Exchanges and CCPs
Euro, Swiss swaps trading jump on rate hike chatter
Highest weekly volumes since at least 2020 as ECB and SNB gear up for policy change
Liquidity risk down 34% at the OCC
Projected largest payment obligation set at $6.2 billion for Q1
SwapClear incurs record number of margin breaches
LCH’s interest rate derivatives clearing service reported over 4,000 backtesting exceptions in Q1
Nickel price chaos triggered $2bn margin breach at LME
The CCP reported its largest breach ever in March, as commodities prices went wild
CDS notionals made a comeback in 2021
A 5% rise to highest end-year figure since 2017 driven by swaps on junk debt
Ice Clear Europe issued $5.4bn VM call in Q4
Price volatility in energy markets behind the largest cash call on record by the CCP
Ice Clear Europe boosts liquidity buffer by 77%
More than half of the CCP’s loss-absorbing funds is now deposited in central bank balances
Members of CME’s F&O unit added $950m to default fund in Q4
Market volatility triggered a $3.4bn peak initial margin call on one day during the last quarter of 2021
Ice Clear Europe hit by $1.03bn margin breach
The CCP’s futures and options division reported its second largest IM breach ever in Q4, as energy prices skyrocketed
Liquidity risk up 163% at Ice Clear Credit in Q4
Rate hike expectations led to the highest level on record of contributions to the CCP’s default fund
At CME, central bank balances hit all-time high
Over 70% of the CCP’s loss-absorbing funds stashed at the Fed, as interest rate expectations drive liquidity pool expansion
SwapClear’s required initial margin up 3% at end-2021
IM held against interest rate positions rose to highest level in a year
LCH turns to central banks in rejig of liquidity pools
Central bank balances hit all-time high, despite aggregate fall in liquidity buffer in Q4
Peak IM calls at FICC leapt 13% in Q4
Number of margin breaches at the central counterparty’s GSD also edged higher, as some members increase exposures after margin calculations
OCC member default fund contributions jump 8%
CCP’s skin in the game fell slightly in Q4, making up 1.8% of the prefunded total
OCC issued $6.1bn VM call in Q4
December options expiration behind highest VM call in six years
Eurex boosts liquidity buffer by 26%
Increase largely driven by the growth of the CCP’s IRS business
Liquidity risk rose at most CCPs in Q3
JSCC, CME, Ice and Eurex among those that revised their VM estimates
Libor’s death propels SOFR swaps market
Trading in the risk-free rate jumped to a weekly high and long-dated swaps activity grew
OCC member default fund contributions climb 11%
CCP's skin in the game up almost 5%
JSCC member received $3bn cash call in Q3
The CCP revised its estimate of the worst-case payment obligation that would have to be met should one of its participants collapse
At LCH, required IM rose over Q3
Required minimum demanded of clients increased at ForexClear, RepoClear and EquityClear, but fell at SwapClear
One NSCC member paid record $40bn to cover dues in Q3
The cash call was 141% larger than the previous quarter
NSCC’s liquidity pool twice short of payment obligation in Q3
The CCP reported a shortfall in its qualifying liquid resources for the third consecutive quarter