​Daily Bulletin: Thursday April 9

Trading around rates and currencies has dominated the markets this week as investors try to position for a potential rise in interest rates, following the release of the March U.S. Fed minutes last week. While equity markets seem to be neglected today, JPM and Wells Fargo’s quarterly results, the first to potentially factor in a rate rise into their financial models, should prove a catalyst for options trades. Next Tuesday also sees the release of retail sales and PPI numbers, so stay tuned. In dividends, investors are increasingly going long DEDZ7 and paying more attention on DEDZ8 as fundamentals for those contracts improve amid an expectation of improved dividend payouts from financials. Société Générale is also set to acquire the majority of the futures and clearing activities of Jefferies’ Bache business.