a share. Earlier this month, Barclays said iPath Long Enhanced S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (VZZ) traded below $10 a share, which triggered an automatic redemption. “Our leveraged and inverse ETNs are designed with a leverage factor that is locked in at the point of purchase,... 

When it comes to ease of trading, breadth of offerings, and simplicity of use, it’s hard to beat exchange-traded funds. That’s one reason why ETFs have taken the investing world by storm lately. But ETFs aren’t the only investing products you can find trading on stock exchanges these days. A similar sounding investment vehicle, the exchange-traded note or ETN, has also made big inroads... 

Citi's Nicholas Parcharidis, Pierre Pettigrew, Kristen Michell, and Lauren Moskovitz at Schwab's IMPACT 2010 conference. Citi has launched the first onshore real-denominated structured fund linked to a basket of US stocks in response to demand from investors in Brazil for diversification away from domestic underlyings. The fund, which closed on Thursday, June 23, raised 146.2 million... 

LONDON – From today, Santander has launched their latest range of Structured Products for customers looking for a capital return at maturity as well as a minimum return if held for the full term. Reza Attar-Zadeh, Director of Savings and Investments, said: “Structured products are designed for those looking to invest for the longer term, offering potentially greater returns than those... 

Data from Structuredproductreview.com shows that products maturing over the past three months have performed extremely well overall, with the only losses arising from Lehman Brothers-backed plans Despite widespread media criticism alleging that structured products provide poor returns if they provide any at all, the past month has seen UK products maturing with returns of up to 25%, according to Structuredproductreview.com. Data... 

BNP Paribas has joined forces with Janus Capital Group to provide a capital-guaranteed fund, whereby BNP provides protection for Janus Protected World Growth, a US-based mutual fund which offers daily liquidity and is open-ended. The fund was launched in May. “We are using a fundamentally different risk methodology to any other version of a capital-protected fund,” says Fabrice Hugon,... 

On May 18, 2011, FINRA announced in Regulatory Notice 11-25 that it is extending the implementation date for compliance with FINRA Rule 2090 (Know Your Customer) and FINRA Rule 2111 (Suitability). The new effective date is July 9, 2012. The notice may be found here. This new date gives firms a nine-month extension to modify their procedures, implement policy changes, and educate associated persons... 

Structured Products Magazine's Richard Jory with Nigerian author Uche Nworah. The introduction of new structured products regulations in Hong Kong has finally calmed the waters. But the certainty that the new rules should bring has been obscured by a broader remit than had been expected. After two years of consultation and debate, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission’s new rules on...