Risk magazine
Uncertainty remains over EU securitisation retention charge
The European Union (EU) is pressing ahead with plans to amend the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD), but has failed to reach consensus on its controversial plan for a 5% securitisation retention charge.
US banks require $74.6 billion in additional capital, stress tests reveal
Ten US banks collectively require an additional $74.6 billion in additional capital to insulate against possible losses over the next two years, the results of US government stress tests show.
Stephen Friedman relinquishes post at New York Fed
Stephen Friedman, chairman of the board of directors at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, resigned his post on May 7, following controversy over his decision to remain on the board of directors at Goldman Sachs.
Central banks continue to expand support in face of deflation threat
The Bank of England and the European Central Bank both announced expansions to their monetary stimulus programmes today, warning that low inflation or deflation remained a threat.
SEC roundtable: circuit breakers most favoured short-selling rule
Participants favoured circuit breakers, which halt trading in volatile markets, over other proposed short-selling restrictions discussed at the US Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) roundtable on May 5.
CDSs on financials tighten on positive results
The cost of credit protection on European banks fell this morning ahead of the US government releasing the results of its stress tests on 19 US banks, helped by positive interim reports from UK banks.
First insider-trading case for CDS market
On May 5, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed the first civil action for insider trading involving credit default swaps (CDS).
ICFR appoints Michel Prada to board
The International Centre for Financial Regulation (ICFR) has appointed Michel Prada to its board as a non-executive director with immediate effect.
Bair: US should pull back from Basel II
The US should back away from the "highly problematic" Basel II framework and instead turn its attention to fine-tuning the current Basel I Accord, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) chairman Sheila Bair said yesterday.
Credit market buoyant in the face of stress tests
Market sentiment towards US financials improved in European trading despite continuing speculation that some US banks will need to raise significant amounts of extra capital.
Iosco blames crisis on rush for yield
Poor incentives, inadequate oversight and a drive for high yield were behind the crisis in the credit market, and securitisation in particular, according to a paper issued today by the International Organisation of Securities Commissions.
Credit derivatives market will follow equity's lead, strategist says
After the collapse of securitised products over the past two years, the credit derivatives market is likely to become more similar to the equity derivatives market, according to Sivan Mahadevan, global head of equity and credit derivatives strategy at…
CDS spreads widen on Korean financials
The cost of credit protection on Korean banks tightened significantly in European and Asian trading today, while remaining steady on US and European financials.
The big clean-up
The US Treasury's Public-Private Investment Program aims to cleanse balance sheets of toxic assets and revive financial markets. But questions remain over who will participate, how assets will be priced and how big a dent the scheme will actually make on…
Revitalising the markets
Governments are facing unprecedented pressure to finance bank rescue schemes through huge debt issuance. With supply coming thick and fast, the UK Debt Management Office (DMO) has been steering a hazardous path to place its debt into the markets. Until…
Ratings redux
Rating agencies have been lambasted for perceived failings in their collateralised debt obligation (CDO) rating methodologies. The leading agencies have published revised methodologies, but has it swung too much the other way? With the CDO market in the…
Risk management recast
Criticism of the role of inadequate risk management in helping to cause and worsen the financial crisis has tended to focus on technical issues such as the limitations of value-atrisk. Certainly, technical challenges abound. But it seems that the most…
CDSs on European banks remain stable
The cost of credit protection on European banks remained largely unchanged this morning, as bank holidays in mainland Europe reduced trading levels.
NYSID causes first monoline CDS default
An auction is to be held to settle credit derivatives linked to Syncora, the monoline formerly known as XL Capital Assurance, after a committee declared a credit event to have occurred on the firm on May 1.