North America
BlackRock uses options to rewire AI bets
Counterparty Radar: Global Allocation Fund shifts from net short to net long derivatives as equity allocation falls
Op risk data: Corporate spies spell trouble for BBVA
Also: BofA buttonholed for alleged Epstein links; minority shareholders take a bite of Brookfield. Data by ORX News
End-quarter repo compressions still widespread at global banks
Erste sees biggest leverage boost among 41 banks from end-2025 SFT compression
Middle East crisis revives demand for VKOs – with a twist
Equity investors balance fear and optimism by pairing 2022’s best hedge with lookback options
Small bond fund breaks ranks with bumper sovereign CDS bets
Counterparty Radar: Boston Management and Research builds sizeable protection-heavy positions across narrower set of issuers
Mizuho leads FCM customer fund surge after Iran war
F&O balances jump 51% at Japanese dealer as industry hits fresh heights
UK rethinking tougher capital rules for US bank subsidiaries
US endgame draft would trigger UK Basel III trap floor for foreign banks, but PRA is reviewing
Wells Fargo tops US banks’ financing of private credit
Bank reports $71bn in loans and commitments, but reporting differences cloud comparisons
The swap futures comeback
CME cross-margining and Reit hedging drive new growth in Eris contracts
FCM capital requirements surge to record highs
Buffers over minimums fall to decade lows as requirements outpace capital
CFTC wants to regulate prediction markets. Is it up to the task?
Former officials echo state gambling authorities’ concerns over agency’s ability to police betting risks
Mutual funds are trading inflation like it’s 2022 again
Counterparty Radar: USD CPI notionals hit record levels even before March’s jump in energy prices
Main Street to Wall Street: Kalshi’s bid to go beyond sports bets
Institutional head Andy Ross’s strategy for drawing in investors and charging for ‘wisdom-of-crowds’
MMFs’ Fed repos dwindle to five-year low
Just four managers account for remaining balances as funds shift to Treasuries and repos with dealers
US G-Sibs’ trading revenue ebbs to four-quarter low
Credit and rates income slump as Citi posts the sharpest decline
Two fund managers behind surge in ETF options
Counterparty Radar: New data shows notional for the instrument rivals that of equity index options
CCP default funds grew to record size ahead of Iran war
End-2025 figures show widespread increases in prefunded resources
Limited RWA gains support rethink on Fed output floor
Advanced approaches cut RWAs only marginally across US banks
Franklin Templeton closes $5bn yen options book
Counterparty Radar: Asset manager’s bets on USD/JPY soured as yen weakened through Q4
Eight US dealers set to dodge FRTB application
Revised trading-activity thresholds would narrow scope of market risk framework
AOCI reinclusion would strip $49.5bn from US bank capital
Schwab, Ally and Fifth Third face largest CET1 hits under Fed Basel III endgame proposal