Trade fails split opinion as buy-in looms large

The European repo market is battling to improve discipline and reduce the level of trade fails, which, driven by negative rates, restrictive capital rules and illiquidity in the bond markets, could shrink liquidity even further. But harsh punishments for trade fails contained in the European Central Securities Depositories Regulation could be counterproductive, and the industry, backed by the ECB, is trying to have them changed.