Cantor Index is set to launch a new multi-asset platform to the retail market, targeting investors looking to hedge against foreign assets with currency positions.

Established in 2000, Cantor already offers a range of markets through its existing spreadbetting platform, including shares, bonds, indices and commodities, but the new launch will be the first major push for some time.

Lisa Baum, spokesman for Cantor Index, suggests that the specialist platform will be ideal for those who like to protect their trades with currency bets.

She explained, ‘We haven’t yet released any information about this, as it won’t be launching until later in the year. We have seen our clients becoming more interested in the FX Spread Bets we offer, as they have been forced to reconsider what might be a safe-haven currency.

‘The Australian dollar, for example, has been performing well in recent weeks, hitting a 29-year high against the US dollar earlier in the week.’

Baum said Cantor’s clients have been watching markets closely since the beginning of the year as events in the Middle East have unfolded, causing high volatility.

She added, ‘Q1 of 2011 saw a surge in interest in commodities as uncertainty in the Middle East saw oil rising back over US $100 a barrel, and data showing continued growth in emerging economies had a knock-on effect on the likes of copper and other metals.

‘The rise in commodity prices is contributing to worldwide inflation, but while some countries continue to deny this, currencies remain volatile and there is a growing appetite for using spread Bets on currency pairs.’