Over the years, structured products investors have acquired a reputation as homebodies, rarely straying far beyond their own country or region in search of returns. There are good reasons for this caution – the structured products market is complex and the instruments themselves are often composed of many layers, with returns contingent on the alignment of various factors. Better to stick with what you know and limit exposure to unfamiliar territory, then.
This attitude does seem to be changing somewhat, however. The low-interest-rate policies pursued by many developed economies have choked off yields, forcing a number of investors to cast their net over a wider range of asset classes and geographies.
