Infrastructure/Regulation

CME awaits SEC approval for CDS clearing

The launch date for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group's credit default swap (CDS) clearing platform remains unclear, almost two weeks after it received the green light from two US financial regulators.

The matchmakers

Evolution Securities, a London investment bank previously associated with the equities market and its advisory work with small- and mid-cap clients, has branched into fixed income with the recruitment of two credit market stalwarts, Guy Cornelius and…

New year, new hope for euro corporate bonds

Now that issuers have woken up to the unpalatable truth that wide spreads are here to stay - for the short term at least - a mini-rally in European bond issuance has ensued. Laurence Neville looks at how the corporate bond market is adjusting to its new…

Counting on the counterparty

High-profile banking failures have led to uncertainty over the ability of credit derivatives counterparties to honour their side of the trade. Contingent credit default swaps, or CCDS, are designed to mitigate this risk. But will plans for a central…

Madoff fraud puts focus on due diligence

As a swathe of investors reported sizable exposures to New York-based broker and hedge fund manager Bernard Madoff, several market players that had conducted due diligence on his firm told Risk that it had raised danger signals as far back as the late…

Cultural exchange

EEX and Powernext's agreement to share their electricity spot and derivatives markets represents groundbreaking Franco-German energy market co-operation. The CEOs of both exchanges talk to Roderick Bruce about the challenges involved and what the merged…

Discussing distressed debt - A roundtable

One area that looks poised to benefit from the turn in the credit cycle is distressed debt, with funds readying themselves to take advantage of any opportunities that may arise. Six thought leaders of the industry consider the outlook for distressed debt