Swaps
Q&A: Shell Gas Direct’s Mike Hogg
Turning up the heat
Derivatives reform to hit energy giants
Several major energy and commodities companies such as Royal Dutch Shell and BP are to face a substantial rise in derivatives trading costs, following the adoption of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act.
Legal experts identify end-user issues under new US act
As US regulators embark on redefining over-the-counter derivatives trading, energy end-users need to be aware of how they will be categorised and the potential impact on trading costs.
ETFs: investors’ flexible friends
Exchange-traded funds have proliferated in Europe, offering institutional investors enormous investment choice and liquidity at a low cost. We find out how and why these products are attracting the interest of a diverse range of investors and look at the…
Overview of US regulatory reforms
US legislators are shoring up a range of sweeping financial regulations to tighten derivatives trading. Pauline McCallion provides an overview to the regulatory changes in the pipeline
Dealing with funding on uncollateralised swaps
Many banks are now using their own cost of funding as a discount rate when pricing non-collateralised swaps trades. How are banks dealing with the difference in funding rates when quoting derivatives prices, and could this influence a client’s choice of…
Container swap derivative clearing to boost market
LCH Clearnet's launch of a new over-the-counter (OTC) clearing service for container freight swap agreements is set to inject liquidity into the emerging market
Funding valuation – a clear and present future
In this roundtable, three leading swaps dealers discuss the changes in derivatives pricing – and in particular, the use of OIS as a discount rate for collateralised derivatives trades.
Protection on long-term deflation hits highest levels since 2008
Hedge funds seeking protection against deflation and dealer hedging of residual short floor positions are cited as the reasons for a rise in prices on euro zero-coupon inflation options.
Funding valuation adjustments sponsored forum: A clear and present future
It is now generally accepted that banks should use a different pricing methodology depending on whether a derivatives trade is collateralised or non-collateralised. Specifically, dealers are now using overnight indexed swaps to discount the present value…
CFTC commissioner questions Senate ban on support for swaps
CFTC commissioner says Lincoln's proposal to ban federal support for swaps might not fly
Inverted swap spreads change insurer’s and pension fund’s hedging approach
Inverted swap spreads have defied earlier predictions that they were a short-term aberration to still be a feature 18 months after their first appearance. Is this set to continue and, if so, does it pose an opportunity for pension schemes and insurers?…
Collateral replacement
At the height of the financial crisis, manufacturers were quick to mitigate mounting counterparty risk concerns by deploying products issued by collateralised special purpose vehicles. But now, as the yield junkies return and retail appetite for…
Gazprom and EDF announce transatlantic gas swap
Gazprom Marketing & Trading and EDF Trading have announced details of an agreement to swap natural gas between the US and European markets.
Fixed returns?
Banks have reported huge profits this year in fixed income, with swaps desks benefiting from flows off the back of sovereign and corporate debt issuance. Exotic desks, in contrast, have seen a substantial decline in investor interest. Peter Madigan…
Convexity adjustments in inflation-linked derivatives
Dorje Brody, John Crosby and Hongyun Li value several types of inflation-linked derivatives using a multi-factor version of the Hughston (1998) and Jarrow & Yildirim (2003) model. Expressions for the prices of zero-coupon inflation swaps with delayed…
Convexity adjustments in inflation-linked derivatives
Dorje Brody, John Crosby and Hongyun Li value several types of inflation-linked derivatives using a multi-factor version of the Hughston (1998) and Jarrow & Yildirim (2003) model. Expressions for the prices of zero-coupon inflation swaps with delayed…
Windy City power
CME Group's Chicago-based chief executive, Craig Donohue, talks to Mark Pengelly