Brian Bollen's Blog

Digital Asset gets Elevence

Digital Asset Holdings (Digital Asset), a developer of distributed ledger technology for the financial services industry, reports from New New York that it has acquired Zurich-based Elevence Digital Finance AG (Elevence); Elevence is a technology firm that has developed an expressive language for financial institutions to model and execute agreements with certainty and finality.

Buying junk could be interesting

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge

It’s the European Central Bank today! I’m not expecting the sound of helicopters criss-crossing Europe, although Draghi saying he’s buying junk might be interesting.

Japan negativity overdone: Schroders

As investor sentiment towards Japan continues to fall, Andrew Rose, manager of the Schroder Tokyo Fund, argues that short-term negativity in Japan looks overdone.

Cities in a common grave

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge

The vicissitudes of fortune, which spares neither man nor the proudest of his works, which buries empires and cities in a common grave…

Don't bother with Gone Girl

Watched Gone Girl last night. If you haven't seen it, don't bother. It's way too long (as are most modern films; after watching for two hours I looked at my watch and just 23 minutes had passed) and, after the first two-thirds of the film are spent setting up and developing an intriguing situation, it then goes pear-shaped. Well before the end I was willing the credits to roll.

Margaret has just explained an important plot point that is crucial to the proper understanding of the story, which she knew from having read the book. It would have taken a line or two of dialogue to make it clear. Then again, maybe I just missed it. But Margaret has just this past second or two elaborated on two or three other key points towards better understanding that 'they just don't explain in the film'.

Ben Affleck faxes in his usual dazed and confused but oh-so-wise performance, and Gillian Flynn's credit as screenplay writer confirms my belief that the writer of a novel should be kept well away from its screenplay.

I was going to read the book but now intend to add it to the charity shop pile downstairs.

Chinese music sets me free

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge

Chinese music always sets me free, angular banjos sound good to me..

Google Bollocks

This tosh came to me this morning via LinkedIn. I don't think I have ever read such complete and utter bollocks in my entire life. The lunatics have not only well and truly taken over the asylum, but are also in charge of building more, presumably with bricklayers who don't know how to lay bricks, electricians who don't know anything about electricity and plumbers who can't tell the difference between a washer and a fluffy kitten. I pass it on unedited.

Read and enjoy...

Google’s Chief of Moonshots: You should try to kill your best ideas.

Industry rattled by PRIIPs implementation timetable

Virtually all top tier banks, insurance companies and asset managers are concerned about the implementation timetable for the regulation of PRIIPs (Packaged Retail and Insurance Based Products).

Negative rates increase property costs

Negative interest rates are driving up the costs of real estate lending, property chiefs have warned.

Linear result for SGSS

Societe Generale Securities Services (SGSS) in the UK has been mandated by Linear Investment Limited (Linear), a full-service mini-prime broker servicing international asset managers and hedge funds, to provide its Global Broker-Dealer Services (GBDS) outsourcing solution to support the growth in Linear’s European equities brokerage business.

Recession alarm bells ringing

Are the recession alarm bells ringing?

Time to buy oil?

Following an oil price rally of nearly 55% since its February lows, Geoff Blanning, head of commodities at Schroders, looks at the main catalysts behind the move and whether the rally will last.

Labouring in vain

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge 

What is the point of the global bond markets? My life’s work has been meaningless.

Jupiter further develops fixed income

Jupiter Asset Management has made a number of appointments within its fixed income team to enhance support for this growing strategy.

The challenges of counterparty exposure

Fidessa group plc has published a paper entitled Counter (party) intuitive. Authored by Steven Strange, Compliance Product Manager at Fidessa, it examines how the counterparty landscape has changed for buy-sides and what they can do to ease the burden it now presents.

Stand and de-lever?

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge

No surprise as Federal Reserve minutes confirm their caution on the threats of global economic slowdown.

Let me look around

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge

Then let me look around so I can ease the UN’s collective Mind 

Cavete kalends Aprilis (April fish to follow)

Mint – Blain’s Morning Porridge

A common mistake when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools..