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Alexis Stenfors

Senior Lecturer in Economics and Finance, University of Portsmouth

I have been a Senior Lecturer at Portsmouth Business School since January 2014 and work within the Economics and Finance subject group. I have 15 years of experience from the foreign exchange and interest rate derivatives markets, having been a trader at HSBC, Citi, Crédit Agricole and Merrill Lynch. In 2009, I returned to academia to do research on the LIBOR and completed my doctoral thesis with the title ‘Determining the LIBOR: A Study of Power and Deception’ in 2013. I have also held teaching positions at SOAS (University of London) and Olin Business School (Washington University in St. Louis). My recent research on benchmark manipulation has been published in journals such as the Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions & Money and the Review of Political Economy. I am also the author of ‘Barometer of Fear: An Insider’s Account of Rogue Trading and the Greatest Banking Scandal in History’ (London: Zed Books, May 2017).

Why Japanese yen is still one of the safest places to park your money in a market crash

Mar 16, 2020 06:42 am UTC| Investing

Fear is contagious not least in financial markets. When it turns to panic, it spreads fast in todays interconnected and technologically advanced trading world. Assets that are associated with some kind of risk fall in...

'The day the world changed' – a former trader on how the credit crunch kicked off

Aug 07, 2017 15:39 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

When I received a phone call from a trader colleague at Merrill Lynch on August 9 2007, I was in the middle of chopping wood in the Swedish countryside. As always, I had my mobile on me in case of an emergency. I...

The scandal might be over but LIBOR ethics remain fundamentally flawed

May 13, 2017 03:30 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

When I was a trader at HSBC, Citibank, Crédit Agricole and Merrill Lynch, being able to accurately predict the the London Interbank Offered Rate (or LIBOR) each day was a central part of my job. It was, and still...

Economy

Malaysia Inflation Eases to 1.8% in July, Below Forecast

Malaysias inflation rate moderated slightly in July, with consumer prices rising 1.8% from a year earlier, according to government data released on Monday. The latest increase in Malaysias Consumer Price Index (CPI) came...

BSP Sees Philippine Inflation Easing, Keeps Policy Options Open

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects inflation in the Philippines to gradually ease over the medium term, although risks to consumer prices remain tilted to the upside, central bank Governor Eli Remolona said on...

Gold Prices Rise as Weak US Data and Hormuz Risks Boost Safe-Haven Demand

Gold prices climbed on Monday as investors weighed weaker U.S. economic data against geopolitical tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, while awaiting the Federal Reserves July meeting minutes for fresh signals on...

US Stock Futures Steady as Cooling Inflation and Strong Earnings Support Markets

U.S. stock futures traded near the flatline during Asian hours on Sunday, with Wall Street sentiment supported by softer inflation data and a strong corporate earnings season following a third consecutive week of gains for...

Asian Stocks Steady as Iran War Keeps Oil Prices and Inflation Risks Elevated

Asian stocks traded mostly flat on Monday as investors monitored rising oil prices and persistent geopolitical tensions surrounding the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz. Prospects for peace talks remain limited, while oil...

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Drone Attacks Escalate as Strikes Hit Moscow, Kyiv and Romania

Russia and Ukraine exchanged major missile and drone attacks overnight, leaving several people dead and damaging industrial and commercial facilities as the war continues to intensify. Russian forces struck ArcelorMittal...

US CENTCOM Chief Praises USS Abraham Lincoln Crew Amid Mental Health Concerns

U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln following a recent visit to the aircraft carrier, describing their performance and resilience as awe-inspiring amid growing...

Lula Targets Brazil’s Gig Workers as Reelection Battle Takes Shape

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva launched his final reelection campaign on Sunday in Sao Bernardo do Campo, returning to the stadium where his rise as a labor leader began nearly five decades ago....

Trump Envoys Hold Gaza Peace Talks in Cairo as Israeli Strikes Continue

U.S. President Donald Trumps envoys held talks with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday as diplomatic efforts intensified to advance Washingtons Gaza peace plan while Israeli airstrikes continued...

Migrants in Spain’s Ceuta Protest for Asylum, Refuse Return to Morocco

Hundreds of migrants in Spains North African enclave of Ceuta gathered on a popular urban beach on Sunday, calling on Spanish authorities to grant them asylum rather than return them to Morocco. The protesters are among an...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Alphabet Eyes First Australian Dollar Bond as AI Spending Drives Funding Push

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is preparing for its first-ever Australian dollar bond issuance as the U.S. technology giant explores new funding sources amid rapidly rising artificial intelligence investment. The...

Alibaba Sells Lingxi Games for Over $1.5 Billion Amid AI Push

Alibaba Group is reportedly selling its gaming subsidiary Lingxi Games in a transaction that could value the Chinese video game studio at more than $1.5 billion, as the technology giant redirects resources toward...

Nvidia’s $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Push Wins Morgan Stanley Support

Nvidia is doubling down on the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom with a plan to help mobilize as much as $500 billion in third-party capital, drawing participation from major financial firms including Apollo,...

Alphabet Shifts AI Strategy Toward Commercial Growth, Goldman Sachs Says

Alphabet is increasingly shifting its artificial intelligence strategy toward commercialization, scale and long-term revenue growth, according to Goldman Sachs analysts. The investment bank said recent management changes,...

Nvidia Eyes $3 Billion Investment in SoftBank-Backed AI Data Center

Nvidia is reportedly in discussions to invest up to $3 billion in SB Energy, a SoftBank Group-backed company developing a major AI data center campus in Ohio for OpenAI. According to a report by The Information, the...