Credit risk
Ice storm
Iceland
Dangers of disintermediation
Editor's letter
CDS market more liquid in times of stress - Fitch
The credit default swap (CDS) market becomes more liquid during periods of market stress, according to research conducted by Fitch Solutions, a valuation and product development division of Fitch Ratings.
Primus downgrade raises questions over CDPC model
Under threat of delisting from the New York Stock Exchange, Primus Financial Products, a leading credit derivatives product company (CDPC), has started buying back $25 million of its own stock.
Dinallo backtracks on regulating CDSs
Daily news headlines
Dinallo backtracks on regulating CDSs
New York State insurance superintendent Eric Dinallo shelved plans to bring a large slice of the credit default swap (CDS) market under the purview of the New York State Insurance Department (NYSID) during a US congressional committee hearing on November…
Second credit-event auction to be held on LCDS
London-based data provider Markit has announced it will hold a credit-event auction on Ontario-based door manufacturer Masonite International, to settle loan credit default swap (LCDS) trades referencing the company.
CDS clearing house to miss November 30 deadline
The November 30 target for central clearing of index credit default swap (CDS) trades set by a consortium of industry associations and investment banks is unlikely to be met, sources within the Federal Reserve Bank of New York have said.
Singapore investors set to lose all in Pinnacle Notes
Investors in Singapore who bought Pinnacle Performance Notes Series 9 and 10, structured products arranged by Morgan Stanley, are set to lose their entire investment after a mandatory redemption event occurred. The total issue size of the Pinnacle Notes…
EU convenes working party on derivatives
Daily news headlines
Quant Congress Europe: Regulatory focus to switch to leverage
At the keynote address at the European Quant Congress in London today, Peter Praet, executive director in charge of financial stability at the National Bank of Belgium, said that the Basel II regulatory framework will be revised to look more closely at…
DTCC launches weekly CDS update
The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the largest derivatives clearing house in the US, released its first weekly snapshot of the credit derivatives market yesterday.
November target for CDS central counterparty
Dealers have pledged to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to begin using a central counterparty for clearing credit derivatives by the end of November.
Hedge funds harness volatility in turbulent markets
Trading volatility can help hedge funds to diversify their portfolios and generate alpha in a challenging market. Kris Devasabai and Stephen Quigley report on the strategies employed by volatility traders and its emergence as an asset class
ABL strategy rocked by US fraud case may mean greater demand for due diligence
One of the better-performing strategies this year has been asset-backed lending. In the US an investigation into alleged fraud that has severely impacted some hedge funds using the strategy has knocked investor confidence. Stephen Quigley talks with…
Hedge funds fill gap left by lack of bank-based trade financing
As avenues of traditional trade finance have dried up as a consequence of the banking crisis, hedge funds have seen an opportunity. Jamie Wynn-Williams reports
Collateral damage
The practice of posting collateral against the risk of failed derivatives trades may protect dealers from the worst of the losses arising from Lehman's bankruptcy, says Joseph Pimbley. But what about trades that were not covered by such collateral…
Lawmakers take aim at CDS market
Regulators have been threatening the credit derivatives market with draconian new legislation in a bid to curb practices that supposedly exacerbated the current turmoil. But the lawmakers' belligerent comments are somewhat akin to closing the windows…
Chris Crowley
October was the month that the credit event auction process was tested to its limits, with Lehman Brothers, Fannie and Freddie, and WaMu all undergoing settlement. Credit spoke to the strategy manager at Creditex to find out how the process bore up…
The search for a deposit base
The fallout from the default of Lehman Brothers continues spread across the structured products industry, as arrangers seek to reassure nervous high-net-worth clients that their investments are safe. Michael Marray reports
Rocked by counterparty risk
The demise of Lehman Brothers has triggered fresh concerns about counterparty risk, creating a wave of novations and forcing dealers to think harder about the possibility of another major derivatives counterparty defaulting. Mark Pengelly reports