News/Risk management/Risk management
Basel II focus switches to securitisation after SME loan solution agreed
Experts working on the Basel II bank capital rules are focusing on the technically difficult issue of asset securitisation after agreeing a solution this month to the politically sensitive problem of how lending to small and medium-sized enterprises …
Risk contributor Blejer steps down as Argentine central bank governor
Mario Blejer, a former senior adviser to the International Monetary fund (IMF), has resigned as governor of the Argentine central bank. The move could prove to be a blow to Argentine president Eduardo Duhalde's efforts to restore the country's battered…
UK’s FSA plans delayed Basel II paper for mid-July
The UK’s chief financial regulator plans to issue its discussion paper on implementing the Basel II bank capital adequacy Accord and parallel European Union (EU) rules in mid-July.
Westpac in energy derivatives push
Australian bank Westpac is expanding its energy derivatives product range, with an array of new instruments expected to be approved by the end of the third quarter, according to Paul Quilkey, global head of Westpac Energy in Sydney.
France Telecom debt protection cost soars following downgrade
The cost of five-year credit protection on France Telecom debt widened by 100 basis points (bp) today as rating agency Moody’s cut its credit rating to one notch above 'junk'. Five-year credit default swaps were priced at 600/650bp in heavy trading.
Hong Kong Exchange to allow more derivatives listings
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, a unit of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx), said it is changing its main board listing rules from July 1 to allow more derivatives products, such as equity-linked instruments (ELIs), to be listed on the…
Increased regulation for OTC commodities is unnecessary, claims Isda
Increased regulation for the over-the-counter (OTC) commodity derivatives market designed to protect investors is unnecessary, according to the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (Isda). The European Commission is proposing regulation of…
Credit Markets Update: bleak market sentiment and TMT woes drive spreads
European credit default swap spreads have continued to follow the equity market’s lead this week, tightening on Monday but widening again today. The volatile technology, media and telecoms sector set the tone for the wider market.
Op risk is much more than a capital allocation exercise, says Moody's
Moody's Investors Service said banks should treat operational risk management as much more than just another regulatory capital allocation exercise. In a special report, the international rating agency said capital is "an incomplete line of defence"…
Fitch hits back at Moody's in CDO ratings row
Rating agency Fitch moved to defend its standing in the collateralised debt obligation (CDO) rating market by slating the ‘notching’ practices used by rival rating agency Moody’s in a formal report yesterday.
NAB offers soft commodity hedging in Australia
National Australia Bank (NAB) has launched a range of soft commodity hedging products to cater for the country's large agricultural sector.
Risk 2002 USA: Convertible arb funds could face liquidity risk concerns, says Soros Fund risk head
The rash of new convertible arbitrage funds in the market has created concerns about liquidity risk problems, according to Peruvemba Satish, director of risk management and reporting at Soros Fund Management in New York.
Risk 2002 USA: World Bank’s Perlin questions validity of risk model assumptions
The World Bank’s chief financial officer, Gary Perlin, questioned whether some of the broad assumptions used in risk modelling were still valid in the current economic climate today during a keynote address at Risk magazine’s Risk 2002 USA conference in…
Japan Credit Market Update: Spreads tighten in technical correction
Spreads on Japanese credit default swaps were tighter this week, in what traders described as a technical correction after a raft of convertible bond issue hedges in the past couple of months had earlier forced spreads wider.
Basel II op risk survey launched
Global banking regulators today launched their second survey seeking data on operational losses suffered by banks to help refine the op risk proposals of the Basel II capital Accord.
Swiss Re signs up for updated RMS weather trading system
Swiss Re Financial Products (SRFP) has licensed an updated weather risk trading system developed by Risk Management Solutions (RMS), the California-based technology and data firm.
Credit Markets Update: Repsol spreads hit again over Argentina
The cost of protection on Spanish oil company Repsol YPF’s debt widened 50 basis points to 460bp/510bp today, in what traders described as a delayed market response to proposals last Thursday by the Argentine Commission of Energy to impose more…