Infrastructure
Standard Chartered to offer client clearing for non-US persons
UK bank looks to offer clearing option outside US regulatory requirements
SwapClear to restart compression in leverage boon for banks
Banks hope for leverage exposure relief after interest rate swap clearer fixes clash with CFTC rules
OTFs and Sefs: equivalence in doubt
European legislators are close to finalising their derivatives execution rules, but trading platforms are concerned the OTF framework may be sufficiently different to US Sef rules to scupper any chance of equivalence determinations. By Tom Osborn
Initial margin to significantly impact development of Asian derivatives markets: Asifma
Asifma head Austen wants exclusion of initial margin from Asian jurisdictions’ derivatives market regulation
Regulators clash on Mifid waivers
Some regulators and brokers have expressed fears that exemptions included in Mifid may mean European rules on trade execution are not equivalent to the US – but a key parliamentarian disagrees
CCPs face $161 billion liquidity shortfall to clear FX options, GFXD finds
Results of an industry study reveal the scale of the liquidity burden that would fall on CCPs clearing physically delivered forex options – but a net settlement mechanism could reduce the number by 73%
Pooled funds in clearing limbo
Pension funds will not have to clear in Europe until at least mid-2015, but what about the vehicles some use to scale up their hedging transactions? As things stand, lawyers are giving different answers – and the industry wants regulators to clarify the…
Cross-currency margining can bring savings, says SwapClear's Michael Davie
Margin efficiency will be the main driver of success in the OTC clearing world and while cross-margining with futures has been touted as a potential game changer, the gains from this may be illusory, says Michael Davie, head of SwapClear, and chief…
Futures data will be useless to regulators without reporting delay, Esma warns
Esma responds to EC's 'intended rejection' of one-year postponement
European clearing mandate likely to start in 2015 – Risk.net poll
Clients aren’t expected to be subject to a clearing mandate until 2015, according to a Risk.net poll
Mandatory clearing in Korea slated for June 2014
Korea confident of achieving recognition from Europe and is readying to apply for similar status from the US
Ice members split over new client clearing model
Dealers fear mutualised exposure in 'sponsored principal' model
Sefs face major delays in operating outside the US
Despite an overseas person exemption that allows recognition of CFTC-approved swap execution facilities in the UK, Sefs could face significant delays before they can legally operate in other non-US jurisdictions
FCMs stunned by $1.75 billion client buffer at Credit Suisse
Swiss bank is tying up too much capital in immature business, rivals claim, after new NFA data shows it to be an outlier
Experts split on MAT determinations
Rules allowing Sefs to make available-to-trade determinations continue to cause concern, but some think an aggressive approach is justified
SGX proposes to remove unlimited liability for CCP clearing fund
Singapore CCP looks to strengthen its risk management approach
Fed discount window could resolve CCP collateral liquidity concerns, say clearers
US regulatory concerns about liquidity of government securities collateral could be resolved by access to the Fed’s discount window, CCP officials say
CME threatens to flee US as regulators challenge liquidity of US Treasury collateral
US CCPs may need committed funding to count US Treasury collateral as liquid
Bank of England calls for greater transparency on CCP margin modelling
CCPs should have complete transparency on risk to prevent margin-related failures
Isda – understanding the impact of Emir/Dodd-Frank protocols on Asia
Europe and the US have launched a number of initiatives as part of their drive to regulate the OTC derivatives markets. Jacqueline Low from the International Swaps and Derivatives Association explains how the organisation has responded with a series of…
Standardisation needed in Sef reporting conventions
Sefs agree a lack of clarity on reporting requirements has created an inconsistent and fragmented view of trading activity
Timing tension – Europe clearing deadline set to slip
Mandatory clearing in Europe is widely expected to start from next year, but the complex authorisation process, combined with the variety of collateral segregation models, means the start date for some clients could be much later. Tom Osborn reports
Risk USA: Few options to manage CCP exposure, says RBS chief credit officer
Senior executives at RBS have weighed up the bank's potential exposure to CCPs
Start of EU clearing mandate could drag into 2015
Nick Sawyer, editor-in-chief of Risk, and Risk staff writer Tom Osborn discuss the timeline for clearing in Europe, and the tensions this could create with other regulators