Market risk
Beyond comparative statics
David Rowe says it is time to extend stress testing to include more than just analysing the immediate impact of selected extreme events
The shock of the interaction
Banks have long talked about enterprise risk management, but many have historically measured risk types separately and aggregated the results. The financial crisis has highlighted that credit and market risk are closely linked. What are the challenges to…
A dynamic model for hard-to-borrow stocks
Traders with short positions in stocks that are subject to short-selling restrictions risk being 'bought in', in the sense that their positions may be closed out by the clearing firm at market prices. Marco Avellaneda and Mike Lipkin present a model for…
Basel changes could "kill off correlation trading”
Proposed changes to the Basel II Accord’s trading book regime, due in early July, will make correlation trading uneconomical unless a compromise can be found, say dealers.
The shock of the interaction
Banks have long talked of enterprise risk management, but many firms have historically measured risk types separately and aggregated the results. The financial crisis has highlighted that credit and market risk are closely linked. What are the challenges…
A dynamic model for hard-to-borrow stocks
Traders with short positions in stocks that are subject to short-selling restrictions risk being 'bought in', in the sense that their positions may be closed out by the clearing firm at market prices. Marco Avellaneda and Mike Lipkin present a model for…
Pressure points
Regulators released the results of US bank stress tests last month, forcing 10 banks to raise a collective $74.6 billion in additional capital. But can market participants take any real comfort from the results? Mark Pengelly finds out
Stress-test success masks bigger problem with banks
The US government's bank stress tests appear to have been successful in stabilising financial markets, but some market observers believe they are obscuring broader systemic problems and could hamper efforts to deal with toxic assets.
Out of the comfort zone
US banking supervisors will complete stress tests early this month to determine if the country's largest banks need to hold more capital to withstand a worsening in economic conditions. But industry practitioners raise concerns about the effectiveness of…
Sting in the tail
Credit spreads on highly rated names have blown out to levels that are proving irresistible to many buy-and-hold investors such as pension funds. But tail risk in the form of increased default expectations is still a major consideration. Blake Evans…
Klaas Knot
One of the architects of the Basel II Accord - and a senior Dutch regulator - defends the framework against criticisms that it was ineffectual in the face of the recent banking turmoil
Hard times for VaR
The Basel Committee's ambitious plan to overhaul VaR models is coming in for fierce criticism. By John Ferry
Challenging times for VAR
With the release of three new consultation papers in January, the Basel Committee has come up with its most ambitious plans yet for tackling the challenges presented by the financial crisis. But its proposal to overhaul VAR models is coming in for some…
Error of VAR by overlapping intervals
When overlapping intervals in time series are used, volatility and price changes' percentiles are underestimated. Consequently, value-at-risk is also underestimated. Heng Sun, Izzy Nelken, Guowen Han and Jiping Guo measure the size of this underestimation
The risk of value-at-risk
Value-at-risk at the world's leading banks rose sharply in 2008, as firms struggled to get to grips with elevated volatility levels. Exceptions also soared, reigniting the debate over the accuracy of VAR. By Alexander Campbell
From alpha to omega
The standard measures of credit risk do not efficiently capture the possible distribution of losses on a portfolio. But the Omega function may provide a solution for investors. Gene Yeboah
Dead in the water?
Basel II
Error of VAR by overlapping intervals
When overlapping intervals in time series are used, volatility and price changes' percentiles are underestimated. Consequently, value-at-risk is also underestimated. Heng Sun, Izzy Nelken, Guowen Han and Jiping Guo measure the size of this underestimation