Collateral

Buy side steers clear of CCPs

Regulators have pushed hard to ensure buy-side firms are able to access central counterparties since the crisis began. But despite the launch of several new services, very few buy-side participants are actually using them. By Mark Pengelly

Prime brokers move to SAS 70 audits

Learning from the default of Lehman Brothers, a growing number of prime brokers are adapting their business model to ensure margin is segregated and secure, with some looking to win third-party validation for the controls they have in place. Which firms…

Cat bonds return

The market for catastrophe bonds dried up in 2008 and early 2009 as the financial crisis took its toll. Confidence is returning, helped by wide spreads and a re-think about the assets used to collateralise catastrophe bonds, but issuance has yet to…

The price is wrong

As the basis between Libor and overnight index swap rates ballooned during the credit crisis, banks were forced to reassess methods for pricing collateralised and uncollateralised derivatives trades. The result is a move towards a new market standard in…

Risk corporate survey 2010

Price is still the most important factor for corporates when choosing which dealer to trade with. However, a wide divergence in pricing among banks means transparency is now a key issue. By Matt Cameron, with additional research by Alexander Campbell,…

The price is wrong

As the basis between Libor and overnight index swap rates ballooned during the credit crisis, banks were forced to reassess methods for pricing collateralised and uncollateralised derivatives trades. The result is a move towards a new market standard in…

The Lehman flip clause flap

The decision of a US bankruptcy court to void contractual provisions that shield investors from the credit risk of swap counterparties in structured finance deals has put the legal systems of England and the US on a collision course. It also has…

Ferc proposes credit reforms

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Ferc) has outlined credit reform proposals aimed at balancing the need for market liquidity with appropriate risk management while ensuring reasonable rates.