Book contributions by Risk Staff
Portfolio Construction and Management
Edited by Brice Benaben and Julien Jarmoszko
Articles by Risk Staff
Market Graphic - Return-smoothing
Hedge funds that trade illiquid securities are more likely to smooth their returns, especially when the securities concerned are ABS or MBS, according to recent research
Legal Spotlight
Laws governing corporate insolvency and restructuring are failing to keep up with changes in the financial markets. Christopher Hall and Andrew Wilkinson argue that a programme of modernisation is needed
Talking point - The leveraged loan logjam
With the value of delayed leveraged loans nearing $400 billion, will sufficient liquidity return to the market to get these loans off the lending banks' balance sheets? Credit asks four experts
The true cost of no-cost mortgages
Banks offering no-cost mortgages have been accused of hiding the real cost of the loan from borrowers. But as Andrew Kalotay and Jinghua Qian explain, lenders can also run into problems if they fail to calculate correctly the prepayment behaviour of…
A time of strife
Interest rate markets traded as if every day was a big news day during August. Mark Walker of RBS Global Banking & Markets looks back at swap movements and volatility spikes and asks what those meant for mortgage lenders
Hedging for the duration
As spreads to be earned on other fixed income products have declined, mortgages have become more attractive but investors should know what risks are hedged and why. Mark Raaberg considers the main risk dynamics of hedging mortgages and why duration is a…
Mission critical
Few are the lucky ones in the current market turmoil. But good fortune and good foresight mean Freddie Mac is less vulnerable than private-label peers. The subprime mess might even present a valuable opportunity for the US mortgage agency. By Rob Mannix
Opportunity knocks
Property derivatives are already used in the commercial mortgage market, and growth is forecast in this area. However, there's untapped potential in the huge residential mortgage market - so what will it take for lenders to see the benefits of hedging…
An elegant charter
Patricia Cook has taken on the role of chief business officer at Freddie Mac as the mortgage agency faces its biggest challenge for the past 15 years, and perhaps its biggest opportunity. Here she talks exclusively about Freddie's strategy in the current…
Exit routes clear
Rob Collins has joined Morgan Stanley's securitisation team from his previous role as chief financial officer for the investment bank's UK mortgage lender - Advantage. His new role will help the firm feed capital markets intelligence into its product…
Running dry
The UK has seen an old-style bank run like those of the nineteenth century. German lenders have struggled to prop up failing conduits. Contagion from the US has reached Europe but not in the way anyone expected. Subprime lenders, in particular, have been…
The whole package
Whole loan trading in the UK is blossoming and healthy volumes are expected this year as a host of new entrants increase liquidity in the market. Though US subprime troubles have dented trading volumes, many expect the market to continue to grow. Hardeep…
Subprime hope
As the fallout from the troubled US subprime mortgage market continues to spread, Laurence Neville looks at what the future holds and examines some important factors that must be addressed to ensure its survival
Onward with offsets
Awareness of the effect of carbon emissions on climate change has driven growth in the market for voluntary carbon offsets. So who is getting involved, and why? Roderick Bruce finds out