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☆ Global watchdog proposes detailed climate disclosures from banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Basel Committee of banking regulators from G20 and other economies proposed climate-related disclosures by banks to make it easier for investors to also compare climate exposures at lenders, and ensure banks hold enough capital to remain stable. The proposals provide more detailed banking sector climate-related disclosures to supplement broader corporate disclosures agreed at the global level by the International Sustainability Standards Board. Not all countries will apply ISSB disclosures, however, and it is unclear how Basel's disclosures would dovetail with corporate climate disclosures the European Union has finalised. Draft U.S. corporate climate disclosures from the Securities and Exchange Commission face heavy pushback from companies which want to ditch the inclusion of so-called Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions produced by a company's customers. "For banks, financed emissions are often the most significant part of their total GHG emissions."

Persons: Amanda Perobelli, Huw Jones, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Committee, International Sustainability, Union, Securities and Exchange Commission, Thomson Locations: Amazonia, Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil, Basel

☆ Canada financial regulator seeks feedback on crypto disclosures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Representations of cryptocurrencies are seen in this illustration, August 10, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 20 (Reuters) - Canada's financial watchdog said on Monday it was seeking feedback on the public disclosure of cryptocurrency assets by federally regulated financial institutions, joining global regulators in ramping up scrutiny on the volatile sector. The consultation by Canada's Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) comes after the agency in July proposed new guidelines for crypto assets citing a risky environment. The OSFI's consultation will be running alongside another from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), a global supervisory body which has also sought feedback from internationally active banks on the disclosure of crypto-asset exposures. Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Arasu Kannagi Basil, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Canada's Office, Banking, Thomson Locations: Basel, Bengaluru

☆ ECB backs global rules for bonds wiped out in Credit Suisse rescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows the logo of the European Central Bank (ECB) outside its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Heiko Becker//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank's chief supervisor on Thursday supported creating global standards for convertible bonds that were wiped out as part of Credit Suisse's rescue by rival UBS (UBSG.S) earlier this year. The Basel Committee said in a report last month it would review the features of AT1 bonds, including the "loss-absorbing hierarchy". But Credit Suisse's bonds contained a clause allowing authorities the write down those bonds without winding down the bank. This clause is not a feature in bonds issued by European Union banks and the ECB has made clear that it would impose losses on shareholders first.

Persons: Heiko Becker, Andrea Enria, Enria, Pablo Hernández de Cos, Francesco Canepa, Balazs Koranyi, Toby Chopra Organizations: European Central Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Central Bank's, UBS, ECB, Banking Supervision, Basel, Committee, European Union, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Swiss, Basel

☆ EU loophole lets banks dodge ECB's crypto supervision, needs fixing -Enria
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He warned the EU's framework placed banks' activity as a 'crypto-asset service provider' -- such as acting as a custodian for customer wallets, exchanging tokens or managing crypto portfolios -- outside of the ECB's purview as a banking supervisor. "In fact, if crypto-asset service providers controlled by banks are not within the scope of their prudential consolidation, the BCBS standard and especially the exposure limit may become ineffective." He added crypto asset service providers should be added "as a matter of urgency" to the list of financial institutions that the ECB supervises under EU rules. MiCAR entered into force at the end of June and will take full effect by the end of next year. The Basel Committee's global standards on exposures to crypto assets are due to be transposed into EU law by Jan. 1, 2025.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Andrea Enria, Enria, MiCAR, Jan, Claudia Buch, Francesco Canepa, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Central Bank's, Banking, ECB, prudential, EU, Thomson Locations: EU, Venice, Basel

☆ ECB's Enria says reforming some banks is 'disappointingly slow'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank has made "disappointingly slow" progress in tackling core issues at some banks it supervises, while too little integration in the sector remains a "dangerous fault line," ECB top banking supervisor Andrea Enria said on Monday. "But a failure to tackle weaknesses that have been identified could lead to existential threats for banks, as we saw at Credit Suisse and some US regional banks in the Spring of 2023," he added. More cross-border consolidation among banks would put the sector on a stronger footing, but there is a lack of support for this from EU states, he said. But if the system breaks down again, repairing it could prove to be very difficult and expensive." Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Chris Reese and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrea Enria, Enria, Huw Jones, Chris Reese, Hugh Lawson Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, Credit Suisse, Silicon Valley Bank, Federal Reserve, Basel Committee, London School of Economics, Thomson Locations: Silicon, Basel

Four thousand U.S. dollars are counted out by a banker counting currency at a bank in Westminster, Colorado November 3, 2009. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - A trio of U.S. banking regulators announced on Friday they were giving the public extra time to digest and provide feedback on a broad proposal to raise bank capital requirements that is already facing fierce industry pushback. The regulators are similarly extending the window for a separate proposal that would raise a capital surcharge for the largest global banks. Firms have warned the proposal if finalized could force them to curtail lending, curb product offerings, and lead to economic harm. The "Basel Endgame" proposal implements international capital standards agreed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in the aftermath of the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

Persons: Rick Wilking, Banks, Pete Schroeder, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Currency, Regulators, Banking, Fed, Thomson Locations: Westminster , Colorado

☆ Basel proposes crypto disclosures by banks from January 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Basel Committee of banking regulators from the world's main financial centres agreed new rules last December on how much capital banks should hold to cover different types of cryptoassets. On Tuesday, they set out for public consultation how the holdings should be disclosed to investors. "Under the proposals, banks would be required to disclose qualitative information on their activities related to cryptoassets and quantitative information on exposures to cryptoassets and the related capital and liquidity requirements," the Basel Committee said in a statement. Banks would also be required to provide details of the accounting classifications of their exposures to cryptoassets and crypto liabilities, it said. Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Banks, Jan, Huw Jones, Kirsten Donovan, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Global, Committee, Thomson Locations: cryptoassets

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/ Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve's top regulatory official defended a sweeping proposal to overhaul bank capital rules before the country's largest bank lobby on Monday, arguing the benefits of a bigger cushion outweigh any additional costs banks might face. The proposal implements international capital standards agreed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in the aftermath of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Barr's Monday speech, which is his first on bank regulation since the proposal came out, served as a broad-based defense of the effort. "The private costs of capital must be weighed against the social benefits of higher capital in creating a healthier, more resilient financial system," he said, according to prepared remarks. Barr also pushed back against the industry's refrain that higher capital costs for banks will mean curtailed lending and potential economic harm.

Persons: Michael Barr, Kevin Lamarque, Michael Barr's, Barr, Jerome Powell, Powell, Isaac Boltansky, Pete Schroeder, Michelle Price, Josie Kao, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Financial, Valley Bank, Signature Bank, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Federal, Banking, Silicon Valley Bank, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Silicon

☆ Metro Bank: Shares in UK bank just plunged over 30%
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Shares in UK lender Metro Bank sank as much as 31% Thursday following a report that it was urgently seeking to raise funds to shore up its finances. Metro Bank opened in 2010 as the first challenger to Britain’s major main street banks — including Lloyds (LYG), Barclays (BCS) and HSBC (HSBC) — in more than 100 years. Metro Bank’s assurances did little to support its share price, which pared some of its earlier losses but was down by 31% again by late afternoon in London. The bank’s shares are down almost 66% since mid-September when UK regulators refused its request to change the way it calculates capital requirements on its residential mortgages book. A Metro Bank branch in the UK city of Sheffield, seen in April Mike Egerton/APThe ratings agency noted that Metro Bank had to refinance a £350 million ($425 million) bond by October 2024.

Persons: “, Fitch, ” Fitch, Mike Egerton, Chris Beauchamp, isn’t, ”, — Hanna Ziady Organizations: London CNN —, Metro Bank, Financial Times, Lloyds, Barclays, BCS, HSBC, —, Metro, Bank, UK Financial, Prudential Regulation Authority, Bank of England, IG, CNN, Financial, Metro Bank . CNN, Prudential, Banking Supervision, Valley Bank, Signature Bank, First Republic Bank, Credit Suisse — Locations: ”, London, Sheffield, United States, United Kingdom, Basel

☆ Banks in EU largely comply with 'Basel Endgame', says watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The global Basel Committee agreed additional capital rules in 2017 that require banks to hold bigger reserves to shield them from potential shocks. The EU, along with Britain and the United States, is now putting the final Basel requirements into its rule books. Basel has a 2028 deadline for implementing its remaining rules, which are set to be rolled out in the EU from January 2025. The BoE is due to set out its final Basel Endgame rules sometime in 2024. The aggregate shortfalls globally and in the EU represent a fraction of banks' total capital buffers and earnings.

Persons: Arnd, BoE, Huw Jones, Jacqueline Wong, Jane Merriman Organizations: Bank for International Settlements, REUTERS, Union, Basel, European Banking Authority, Basel III, United, Bank of England, EU, Committee, Thomson Locations: Basel, Switzerland, EU, Britain, United States, Banks

☆ SocGen's new boss Krupa pledges to cut costs to boost profits by 2026
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Societe Generale's new CEO Slawomir Krupa pledged on Monday to cut costs to boost profits by 2026 amid stagnating sales, in his first strategic plan for France's third-biggest listed bank. SocGen said it would target a 9 to 10% return on tangible equity ratio (ROTE) in 2026, up from a reported 5.6% ROTE at the end of June. The bank also said that it would reduce its exposure to upstream oil and gas businesses by 80% by 2030 when compared to 2019. SocGen said its new targets were based on annual revenue growth expectations between 0 and 2% by 2026. SocGen is also open to a sale of its equipment finance unit, sources have told Reuters.

Persons: Slawomir Krupa, Krupa, ambitioned, SocGen Organizations: Generale's, Basel Committee, Reuters, Finance, BNP Locations: Basel, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Turmoil showed top level failures at banks, global watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - This year's bank turmoil showed some boards and senior management failed in their most basic responsibilities and more regulatory guidance may be needed, a global watchdog said. Pablo Hernandez de Cos, chair of the Basel Committee, said on Thursday that the turmoil highlighted many shortcomings. The Basel Committee writes capital rules for banks, determining how much they need to set aside in case they get into difficulty. Most of the banks that failed during the turmoil were not subject to Basel's standards, said de Cos, who is also governor of the Bank of Spain. Basel may also consider how national regulators decide to exempt a bank with cross-border features from the committee's standards, de Cos said.

Persons: Brittany Hosea, Pablo Hernandez de Cos, de Cos, Cos, Huw Jones, Alexander Smith Organizations: Bank, REUTERS, Credit Suisse, Silicon Valley Bank, Basel Committee, Committee, Bank of Spain, Banking, Thomson Locations: Santa Clara , California, U.S, Basel

People walk past a logo of French bank Societe Generale in front of the company's skyscraper at the financial and business district of La Defense near Paris, France September 14, 2023. The bank sees the business as non-core, having sold part of its operations in 2020, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. But a transaction may not happen soon because difficult market conditions weigh on the unit's valuation, they said. Societe Generale Equipment Finance provides equipment leasing and financing solutions to manufacturers, dealers and vendors in sectors ranging from transport to industrials. Rather than naming non-core businesses, Krupa is more likely to outline the group's growth areas, said one person familiar with the bank's thinking.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Slawomir Krupa, Krupa, Italy's, SocGen, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Mathieu Rosemain, Andres Gonzalez, Amy, Jo Crowley, Elisa Martinuzzi, Silvia Aloisi, Jane Merriman, David Evans Organizations: Societe Generale, La Defense, REUTERS, Finance, Reuters, Deutsche Bank, BNP, Societe Generale Equipment Finance, Basel Committee, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France, PARIS, Basel

The groups argued that banks cannot properly respond to the proposal, which would require lenders to hold more cash to absorb losses, without that analysis. The Fed drafted the rules with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The "Basel Endgame" proposal implements international capital standards agreed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in the aftermath of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The U.S. central bank has estimated it will increase industry capital requirements by $170 billion. "These capital rules will have an impact on economic growth and that will affect large businesses and small businesses and their access to capital."

Persons: Rick Wilking, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Banks, David Solomon, Jamie Dimon, Morgan Stanley's, Dan Simkowitz, Pete Schroeder, Saeed Azhar, Lananh Nguyen, Tatiana Bautzer, Michelle Price, Paul Simao, Deepa Babington Organizations: Deposit Insurance Corporation, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, APA, Fed, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Currency, OCC, Banking, Reuters, JPMorgan, FDIC, Republican, Financial, Bank Policy Institute, American Bankers Association, Financial Services, Institute of International Bankers, Securities Industry, Financial Markets Association, Chamber of Commerce, Thomson Locations: Westminster , Colorado, U.S, Washington

By increasing the degree of risk attributed to certain assets, the proposed rules would require banks to hold proportionately more capital, potentially eating into returns on equity and profits. Making such lending more expensive will shrink credit available to historically under-served borrowers, something the industry is likely to fight, he said. Chen Xu, an attorney in the financial institutions group at Debevoise & Plimpton, said the new rules viewed high-revenue business lines as higher risk. Morgan Stanley (MS.N) analysts say the largest banks may take up to four years to set aside profits to comply with the new capital rules. Dennis Kelleher, head of the financial reform advocacy group Better Markets, said the banking industry had made similar complaints in the past which he believed had proven unfounded.

Persons: Mike Segar, Joe Saas, Chen Xu, Plimpton, Michael Barr, JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, Wells Fargo, Kevin Stein, Morgan Stanley, Richard Ramsden, Goldman Sachs, Ramsden, Dennis Kelleher, Douglas Gillison, Tatiana Bautzer, Nupur Anand, Saeed Azhar, Megan Davies, Anna Driver Organizations: Wall, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Industry, Financial Services, Bank Policy Institute, Securities Industry, Financial Markets Association, Debevoise, JPMorgan, CNBC, Citigroup, Bank of America, Klaros Group, Banking Supervision, Better, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Washington, Wells, Basel

The rule, which would implement a 2017 agreement by global regulators, aims to overhaul how banks gauge their riskiness, and in turn how much money they must keep on hand. Industry opponents have already begun to criticize the plan as banks seek to soften, delay, or otherwise derail the government's long-planned effort. The proposal would see U.S. regulators implement a previous global agreement via the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. "Bank capital is critical," said Dennis Kelleher, president and CEO of Better Markets, which advocates for tougher financial rules. "However, maximizing Wall Street’s bonuses depends on minimizing capital and that’s why Wall Street fights to prevent regulators from requiring them to have enough capital."

Persons: it’s, Ian Katz, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Michael Barr, Barr, Joe Biden, Dennis Kelleher, Pete Schroeder, Susan Heavey Organizations: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal, Industry, Washington, Capital Alpha Partners, JPMorgan, Banking Supervision, Citizens Financial, Bank, Better, Thomson Locations: U.S, Basel, Huntington, that’s

☆ US banks' residential mortgages face mandates exceeding global standards - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) logo is seen at the FDIC headquarters. REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo(Reuters) - U.S. bank regulators are set to release their plans next week for a sweeping overhaul of capital rules, with the latest draft including requirements for large lenders’ residential mortgages that go beyond international standards, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The changes would be part of the U.S. version of a global accord known as Basel III that followed the financial crisis, according to the report. The OCC and the FDIC did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. The proposal is the first major rule led by Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr, who has launched a sweeping review of capital rules and is expected to be tough on Wall Street.

Persons: Jason Reed, Michael Barr Organizations: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, REUTERS, Bloomberg, Basel III, Federal Reserve, Currency, OCC, FDIC, Reuters, U.S . Federal, Banking, Silicon Valley Bank, Fed Locations: U.S, Basel, Silicon

☆ Global rules leave crypto firms with no place to hide, says G20 watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 17 (Reuters) - Globally agreed rules leave crypto firms with no option but to introduce basic safeguards to prevent the blow-ups seen at FTX exchange and other crypto casualties, the G20's Financial Stability Board said on Monday. The FSB published on Monday final recommendations requested by the G20 on supervising firms that trade cryptoassets such as bitcoin. The watchdog also revised its existing recommendations for stablecoins in light of the demise of TerraUSD/Luna coins. The collapse of FTX in November 2022 highlighted vulnerabilities from crypto firms and the FSB said that all countries should apply the recommendations, even those that are not members of the watchdog. "Therefore, cryptoasset players need to stop operating outside the regulatory perimeter or in non-compliance with existing rules," FSB Secretary General John Schindler told reporters.

Persons: FTX, John Schindler, Schindler, Bitcoin, IOSCO, Huw Jones, Louise Heavens Organizations: Ripple Labs, European Union, FSB, Thomson Locations: FTX, Bahamas, Basel

Potential buyers and sellers are also being deterred by the long wait for deal approvals by regulators, the experts said. The uncertainty over capital rules has created a "chilling effect" that could put a lid on mergers, while rising interest rates and a looming economic downturn could also damp activity, Adams said. That compares to $3.9 billion in bank deals for non-stressed institutions, the lowest seen over the first half of a year since 2010. "Instead of evaluating mergers based on competition and the needs of the community, political factors have become too important," she said. Regional banks will "have incentives to merge and reach larger scale since they will be subject to more regulatory scrutiny and capital,” Johnson said.

Persons: ”, Timothy Adams, Adams, Michael Barr, “, Meg Tahyar, Davis Polk, Janet Yellen, Tim Johnson, ” Johnson, Tatiana Bautzer, Saeed Azhar, Nupur Anand, Pete Schroeder, Lananh Nguyen, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, Institute of International Finance, Global, Federal, Treasury, Dominion Bank, First, KPMG, Thomson Locations: U.S, Canada's Toronto

Federal banking regulators are expected to introduce proposals in the coming weeks requiring banks to keep more cash on hand to ensure the financial system remains stable. The nation's largest lender may increase prices or abandon some products as a way to offset the higher capital costs, Barnum said. One key new expected rule would require banks to hold more capital against certain trades. Meanwhile, banks are staying cautious and preserving capital until there is more clarity around the rules. Wells Fargo was expecting capital requirements to climb and weighing the potential effect on stock buybacks, CEO Charlie Scharf told investors on its call.

Persons: Michael Barr, Jeremy Barnum, Barnum, Jane Fraser, Wells Fargo, Charlie Scharf, Blackstone, Jamie Dimon, Pete Schroeder, Nupur Anand, Saeed Azhar, Tatiana Bautzer, Lananh Nguyen, Megan Davies, Susan Heavey Organizations: WASHINGTON, Federal, JPMorgan Chase's, JPMorgan, U.S, Treasury, Industry, Blackstone, Apollo, JPMorgan Chase, Thomson Locations: Washington, New York

☆ US banks gird for dose of post-stress-test trauma
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

NEW YORK, June 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - For the biggest U.S. banks, the nerves this year come after the exam. Fed stress tests subject banks to a theoretical market shock and incorporate elements of operational risk, and then spit out a “stress capital buffer” requirement tailored to each firm. The risk for banks is that new rules get piled on top of existing regulations in a process known as gold-plating. U.S. banks are awaiting a proposal from their regulators to revamp capital rules, expected in July. Gruenberg said regulators were considering expanding the reach of a stricter set of capital rules to include banks with over $100 billion in assets.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Michael Barr, Jamie Dimon, Banks, Morgan Stanley, Jay Powell, PwC, watchdogs, Michelle Bowman, Martin Gruenberg, It’s, Gruenberg, Peter Thal Larsen, Streisand Neto Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan, Citigroup, Banking Supervision, Basel III, America, State Street, Bank of New York Mellon, Big, Bank, U.S ., Reuters Graphics Reuters, Signature Bank, First, Fed, Federal Deposit Insurance, FDIC, Credit Suisse, Committee, “, “ Basel IV, Federal, Thomson Locations: U.S, Basel, Goldman, Big U.S, Swiss, “ Basel

Bank regulators led by the U.S. Federal Reserve are finalizing the proposal which would implement international capital standards agreed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in the aftermath of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. On Wednesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told Congress it was critical banks have strong capital, but regulators must be mindful of the tradeoffs. Republican officials at the agencies have flagged similar concerns, two people said, while Republican lawmakers on Wednesday also raised worries over capital rules with Powell. The Fed is drafting the Basel rules with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC). Speaking to reporters last week, acting Comptroller Michael Hsu said banks had "not been shy about sharing their concerns" which regulators were taking into account.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Andrew Kelly, Jerome Powell, Michael Barr, Isaac Boltansky, jitters, Powell, “, Kevin Fromer, It's, Michael Hsu, Pete Schroeder, Niket Nishant, Lananh Nguyen, Tatiana Bautzer, Michelle Price, David Gregorio Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Bank, U.S . Federal, Banking, Bankers, Committee, American Express, U.S, UBS, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Washington, Bank Policy Institute, WALL, Fed, Industry, Republican, Financial Services, Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Regulators, FDIC, OCC, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Basel, Silicon

☆ Analysis: Forex derivatives nudged out into the open as regulations increase costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Laura Matthews | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationNEW YORK, June 20 (Reuters) - Foreign-exchange investors are moving more of their over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives trades to lookalike products on exchanges to avoid higher costs due to recent global regulations, helping inject transparency into a multitrillion-dollar market that is largely hidden from the public eye. The gradual behavioral change in FX derivatives trading is being caused by increasing margin and collateral costs, said Joe Midmore, chief commercial officer at OpenGamma, a derivatives analytics firm. OTC derivatives are privately negotiated contracts while cleared derivatives, though bilaterally negotiated, are booked with a clearinghouse such as a listed exchange. "They will also incur the operational, legal and custody costs of setting up margin facilities as well as the capital costs of posting margin," Houston said. "There is inherently risk involved in lots of people transacting derivatives with each other," said Riddle.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ben Feuer, Joe Midmore, ”, Michael Riddle, Paul Houston, Houston, ForexClear, James Pearson, Tom Arnold, Joe Spiro, Peter Vassallo, Riddle, Laura Matthews, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Megan Davies, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Societe Generale, Banking Supervision, International Organization of Securities Commissions, CME, CME Group, FX, Reuters Graphics British, Financial, ForexClear, BNP, Management, Thomson Locations: Saudi, New York, Hazeltree

Most big bank stocks were trading lower in afternoon trading with the S&P 500 banking index (.SPXBK) down nearly 1% on Monday. U.S. regulators, led by the Federal Reserve, are also expected to propose this month increasing average bank capital requirements by as much as 20% a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Regional bank stocks also logged broad declines on Monday, with the KBW Regional Banking Index (.KRX) shedding 2%. The impending international capital rules come amid a broader Fed review of lenders' capital requirements. "It's not shocking that you should expect to see some capital requirements being increased and a little more oversight is expected given what has happened with regional banks," Janasiewicz said.

Persons: Wells, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Jack Janasiewicz, Janasiewicz, Chibuike Oguh, Manya Saini, Michelle Price, Lance Tupper, Aurora Ellis Organizations: YORK, JPMorgan Chase &, Wells Fargo & Co, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Citigroup, Bank of America Corp, Treasury, Natixis Investment, U.S, Federal Reserve, Reuters, Street Journal, Basel Committee, KBW, PacWest Bancorp, Western Alliance, Comerica Inc, Thomson Locations: U.S, Basel, Regional, New York

In March, depositors fled Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O), withdrawing $42 billion in 24 hours, some via their mobile phones. Information about the bank's difficulties spread fast online, creating a social media-driven bank run. Officials said the bank turbulence added urgency to discussions of a European Commission proposal to broaden the EU's bank resolution framework, now applied to just over 100 of the biggest European banks, to smaller and medium-sized lenders. The proposal, called Crisis Management and Deposit Insurance (CMDI) was requested by EU finance ministers in mid-2022. It would ensure that the resolution of smaller banks could be paid for from the EU's resolution fund, financed by banks, rather than by taxpayers.

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