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Senate bill raises the stakes in financial reform debate

The future of the derivatives market in the US has become the subject of a political tug-of-war, after the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry passed a bill prohibiting federal support to all dealers, derivatives exchanges, clearers…

Basel III: kill or be killed

The Basel Committee is trying to prevent a repeat of the financial crisis with a package of new rules, but banks argue the cure could be worse than the disease. After spending the past two months filling out spreadsheets on the impact of the proposals,…

Confusion over CVA

Dealers are becoming more disciplined in pricing credit – a lesson learned the hard way after the collapse of Lehman Brothers. However, banks are taking a variety of approaches, and some participants believe certain firms are habitually underpricing…

Dampening pro-cyclicality in margin

The Committee on the Global Financial System has released a proposal recommending changes to dampen pro-cyclicality in margin practices and haircuts for securities financing and over-the-counter derivatives. How could this affect collateral management…

Buy side steers clear of CCPs

Regulators have pushed hard to ensure buy-side firms are able to access central counterparties since the crisis began. But despite the launch of several new services, very few buy-side participants are actually using them. By Mark Pengelly

Prime brokers move to SAS 70 audits

Learning from the default of Lehman Brothers, a growing number of prime brokers are adapting their business model to ensure margin is segregated and secure, with some looking to win third-party validation for the controls they have in place. Which firms…

Waiting for CCP standards

Proposed standards for central counterparties clearing over-the-counter derivatives will be published in May, tackling contentious issues such as governance, margin practices and default management. Dealers are anxious to ensure the standards are…

Cat bonds return

The market for catastrophe bonds dried up in 2008 and early 2009 as the financial crisis took its toll. Confidence is returning, helped by wide spreads and a re-think about the assets used to collateralise catastrophe bonds, but issuance has yet to…

Optimism for property derivatives

Despite massive global real estate losses, the property derivatives market has been largely ignored, with trading activity focused almost exclusively in the UK. What are the prospects for growth in the asset class? By Peter Madigan

Losing the asset swap lifeline?

A price difference between inflation-linked and nominal bonds last year created a huge opportunity for real-money investors to benefit through asset swaps. Now the opportunity has diminished, how important are asset swap investors in providing inflation…

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