EU Swaps-Clearing Clash

European Union (EU) delegates are unable to settle a dispute between Germany and the U.K. regarding derivatives-clearing competition, requiring the discussion to begin again on draft legislation. Ireland, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, is looking to find middle ground on the initiative,...

Swaps Clearing Deadline Nears

Swaps clearing deadline nears, as close to 250 to 300 U.S. investment managers are required to begin clearing swaps transactions by June 10th. According to Reuters, asset managers have been slow to create accounts with clearing houses for OTC derivatives, ahead of the mandatory deadline. This has led to an...

CFTC Finalizes Rule on Persons Associated with Swap Dealers

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced today their plan to finalize regulations to clarify rules concerning persons associated with swap dealers. The final rule, announced today, states that each swap dealer, major swap participant, and other Commission registrants with whom an associated...

CFTC Exempts Interaffiliate Trades from Dodd-Frank Clearing

The CFTC has adopted a rule that exempts interaffiliate trades from the Dodd-Frank Act requirements for clearing. Barclays, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and other banks are among those exempt from the Dodd-Frank Act swap market rules when trading between their own affiliates. Commissioners at the CFTC approved...

CFTC’s Division of Swap Dealers Issue Time-Limited No-Action Relief

The CFTC’s Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight (DSIO) has issued a time-limited no-action relief for swap dealers and major swap participants. The no action relief concerns certain recordkeeping obligations under Part 23 of the Commission’s Regulations. In a press release issued by...

Oil Industry Avoids Swaps Rules

Oil industry companies have largely managed to avoid the scrutiny of derivatives trading and registration as swap dealers, according to Reuters. In January of this year, the CFTC required that companies register as dealers if they trade more than $8 billion in swaps a year. Reuters reports that currently, no...

Bank-Backed Initiative Eases SEF Migration

A newly created industry initiative backed by banks, has been launched with the hope  to standardize administrative messages on swap execution facilities (SEFs). The initiative also has a goal of automating exchanges between dealers and clients across multiple swaps platforms. The action, known as the...

LCH.Clearnet Cites ‘Major’ Tech Failure in December

LCH.Clearnet Ltd., one of the world’s largest interest-rate swap clearinghouse, cited a “major” information technology failure on December 31st of last year. The IT failure affected payment processing in the U.K. and interrupted contingency plans, Bloomberg and the Bank of England...

SEC’s Walter Recommends Maximum Reliance on FX Swaps Rules

The SEC’s Chairman Elisse Walter urged for a plan that would largely rely on foreign regulation for cross-border trades — ones that would only apply to U.S. rules in cases where no comparable regulations existed. Chairman Walter spoke via a video conference at the Australian Securities and Investment...

CFTC’s No Action Letter Provides Relief from Required Clearing

The CFTC’s Division of Clearing and Risk issued a no-action letter that provides relief from required clearing for a limited set of “stub swaps.” These are swaps that remain after the partial novation or partial termination of an original swap that was not required to be cleared because it...