We continue to bring more coverage from the SRP Americas 2025 Conference that took place in Scottsdale, Arizona, on 16 September.
Igor Zamkovsky, senior strategist, global product solutions at Blackrock, kicked off the conference with a keynote speech focusing on option-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) which have gained in unprecedented popularity this year.
Retail investors have increasingly adopted quantitative investment strategies (QIS) through a non-principal protected note driven by broader education and a desire to look for an alternative that can potentially outperform the S&P 500 in the current long-lasting bullish market.
Another panel shined a light on the evolution of technology in pricing platforms, the challenges in secondary market transactions and the increasing interest from traditional domestic funds in offshore products.
In addition, growth of insurance products embedded with option strategies, notably fixed index annuity (FIA) and registered index-linked annuity (Rila), have stirred a discussion on their value and complexity in product design.
For the US market, Calamos has planned to list another autocallable ETF following its launch of CAIE in June which has garnered over US$200m in net assets. The US Tech Autocallable Income ETF (CAIQ) will be a QQQ-based laddered autocallable income strategy.
MerQube said in an interview that the index provider “focuses on complex strategies with simple building blocks”. Sales of structured products linked to the MerQube US Tech+ Vol Advantage Index launched with J.P. Morgan in 2021 have reached US$2.1 billion.
American Life & Security Co. has partnered with Nasdaq Global Indexes to introduce an investment option within its American Select Fixed Indexed Annuity (FIA).
CME Group has planned to launch options on Solana (SOL) and XRP futures from 13 October. The contracts will feature a range of expiry dates, including daily, monthly and quarterly options, catering to institutional investors, active traders and sophisticated individuals.
Across the Atlantic, Euronext has launched mini-sized, cash-settled futures on the main European government bonds, in a first for the market. The move is part of the exchange’s strategy to expand into the fixed income derivates space.
Eurex has partnered with data and analytics provider Premialab to launch a set of three index futures based on thematic strategies - SGI Fundamental Quality European Index Futures, SGI Value European Index Futures and Solactive Make EU Great Again Index Futures.
ABN Amro MeesPierson, the private banking arm of ABN Amro, has launched a managed portfolio offering thematic exposures across infrastructure, defence, AI, gaming & entertainment, renewable energy and fossil fuels.
London-based Makor Securities has launched an internal collective fund in collaboration with Afi-Esca Luxembourg that invests in a portfolio of tailor-made structured products.
For people moves, Gaurika Gambhir has joined Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) as managing director and head of equity derivative flow sales, Emea based in London. Meanwhile, CIBC has hired Paul Bertrand as managing director, head of global markets for Singapore.
On Singapore Exchange, Hang Seng Index (HSI) remained the most actively traded underliers for structured warrants, achieving a monthly turnover of S$31m for August. They recorded S$8.7m in single-day average value (SDAV), despite a 33% month-on-month (MoM) decline.
In an analysis, we examined the use of back-test data sets for traders to evaluate investment strategies through SRP Greeks.
Jon Manjeot/Adobe Stock
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