President of Brazil’s private equity body Luis Eugenio Figueiredo says the sector has gone from strength to strength, largely due to its domestic focus and not being based on leverage. By Spencer Anderson.

Few financial sectors have been galvanised into action as rapidly as the OTC global credit default swap market. This time last year, few financial regulators – let alone global policy-makers – had heard of or encountered a credit default swap. But with the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 and the near fatal demise of American International Group some days later, the market was propelled into the global regulatory and political limelight. In recent weeks, the industry made some tangible progress, but as FT Mandate's Business Excellence Series debate highlighted, each development poses new questions.

Sovereign wealth funds have been hit hard by the global downturn, but by refining their investment approach, outsourcing management roles and employing an active style, they could fare better in the future. By Richard Hemming.

Volatility trading on equities and commodities has seen an increase in recent months, but there are several instruments and vehicles included under this umbrella that are contributing to a product boom. By Ceri Jones.

Pierre Oger, head of business engineering at Caceis Bank Luxembourg, looks at how attitudes towards third-party administrators have changed.

Opening up the ETF market to offer global exposure allows any size of investor to access greater opportunities in emerging markets. By Nat Mankelow.

Multi-asset platforms and pan-European venues are competing heavily with traditional trading facilities as diversification drives through change. By Nat Mankelow.