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Variance swaps and contingent variance swaps allow for a number of trading strategies.

These tongue-in-cheek versions of common financial parlance are particularly insightful given recent market events.

Qatar’s burgeoning economy has tripled in size over the past four years. A drive to diversify has achieved striking results in reducing dependence on oil and gas.

"If you don’t fully understand an instrument, don’t buy it. If you would not buy for yourself a specific product, don’t try to sell it. If you don’t know very well your customers, don’t lend them any money. If you do all these things, you will be a better banker, my son"

An investment research paper (Conditional Variance Swaps, Product Note, JPMorgan Securities, April 3 2006) by analysts at JPMorgan explains how variance swaps emerged.

Structured product issuers have a new set of guidelines that they will be expected to informally adhere to after trade organizations, including the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, released non-binding principles for managing relationships with retail investors.

New technological solutions are helping treasurers get back to the real business of treasury rather than spending most of their time collecting data. By Jack and Wolfi Large.

The boom in the Qatari real estate market that has been an inevitable by-product of the spectacular growth of the economy in recent years and the surge in demand for residential as well as commercial property that has emerged as a result.

Citi is poised to unveil Stuart Sopp as its head of G10 spot FX trading for Asia. Sopp, who will be based in Singapore, was previously working at Deutsche Bank in Sydney, where he traded spot Commonwealth dollars. Before that, he was at Bank of New York in London. He will report to Pritpal Gil, Citi’s head of FX trading for Asia.

SPA ETFs is looking into its first international exchange-traded funds. The firm, which has offices in New York and London, offers six ETFs that invest only in U.S. stocks but is considering launches of at least one offering that invests in European companies and at least one offering that invests in Asian companies sometime next year. Neil Michael, head of quantitative strategies, said European clients demand European funds to gain access to stocks on their continent. An Asian fund makes sense, he added, because SPA wants to offer a line of ETFs that is broad enough for advisors to build entire portfolios out of, and a diverse portfolio should have exposure to the growing Asian economies.

Americas Banking Atlas

Dubai, Bahrain and Qatar are vying to be the Gulf’s financial hub and the battle is by no means over, with each centre adopting a very different approach.