Brian Bollen's Blog

10 bottles of gelignite...

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge – November  28 2014

10 bottles of gelignite hanging on the wall, and if one bottle of gelignite should accidently fall, there will be no bottles of gelignite and no bl***y wall.

 

Stephen Mitchell to join Jupiter

The Jupiter investment group reports it has appointed Stephen Mitchell to the newly created role of head of strategy, global equities. He will be responsible for developing Jupiter’s global equity business for institutional and retail investors in the UK and international markets.

Emerging markets: little time to waste

By Maarten-Jan Bakkum, emerging markets strategist at ING Investment Management.

The economic slowdown in the emerging world started in 2010. Emerging equity markets have been underperforming developed markets ever since. And currencies in the emerging world have been depreciating for three years now.

Inferno to streamline back office

Percentile, a provider of technology for risk management and regulatory compliance, and Torstone Technology, a provider of securities and derivatives processing software to the global financial markets, are teaming up to offer financial institutions solutions across risk, middle and back office and accounting. The partnership will, they say, see Percentile’s RiskMine platform integrate with Torstone’s Inferno system to reduce risks, improve efficiencies and enable seamless regulatory and management reporting.

Amec Foster Wheeler appoints Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Bank has been named as depositary bank for the sponsored Level III NYSE-listed American Depositary Receipt programme of Amec Foster Wheeler plc.

SGSS extends in Africa

Societe Generale Securities Services (SGSS) reports that it has extended its South African custody hub to Mauritius. It has become the first remote participant to receive approval from the Mauritius Financial Services Commission (FSC) to provide comprehensive custody services in the country.

Defusing the fiscal timebomb

The public finances of developed countries are still vulnerable to an economic shock unless more is done to boost growth and reduce debt, according to global investment manager Standard Life Investments.

What next for bonds?

A new study from the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) identifies the main causes of the potential crisis facing liquidity in the corporate secondary bond markets in Europe and calls for constructive and co-ordinated action from all market stakeholders to find solutions. 

CACEIS supports Seven Capital

Seven Capital Management has selected CACEIS as centralising agent for its Seven Lux SICAV SIF within the framework of the BlackSnake sub-fund being admitted to Euroclear France on November 24.

BNP Paribas boosts London assets and funds services

BNP Paribas Securities Services reports three senior appointments in its assets and funds services team in London.

AIMA Appoints New Directors

The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), the global hedge fund industry association, has announced the appointment of two new directors to the AIMA Council, its global governing body.

Who risks, wins

 

Continued divergence in economic performance and monetary policy is the prevailing theme investors will have to grapple with in the year ahead, according to J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Global Market Insights team.

Standard Life Investments boosts multi-asset capability

Standard Life Investments, the global investment manager, has enhanced its multi-asset expertise with two appointments to the Global Strategy team. Chris Faulkner-McDonagh joins as market strategist and Alex Wolf has been appointed as emerging markets economist. Both will contribute to Standard Life Investments’ house view and generate research ideas for the wider business.  The multi-asset and macro team is now 49 people strong.

They wouldn’t write it if it wasn’t true.

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge

Well, I got nothing against the press, they wouldn’t write it if it wasn’t true.

US stock markets might have hit another all-time high yesterday, but credit markets feel increasingly stretched as we approach next week’s US Thanksgiving feast – the traditional end of the corporate bond year. Folk are worried just how toppy/tired markets feel – sure it’s been a great year in terms of bond returns, but does anyone  believe it can be repeated next year? And that has got folk all agitated about just how crowded the exits might become ..

Summer: you can see it fading fast

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge

Your everlasting summer you can see it fading fast.. so you grab a piece of something you think is gonna last.

Is it possible to short John Lewis? (updated)

Here's a challenge for the creatives reading my postings. Is it in any way, shape or form possible to short John Lewis, a non-listed staff-owned partnership? My recent customer experience has set my Spidey sense tingling and I think it is on the way to losing its long-unchallenged status as the English middle class shopper's iconic destination of first choice.

In a protracted exchange yesterday (November 19 2014) on the subject of my request for a replacement for a recently installed and now faulty double oven, at one point the shop assistant suggested that I take my money back and 'go to Curry's because they have more stock than us'. Coming on top of a problem-plagued dishwasher purchase a few weeks ago, this has rather shaken my faith in the partnership.

My wife and I have been shopping unquestioningly at John Lewis in Milton Keynes and elsewhere for just over 29 years. We probably won't be going back, other than to spend the vouchers they occasionally send for using their credit card.

ps I've been advised by someone who knows these things that inserting @johnlewis does something wondrous that brings my mutterings to the attention of the company.

FFS: Management lessons from wizards?

FFS: Can this - published under the Financial Times banner - possibly be serious? I offer it to readers without any further comment....

DISCOVER HOW DUMBLEDORE AND GANDALF CAN MAKE YOU A MENTORING WIZARD 

~ Nearly 80 per cent of workplaces now offer mentoring schemes, yet a lack of training and resources often derails the process and can waste or lose talent ~

Increased OTC risk and costs a major concern

The wave of regulatory change and new market practices leading to fragmentation of OTC derivatives processing and data inconsistency has resulted in operational inefficiencies, increased risk and spiralling costs, creating major concerns for financial institutions. Derivatives connectivity and regulation specialist Message Automation Limited has highlighted the impact of these issues for buy- and sell-side firms across Europe, Asia and North America.

Smiling politely, but really appalled

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge

They’re smiling politely, but they’re really appalled.. and its turned out Oranges and Lemons again..

The big dynamic of Q4 has been Japan – the kitchen-sink plus efforts of the BOJ trying to kick start the economy. It’s been great news for anyone long Japan and the Nikkei. But what to make of Abe’s decision to call a snap Japan election, and putting back the sales tax hike? Doesn’t that add a whole deal of risk to the Japan and global equation?

Where In The World Is Chris Barrow?

Where in the world is Chris Barrow? On his recruitment from Nomura in February 2010 he was hailed as the most high-profile hire to date by the then fledgling HSBC Prime Services business. The Second Coming could hardly have warranted such an ecstatic reaction.

Today, his departure 'several weeks ago' barely registers on the HSBC Group Richter scale, where the internal Ministry of Truth seems to have swiftly completed his airbrushing out of official corporate history.

A lengthy conversation this morning with HSBC's very own Winston Smith confirmed that he had indeed gone, perhaps to a boutique whose name shall remain unspoken, but nothing beyond that.

Except to confirm that his vacant position - head of global sales - will not be filled. HSBC Prime Services will instead rely on its regional heads of sales who, lest we forget when they are disappeared, are (currently) Matthew Kiraly (Asia), Joseph Leckie (EMEA) and Paul Busby (the Americas).

Oh, and if you see Chris, tell him I'd love to hear from him ([email protected]).