Ruled out: can regulators settle the pre-hedging debate?

Market participants are at odds over the practice and whether regulation or principles can settle the score

Rules or principles? It’s an age-old debate. And one that’s raging around the dealer practice of pre-hedging – or hedging in anticipation of a client trade.

The practice can improve or worsen the price at which a client executes its trade.

Global regulators have been asked to arbitrate. While critics want to see firmer action from them, and restrictions put in place, others see industry-guided