Equity swap clearing: LSEG aims to sway naysayers

Initial margin, SA-CCR and Archegos fuel comeback of total return swap clearing, but scepticism remains

History shows that equity swap clearing is a tough sell. So, the lukewarm response to the London Stock Exchange Group’s latest plans to launch a clearing service for equity total return swaps is not altogether surprising.

“If I were at a bank, I’d say no,” says a former bank clearing head.

Chaim Hack, head of business development at Coremont, thinks “it will be very difficult”.

“Clearing makes sense, but there are people on the trading side who are more reluctant to support it,” says a senior