Derivatives
Volcker rule in its ‘purest form' necessary to curb derivatives speculation
Under pressure from banks and hedge funds, the definition of ‘hedging' in the final Volcker rule could be so broad as to allow unchecked speculation dressed up as hedging, Vembar Ranganathan argues
FX clearing driven by capital and collateral costs rather than mandate
As mandatory NDF clearing has been delayed, the likely increase in capital and collateral requirements for FX trades is forcing some to consider clearing ahead of the mandate
BIS: Forex OTC markets hold steady, despite regulatory uncertainty
Semi-annual BIS survey reveals a rise in forex OTC derivatives transactions in the second half of last year
Central banks weigh use of OTC clearing houses
Survey finds nearly 40% of central banks are considering clearing their OTC derivatives
Bank of Italy gives green light to €3.9bn MPS bailout
Executive board approves disbursement of bailout funds to Monte dei Paschi di Siena, although the bank insists the situation is ‘completely under control’
Canadian research finds net liquidity boost from central clearing
Bank of Canada working paper finds small liquidity increase from use of centrally cleared derivatives
RBI’s Sharma laments failure of derivatives markets in India
The interest rate swaps, credit default swaps and interest rate futures markets have all failed to take off as hedging markets in India, likely due to onerous regulation, says RBI executive director
BIS’s Cecchetti envisages world without G-Sifis
Stephen Cecchetti says the global financial system needs to reach a stage where no banks are globally systemically important; market discipline critical to stability but not sufficient
MAS expands rate-setting review to cover NDFs
Monetary Authority of Singapore instructs banks to review rate-setting in forex market; banks instructed to discipline any staff found guilty of wrongdoing
Bank of Spain paper develops model of market volatility
Researchers produce measure of volatility able to cope with ‘vast’ panels of data; find model performs better than others that use shorter time horizons
Korea transaction tax could halve number of derivatives transactions
Proposal for a transaction tax on futures and options could have a dramatic impact on Korea's derivatives market
CFTC-SEC swap ruling starts Dodd-Frank compliance race
Publication of swap rule will mark start of 60-day countdown to compliance with registration and reporting rules. Industry will find it 'quite challenging' warns CFTC's O'Malia
Euro crisis drives up use of collateral in OTC derivatives, finds survey
Trouble in the eurozone increased use of collateral in over-the-counter derivatives market, according to trade association survey
Non-US sovereigns should collateralise swaps, say US bank regulators
Progress towards sovereign collateral posting has been slow. Now, US regulators are proposing to make it mandatory - for all non-US entities
FCIC report: the major findings
Risk summarises the major conclusions from the commission report
Bank’s Haldane borrows from science to explain systemic threats
Bank of England’s Andrew Haldane collaborates with scientist Lord Robert May in top journal Nature to highlight implications of interconnections between firms on stability of the financial system
Israel unveils measures to brace against inflows
Bank of Israel introduces reporting rules, reserve requirements on foreign exchange derivatives trades; measures intended to clarify nature, limit inflows
Hong Kong lawmakers to enforce mandatory CCP by the end of 2012
Hong Kong joins Japan in mandating central counterparty clearing for OTC derivatives with CCPs and a central repository expected to be set up in the coming months.
BIS survey shows OTC market levelling off
Notional volume and credit exposures are growing more slowly, latest market data shows
Hedging activity growing in the Philippines
While authorities in the West increase derivatives regulation, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has liberalised rules governing both hedging and yield enhancement markets in the past few years. Despite the challenges in expanding penetration in a market…
Regulators kick off derivatives reform discussion
Market participants call for clearing decisions to be left to market forces and caution regulators about clearing house ownership
EU’s Barnier: paradigm shift in regulating OTC derivatives
European Commission commissioner for internal market and services Michel Barnier says concept of light touch regulation is history
Corporates should be forced onto central counterparties – BIS
Central counterparties are wrongly perceived as being more expensive than OTC transactions, says a leading economist