M’sia to offer syariah hedging derivatives

KUALA LUMPUR: Standard Chartered Plc and Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd plan to offer syariah-compliant derivatives in Malaysia that will allow investors to hedge against interest rates and commodity prices.

Standard Chartered, the UK bank that earns most of its profit from emerging markets, will begin selling contracts in the first quarter that provide protection from fluctuations in the cost of items such as rice and oil, according to an e-mailed reply to questions yesterday.