United States
At big US banks, Treasury holdings grew over $350bn in 2020
US debt held-to-maturity increased 92% over the year
Swaps, repo counterparties of US banks grew riskier in 2020
At Citi, counterparty credit RWAs for OTC portfolios increased 51%
Non-cleared margin logjam looms after squandered delay
Fewer than half of phase five firms have submitted documentation necessary to open custody accounts
Top 10 op risks 2021: geopolitical risk
Stimulus unwind, Covid nationalism and regime changes spell volatile operating environment
Top 10 op risks 2021: regulatory risk
Big dip in fines belies lingering fears over Covid loan mis-selling and sanctions risk
Top 10 op risks 2021: data compromise
Remote working elevates fears of data theft, misuse and abuse
Top 10 op risks 2021: third-party risk
Pandemic and shift to cloud computing inflame concerns for banks and regulators
Top 10 op risks 2021: theft and fraud
Changes in working practices since Covid shift angle of criminal attack on financial institutions
Top 10 op risks 2021: resilience risk
Industry survives biggest real-world stress test, but challenges remain for firms and regulators
Top US banks saw liquid assets grow over $500bn in 2020
JP Morgan saw HQLAs increase 28% year on year
State Street to look after bitcoin, just don’t call it custody
The second-biggest custodian will provide “record-keeping services” for the unregulated asset
Optimisation firms prep for SA-CCR boom
Flush with new cash, vendors ready rebalancing services ahead of risk-sensitive leverage framework
Non-US banks cut back on MMF dollar funding post-Covid – BIS
Non-bank dollar deposits offered alternative supply of greenbacks
High-earning banks set aside more Covid provisions – BIS
Provisions across 70 banks in H1 2020 were almost quadruple those taken in H2 2019
Top US banks’ market risk charges surged in 2020
Citi ended year with highest charge of the G-Sibs, at almost $9 billion
CFTC urged to take lead on CCP margin models
Advisory committee unable to agree steps on margin period of risk, model transparency
Buy-side physical FX clearing at LCH faces scepticism
Lack of clearing mandate and settlement wrangles mean demand for putative service remains weak
XVAs ate $401m of JP Morgan’s revenues in 2020
Credit valuation adjustment on derivatives cost $337 million alone
Repo exposures fell at BofA, surged at JP Morgan in Q4
Bank of America’s SLR improved to 7.2% by end-December
SOFR adoption stalls after US Libor delay
Stay of execution, RFR illiquidity and fallback reliance slow SOFR adoption
Profit-making trading days at systemic US banks soared in 2020
Citi had the most winning days of the G-Sibs in 2020, with 170
Swaps users shun cash compensation in LCH Libor switch
Members push for spread adjustment to maintain risk profiles, ignoring warnings of market bifurcation
After Texas storm, CFTC’s Behnam renews carbon trading push
Smaller banks imperilled by economic shocks from freak weather, says acting CFTC chair
Softer US NSFR could skew global repo pricing
US banks benefit from Treasury repo exemption, while EU banks report only end-quarter ratios