Infrastructure/Risk management
Isda to review collateral dispute process
The derivatives industry is working towards formalising the resolution process for collateral disputes after existing resolution methods proved inadequate during the financial crisis.
US municipal market faces clean-up under new rules
The municipal bond market in the US is still largely in a state of disarray, well over a year after the collapse of the auction rate securities (ARS) sector, though signs of recovery are visible in the fixed-rated debt market, congressmen have heard.
Q&A: EC official "optimistic" on central clearing deadline
Mario Nava, head of the financial markets infrastructure unit at the European Commission in Brussels, updates Risk on progress towards central clearing of credit default swaps (CDSs) and the move towards a central trade repository for over-the-counter…
Stress-test success masks bigger problem with banks
The US government's bank stress tests appear to have been successful in stabilising financial markets, but some market observers believe they are obscuring broader systemic problems and could hamper efforts to deal with toxic assets.
OTC trade repository plan faces hurdles
Financial authorities in the US and Europe have advocated the introduction of a central trade repository to gather data on the over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives market, but there is concern that multiple repositories could do more harm than good.
BIS shows first OTC derivatives market decline
The total outstanding notional of over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives contracts fell 13.4% to $592 trillion at the end of December 2008, from $683.7 trillion at the end of June 2008, according to statistics released by the Bank for International…
Forex freefall
Asia Risk FX Review & Outlook 2009 - Funding
After the dust settles
Asia Risk FX Review & Outlook 2009 - Settlement risk
Fit for forex
Asia Risk FX Review & Outlook 2009 - Trading systems
Blossoming interest
Asia Risk FX Review & Outlook 2009 - Cover story
Geithner calls for law change to force OTC derivatives clearing
The US Treasury called upon Congress yesterday to amend the Commodities Exchange Act (CEA) to compel the "clearing of all standardised over-the-counter derivatives through regulated central counterparties".
Ambac makes $1.539bn derivatives gain
Ambac reported a massive $1.539 billion mark-to-market gain on credit default swaps (CDSs) in the first quarter – an upswing largely due to its own deteriorating financial condition.
Simple structures
An increase in risk premiums on sovereign debt is giving banks a headache in pricing certain credit-related structured products. Investor appetite for such deals is in evidence, but mainly for simple, unleveraged products. Sophia Morrell reports
Column: Charles Cronin
Flawed models, conflicts of interest, ineffectual leadership: the rating agencies have emerged from the financial crisis with little credit, and reform may strip them further of their influence
Financial pricing for the 21st century
Putting a price on assets for which no active market exists is a process mired in complexity and no little controversy. But the pricing models of yesteryear are simply not up to the job. David Patrikarakos looks at the new generation of valuation models…
Danny Davis
Mishcon de Reya's insolvency expert talks about the need for companies to learn to rely less on external funding, and why a UK-style Chapter 11 process isn't necessarily a good idea
Back to basics
We take you back to the credit basics to review everything you thought you already knew but were too afraid to ask ... Susan Hinko of TriOptima explains multilateral terminations
It's payback time
If you still wake up in a cold sweat, haunted by the memory of opening your 2008 bonus slip, you're not alone. Credit professionals across the board saw their bonuses slashed last year. But not all banks were forced to scale back their remuneration…