The Risk of In Market Mergers

From Bank Director –

C.K. Lee of Commerce Street Capital explains both the pros and cons of in-market mergers.

Nick Leeson warns Hong Kong of Shanghai stock connect’s ‘rogue trading’ risks

From South China Morning Post –

“Conditions ripe for market manipulation, says the trader who brought down Barings.

Rogue trader Nick Leeson says the surge in trading volume and rapid pace of regulatory change around the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect have created conditions ripe for market manipulation.

The trader who famously broke Barings Bank in 1995 by making unauthorised bets on the futures markets in Singapore said the explosive pace of change had likely created a mismatch in available information to stock market dealers and regulators.”

Read more>> 

Conduct on the risk agenda

From Finextra

“Michael Davison, Business Development Executive, Banking and Financial Markets, IBM, Dr. Nigel Guenole, Business Psychologist, Smarter Workforce Institute and Nick Trigg, Worldwide Specialist, IBM Risk Analytics discuss what banks need to know about conduct risk requirements.”

watch discussion>>

Broken Benchmarks

From Bloomberg

“The Libor Scandal Sets Off a Wave of Probes. Imagine a “benchmark” as a notch on a carpenter’s bench used to measure. Simple enough. But what if the carpenter cheated, moving his marks to be able to charge a little more for a piece of lumber? In their role in modern financial markets, benchmarks set by traders help establish costs for mortgages, gasoline and money itself. They’re hard to understand and easy to manipulate. At the heart of the problem lies an inherent conflict: The figures are determined by the very firms that have the most to gain from where they’re set. Regulators agree that the main financial benchmarks are broken.”

read more>>

Bond investors fear another 1994

Some worry bond yields will surge - just like they did when OJ Simpson dominated the headlines - if the Fed tightens sooner rather than later.

What is the Fed's 'taper?'

Taper is Wall Street's latest buzz word as it looks for signs Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will slow down his stimulus program.

Dimon: Road back to normal 'scary'

From CNN Money

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says that 'as we go back to normal it's going to be scary' at the Fortune Global Forum in Chengdu, China.

Behind the scenes of a gold dealer

Sinking gold prices do not worry gold dealers like Ken Edwards. He says quantitative easing and market uncertainty will drive gold prices higher in the long term. 

Watch video>>

European Union's Push for Bank Transparency

Stratfor Europe Analyst Adriano Bosoni discusses how the European Union plans to tighten control over its banks and create a more transparent banking system

For more analysis, visit: http://www.Stratfor.com

US Judge finds for banks, dismisses most claims in Libor lawsuits

“A judge on Friday dismissed a "substantial portion" of claims facing a number of banks in a barrage of lawsuits accusing them of interest-rate rigging.

U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan ruled for the banks, which include Bank of America Corp, JPMorgan Chase & Co and others, of allegedly manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate, commonly known as Libor.

The judge granted the banks' motion to dismiss the plaintiffs' federal antitrust claims and partially dismissed their claims of commodities manipulation. She also dismissed racketeering and state-law claims.

The decision is a significant setback for private plaintiffs, whose lawsuits had been consolidated before the New York judge as part of a multidistrict litigation proceeding.”

read more>>

What we are reading … 25th March 2013

Banking on cloud http://www.finextra.com/Community/FullBlog.aspx?blogid=7474

7 Ridiculously Simple Social Media Fixes For Financial Marketers http://bit.ly/148OV3t

RBS to put £700m into upgrading its aging retail banking operations http://dld.bz/crWAW

How Banks Can Compete In the Mobile Shopping Market http://twb.io/YRyELq

Should you switch to an online-only bank? http://on.mktw.net/16GZyKv

FirstMerit Unveils Website that Responds to Mobile Devices http://dld.bz/crWAR

Is China after More than IP? http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/blogs/china-after-more-than-ip-p-1441#.UUlGk7PaXGo.twitter The future for digital wallets http://www.finextra.com/Video/Video.aspx?videoid=354