News/Risk management/Exchanges
Morgan Stanley named in FCStone saga
Morgan Stanley has revealed its role in the disposal of a loss-making energy trading account by FCStone in March 2009.
ICE launches 20 OTC cleared oil contracts
IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) has introduced 20 new cleared OTC oil contracts, which will be available for clearing from May 18, 2009.
European CDS dealers to follow US to fixed coupons
An agreement between the major dealers to move to standardised fixed coupons for trading European credit default swaps (CDSs), following a similar move in North America, could speed global moves towards central clearing, say market participants.
Isda AGM: US regulator identifies six weaknesses in OTC market
Theo Lubke, senior vice-president at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, identified six main problem areas in the over-the-counter derivatives market during a panel discussion on public policy at the International Swaps and Derivatives Association's…
US Treasury failing on Tarp oversight, report finds
The US Treasury's $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (Tarp) is vulnerable to fraud, abuse and profiteering, due to a lack of proper supervision, according to a highly critical report from the programme's inspector-general published today.
Ice clears $71 billion of CDSs
Atlanta-based derivatives exchange IntercontinentalExchange (Ice) has cleared $71 billion notional in credit default swaps (CDS) in the four weeks since the launch of its central clearing platform. The exchange cleared 613 transactions and reported open…
Limits to growth for Russian forex derivatives exchanges
The decline in the rouble led to a boom for Russian derivatives exchanges earlier this year, but local conditions mean growth is unlikely to continue.
Tear-ups reduce $5.5 trillion of outstanding CDSs, TriOptima says
Swedish technology firm TriOptima has eliminated outstanding credit default swap (CDS) trades worth $5.5 trillion so far this year through its triReduce service, the company said today.
CDS 'big bang' could see 18% increase in tear-ups, Markit says
Changes to credit default swap (CDS) contracts due to come into force on April 7 could result in an upturn in trade-compression activity, according to market information provider Markit.
CME acquires hurricane index
CME Group has acquired the Carvill Hurricane Index from Carvill America Inc. and renamed it the CME Hurricane Index.
CDO managers hamstrung by market constraints, says Fitch
The ability of firms managing synthetic collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) has been “dramatically reduced” because of deal constraints, spread widening and market illiquidity, according to London and New York-based credit ratings agency, Fitch…
Constellation completes sale of trading units
Constellation Energy this week completed the divestiture of its Houston-Based downstream natural gas and international coal and freight business units.
IIF report shows banks making changes to pay structures
Daily news headlines
CME’s CDS platform approved
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME) received the green light from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 13 to clear credit default swaps (CDSs), but now faces the hard task of getting customers to sign up to its platform.
Commodities on Bclear from March 30
Exchange NYSE Liffe will offer clearing for a range of soft and agricultural commodity products on its over-the-counter (OTC) trade confirmation, administration and clearing platform Bclear on March 30. Bclear was launched in 2005 and currently offers…
CME Group one step closer to CDS clearing
US exchange operator Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group has come one step closer to entering the credit derivatives market by signing a deal to clear credit default swaps (CDSs) on financial information services company Markit's CDX and iTraxx…
Dealer predicts 85% of CDSs could be centrally cleared by end of 2009
The head of credit derivatives at a major dealer has told Risk he expects to see 35-40% of the credit default swap (CDS) market centrally cleared by the end of June, and as much as 85% by year's end barring any unforeseen mishaps.