Rating agency clarification boosts market; Some investors say hybrid debt is flawed

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the sequel to Wall Street, had its world premiere last month at the Ziegfeld Theatre in Manhattan. It wasn’t exactly Wall Street meets Hollywood but a lucky few from the "Street" were able to walk the red carpet, thanks to small walk-on parts that added some authenticity. Noted omissions from the film were the New York Stock Exchange, and the big Wall Street firms, which had featured in the original. The film focuses on the world of credit default swaps, and the now well-publicized world of high-frequency trading, where many say the "new greed is going’’. There weren’t a lot of bankers there. Warren Buffett was, Nouriel Roubini was, so too Tyra Banks, with the cast and the director, Oliver Stone. Sunil Hirani, the former chief executive of Creditex, a credit derivatives broker, with a small walk-on cameo, said Stone knew enough about credit derivatives to be dangerous. Euromoney assumes that doesn’t mean in an AIG sort of way. The original Wall Street was the inspiration that launched the career of many a banker and stockbroker. It will be hard to match that with this one. As one banker who was inspired by watching the film 20 years ago told Euromoney after watching the sequel: "I drifted off somewhere in the middle and found myself thinking about the original." Aaah... Sentimentality.

The Saga of Iceland’s involvement in the financial crisis has elements of tragedy and farce. But it would be unwise to underestimate this nation of warriors, poets and volcanoes.

Dodd-Frank Act US fiduciary standard hits brokers; Costs likely to increase for issuers and investors

Law changes from 2006 savage industry; Defaults act as vital trials for global CDS settlement

Firms both big and small built up substantial war chests during the boom times for private equity. Now they must use or lose an overhang estimated to be approaching $600 billion. Louise Bowman reports on the pressure to do deals the industry faces.

As the supercharged returns of the boom years evaporate, investors are starting to ask tough questions about how – and if – private equity really works. Louise Bowman reports.

Private equity has always been a lightning rod for criticism from politicians and unions, which repeatedly accuse the industry of asset stripping. The accusation by Franz Müntefering, chairman of Germany’s Social Democrats, that private equity funds were "swarms of locusts sucking the substance" from German companies has dogged the industry ever since. But since 2007 it has not only been the targets of leveraged buyouts that have questioned their benefit but also investors in the buyout funds financing them.

If central banks want to become macro prudential regulators, identifying asset price bubbles is necessary but not sufficient.

The trickle of proprietary dealers out of investment banks could become a flood in the coming months. This will provide a welcome diversification of sources of market risk-taking as traders end up at corporations and sovereign wealth funds, as well as the obvious destination of hedge funds. A broadening of the range of institutions actively trading across asset classes should help to offset a reduction in liquidity resulting from the death of the traditional bank prop desk.

Creditor bail-ins mooted; Survival of LT2 in question

Flurry expected in Q4; Investors seek high-yielding structures

Risk-free nature of government bonds in doubt; Regulators’ continuing trust in his paper under challenge.

Metrofinanciera takes advantage of new law; Seeks US Chapter 15 protection

Leading investment adviser says finance industry must generate change from within

Global study shows large project delays

There’s investment advantage to be gained from a rational macroeconomic viewpoint.

Long-dated financing set to be competitive edge; Revenues tested as hedge funds have tough year

FxPro is planning to list on the Alternative Investment Market in October

Mark Bamford, head of global syndicate at Barclays Capital in New York, speaks with Euromoney's Hamish Risk about the recent surge in corporate bond issuance in the U.S.

Greece's situation could already constitute a credit event. What are the consequences if it does?

Derivatives Week

The event driven hedge fund strategy has fared well during the global financial crisis and, despite a difficult second quarter this year, looks set to continue outperforming other strategies

Firms exposed to the Gulf’s more speculative property markets are no longer attractive. Top stock picks in the Middle East revolve around the large and youthful consumer populations of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Good corporate governance is another key to foreign investment. Dominic O’Neill reports.

As high-net-worth wealth creation accelerates in the region, the struggle for market share between international and local wealth managers intensifies. Jason Mitchell reports.

A serious second-quarter equity trading stumble by Goldman Sachs led to predictions that its investment banking dominance might be coming to an end as a new regulatory era dawns.

India’s corporate bond markets are set to flourish through newly structured funds attracting foreign investors worldwide. Investment opportunities once only accessible through banks or registration as a foreign institutional investor (FII) with the Indian regulator are now open to investors abroad wanting to buy Indian debt. Kotak’s recent launch of its fixed maturity plan has raised $140 million in three weeks from investors worldwide, indicating a genuine demand in India’s corporate bond markets.

Moves into active equities, risk management; Not bearish on fixed income, insist executives

Ocroma plans to raise $150 million; ‘Compelling investment opportunities’ for private equity

Record volumes in all investment bank sectors; Shake-ups in league tables accompany fast growth