Derivs - Credit

The US Federal Reserve added fuel to an already dramatic rally across asset classes this week, as it scaled back its expectations for rate hikes this year. This came a week after European Central Bank president Mario Draghi had worked the market into a frenzy by increasing the scope of the bank’s asset purchase programme.

High yield credit has enjoyed a sustained rally over the last five weeks and investors have taken advantage through exchange traded funds.

Deutsche Börse and the London Stock Exchange Group have agreed terms for an all-share ‘merger of equals’, in a push for European derivatives dominance that turns up the pressure on US rivals.

A broad estimate of derivative market sentiment rebounded in March, but remains well below historical average levels.

Intercontinental Exchange has begun clearing the iTraxx Australia and Asia ex-Japan Investment Grade credit default swap indices, as well as six individual sovereign credits in the region.

Buried in a hay bale of legal documentation last week, the European Union’s final draft of margin rules for uncleared swaps contained a joke that is sure to needle major banks. The question is whether anyone, including regulators, will still be able to smile at it when the September 1 deadline passes.

In a reversal of fortunes, asset managers became net buyers across major commodities this week, responding to tightening credit spreads.

TriOptima the over-the-counter post-trade service provider, has torn up more than $750tr in notional principal outstanding contracts since it launched its compression service for OTC derivatives in 2003, the firm said on Monday.

It took what some have called "drastic" measures by European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, but Thursday’s short-lived euphoria took Europe’s credit derivative market almost back to where it began the year – only for it and other asset classes to suffer another bout of neuroses and hit reverse.

EU regulators granted a stay of execution to corporate treasury officials as they mandated a slower roll-out of new margin requirements on some of the most popular uncleared derivatives trades. But they stayed firm on a September 1 deadline many believe is untenable. With this temporary reprieve comes also the knowledge that treasuries’ recoursing to swaps strategies will soon become much more challenging.

European Union regulators have published final draft rules for uncleared derivatives that make important concessions to lobbyists on margin requirements for some derivative contracts, but show no sign of budging on a very tight September 1 deadline for compliance by the biggest players in the market.

A concerted rally of US and European credit and equity in the run-up to next week's European Central Bank meeting has all but eclipsed the blowout that occurred during last month’s turmoil. But traders warn that the market is still highly technical in its behaviour and further heavy volatility may not be far way.