Counterparty Radar
Matchmaking and benchmarking for OTC derivatives
Counterparty Radar is based on position data from around 20,000 US mutual funds and ETFs, rolled up to the manager level – it shows the OTC derivatives they have on their books, and who they traded them with, providing unique insights into an important market segment. More info
MassMutual adds to mammoth interest rate swaps book
Counterparty Radar: Firm was responsible for 28% of US life insurers’ notional aggregate in Q4 2023
Inflation swaps
MassMutual exited inflation hedges in Q2
Counterparty Radar: Closure of $1.5 billion book dealt a blow to BNP Paribas’s dealer ranking
US retail funds continue to ditch inflation hedges
Counterparty Radar: Aggregate notional drops 27% in Q1 as Pimco unwinds more swaps
John Hancock Life loads on inflation hedges
Counterparty Radar: US life insurer inflation swaps market doubles in Q1 on back of Manulife-owned firm’s expansion
US life insurers retained inflation hedges despite CPI drop
Counterparty Radar: John Hancock is biggest user of inflation swaps among US insurers, BNPP the largest dealer
Interest rate swaps
MassMutual adds to mammoth interest rate swaps book
Counterparty Radar: Firm was responsible for 28% of US life insurers’ notional aggregate in Q4 2023
BlackRock’s interest rate swaps notional climbs 20%
Counterparty Radar: US retail funds continued to add to their positions in Q4
Term SOFR derivatives creep into US fund holdings
Global Atlantic shows sizeable swaps position against the new benchmark as other managers ease into trading
Pimco’s interest rate swaps book shrinks 21% in Q3
Counterparty Radar: BlackRock and Capital Group also trim positions to drive down swaps usage by US mutual funds
Interest rate swaptions
Citi halves swaptions book with US retail funds
Counterparty Radar: Mutual funds and ETFs cut exposures by 22% in Q4
Mizuho’s life insurance swaptions notional climbs 575% in a year
Counterparty Radar: Prudential, Global Atlantic add substantially to positions in Q3 as market’s notional total grows to $184bn
Citi swaption volumes surge as BlackRock relationship flourishes
Counterparty Radar: Market leader Pimco cuts nearly one-third of book in Q3
BlackRock, Pimco slash mutual fund swaptions books
Counterparty Radar: US retail funds retreat from trade as Morgan Stanley becomes top dealer in Q2
Credit options
PGIM nearly eliminates credit options book
Counterparty Radar: Pimco also exits space in Q2 as US funds show record low positions in the instrument
PGIM trades reinforce Citi’s credit options stronghold
Counterparty Radar: US retail funds’ aggregate notional drops to lowest levels since late 2020 in Q1
Citi catapults to top credit options dealer spot for US funds
Counterparty Radar: Market for mutual funds, ETFs continues to shrink in Q4 as Pimco, PGIM further cut exposures
PGIM pares back long-bond options bets
Counterparty Radar: Barclays benefits from manager’s Q3 portfolio changes
Index CDS
Allianz Life triples index CDS book
Counterparty Radar: US life insurer market’s notional volume doubles in Q1
Pimco returns to sold index CDS growth
Counterparty Radar: Market for US retail funds sheds $5.2 billion in volume in Q1
Allianz Life halves index CDS book in Q4
Counterparty Radar: Move by US market behemoth pushes life insurers’ notional down by almost 40%
Capital Group, BMR double down on bought index CDSs
Counterparty Radar: Market for US mutual funds contracts in Q4 for the first time in eight quarters
Single-name CDS
Allianz Life drops single-name CDS positions in Q4
Counterparty Radar: US life insurance industry volumes sink to lowest level in two years
US funds add to single-name CDS positions
Counterparty Radar: Corporate positions exceed SSA contracts for first time on record in Q2
Citi’s single-name CDS book with retail funds doubled in Q1
Counterparty Radar: New trades with PGIM totalling $2.4 billion return Citi to top of dealer rankings
Citi becomes top single-name CDS dealer for US life insurers
Counterparty Radar: New York bank bests Barclays as sector contracts by $340 million at the end of 2022
FX Forwards
Morgan Stanley back on top for US insurer FX forwards trades
Counterparty Radar: Bank added $1.7bn with Mass Mutual in Q4 to overtake Citi as biggest dealer
Pimco’s cuts to FX forwards positions hit dealers in Q4
Counterparty Radar: State Street takes top spot among dealers as BNP Paribas slides to fourth
Kings and kingmakers in the Ucits FX forwards market
Counterparty Radar: First look into European retail fund data reveals HSBC and Vanguard as top dealer and manager
JPM falls out of favour in FX forwards with US insurers
US bank exits top 10 in third quarter after cuts from TIAA and Athene
FX Options
Invesco more than triples size of its FX options book
Counterparty Radar: Manager’s portfolio exceeded $5bn notional in Q4
US mutual funds’ passion for LatAm FX options undimmed in Q3
Counterparty Radar: Carry trade opportunities see managers’ positions increase tenfold in 2023
StanChart sees big uptick in FX options positions
Counterparty Radar: UK bank benefits from MSIM trades as market for US mutual funds expands in Q2
MSIM revived RMB options activity in Q1
Counterparty Radar: Investment firm added $2 billion in dollar/renminbi options, mainly with JP Morgan and StanChart
Index options
US life insurers piled into index options in Q2
Counterparty Radar: Lincoln Financial, Global Atlantic lead expansion; Goldman claims top dealer spot
Lincoln, Global Atlantic push JPM to index options top spot
Counterparty Radar: Among life insurers, options notional grew 7% in Q1
US life insurer index options market hits $1trn mark
Counterparty Radar: Lincoln Financial emerges as top player in Q4 with $43 billion portfolio increase
Calamos grows equity index options book amid put U-turn
Counterparty Radar: US retail funds cut $39.3 billion notional in Q4
Single-stock options
US mutual funds piled into call-selling strategies in Q1
Counterparty Radar: BlackRock, Franklin Templeton and T Rowe Price among the managers who added to single-stock positions
Fidelity, T Rowe add to sold single-stock call positions
Counterparty Radar: US mutual funds, ETFs shed $2.7 billion in options notional during Q4
Franklin Templeton takes single-stock options top spot
Counterparty Radar: Market for US mutual funds and ETFs expanded by $4 billion in Q3
Virtus, FT boosted sold single-stock calls amid Q2 contraction
Counterparty Radar: US mutual fund managers cut $4.3 billion in individual equity options
Repo
BNP Paribas is biggest fish in shrinking repo pond
Counterparty Radar: US retail funds cut their repo exposure in Q2 to the lowest level since 2020
Pimco powers BNP Paribas to top of repo rankings
Counterparty Radar: French dealer grew its repurchase book by 65% in first quarter
State Street triples repo book to become top US fund dealer
Counterparty Radar: Pimco trades boost Boston bank as sector volumes hold steady in Q4
US retail funds further slash repo borrowing
Counterparty Radar: Manager activity in Q3 2022 lowest in nearly three years; BofA surpasses JP Morgan as top dealer
