Thursday, October 11, 2012
Organising an event in Chicago posed certain obstacles but those were far outweighed by the opportunities. I learned that the Chicago market is substantively different from both London and New York, the major bulge bracket firms while no doubt having some presence are not the main cut and thrust of Chicago; smaller and more nimble 'Prop Shops' are the lifeblood of this city. I also discovered that many of these 'Prop Shops' had been founded by ex CME floor traders who wanted to spread their wings a little, and in some cases a lot. Derivatives are what Chicago is best known for and that might have been the original specialty of these creative and adventurous operations, but in 2012 they have a much more diverse portfolio of interests.
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Wednesday, August 01, 2012
The recent drop in China’s GDP growth has raised concerns with many who hoped the country’s economy would underpin a global financial recovery. For China’s government, the speed at which it becomes a ‘new entrant’ in the global financial markets needs to be balanced by its necessity to protect the region’s economic stability.
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