26 Apr 2019

Asset Managers strive to cut Banks out of Forex Dealing

Not sure that FX trading is such a significant drag on performance. Maybe fund managers should just do less frantic in- and out trading. And trying to find counter parties directly at the right time and right size is not going to offer significant rewards. Who wants to take the other side of a 1 billion trade when one knows that the other side HAS to trade?
Asset managers strive to cut out banks from forex dealing

27 Mar 2019

Hedge Fund blows up - where was Citi's risk management?

If the lenders - in this case Citigroup is quoted - of liquidity don't manage their risk and losses result it is easy to blame the hedge fund. Careful monitoring of exposure should have prevented this loss quite easily.
(27-Mar-2019)
Hedge fund blow-up costs investors and Citigroup

6 Mar 2019

Pay Gap reporting - nothing but an Employment Scheme?

Ever since Pay Reporting for senior Executives became standard practice (and started an upward spiral of executive compensation) virtue signalling via pay gap reporting became more and more pervasive. But does it really help anyone if pay differentials by gender, race, age are scrupulously registered and reported? The inevitable pay gaps will only breed resentment and be endless fodder for self-appointed campaigners and lobbies. After all, there will never be perfect equality and there will always be one group that is paid less than the other side. And why not report by religious affiliation? there might be interesting aspects to discover as well - did not some scholar relate economic success to Protestantism?
That some businesses find it worth their time to call for MORE (!) mandatory regulation (bureaucracy) reminds one of Lenin's bonmot: "The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them" (6-March-2019)
Companies call for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting

8 Jan 2019

Yellow Vest Protests - France

Violence certainly is not a pleasant experience but neither is life under a semi-democratic state that gives citizens no say except in a box-ticking exercise every few years. And even that is not addressing specific problems but is mostly based on personalities and vague statements that are never properly followed when a politician is elected.
France plots tougher response to 'undeclared' protests

4 Dec 2018

Balyasny said to cut 125 People

It is quite amazing that a Hedge Fund - or any Investment Manager - with an AuM just under $12 billion can have a cast of hundreds, more than six hundred staff in Balyasny's case. So it is no wonder that such a large cut in staffing numbers became inevitable.
Hopefully most Firms have a tighter control over their headcount - a strategy of hire and fire is not conducive to a good working environment and investment clients are less than happy if they see frequent staff changes.
Balyasny Cuts 125 People as Hedge Fund Bleeds Assets

1 Mar 2018

RBS/Natwest worried about Irish Border question

One should think that RBS/Natwest has more problems than this one. Not sure why there is such a fuss about the Northern Ireland border. Simple Solution: UK keeps it open, should go for unilateral free trade anyway. Then it is up to Ireland/EU to make their move. If there is hard border it is clear who is to blame
RBS on Irish border questions

6 Dec 2017

Bitcoin: Regulators wash their hands - too long for some?

While some are supposed to have become rich due to the wonders of the digital "currency" hype one should remember that this is a giant ponzi scheme where the lucky few owe their winnings to the late-comers who splash out serious money in order to get hold of one ephemeral electronic bit - wherever that is. A chain letter at least gives you a piece of paper to put on your wall. Where are the regulators, why are they busy concocting ever more intrusive regulations that hardly serve any purpose except increasing costs for ordinary savers? Should they not at least apply the rules for the digital space?
CNBC

Bitcoin: Regulators wash their hands - too long for some?

While some are supposed to have become rich due to the wonders of the digital "currency" hype one should remember that this is a giant ponzi scheme where the lucky few owe their winnings to the late-comers who splash out serious money in order to get hold of one ephemeral electronic bit - wherever that is. A chain letter at least gives you a piece of paper to put on your wall. Where are the regulators, why are they busy concocting ever more intrusive regulations that hardly serve any purpose except increasing costs for ordinary savers? Should they not at least apply the rules for the digital space?

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/05/winklevoss-twins-head-the-list-of-people-getting-very-rich-from-bitcoin.html

1 Dec 2017

Bitcoins: The drumbeat goes on

The drumbeat goes on, any number of self-appointed 'experts'  push bitcoin etal, still not clear what 'value' it has or provides, just question of time that regulators impose restrictions, to market, buy/sell it through traditional banking channels unless full 'know your customer' disclosure is made. and who REALLY needs bitcoins, internet banking is so efficient already! Price easily manipulated due to complete lack of transparency, and who are the idiots that pay $10,000 for a bit with REAL money?
Here's why not to put your money into bitcoin (Evening Standard)