LCH's French unit adds first Japanese clearing member
Mizuho has signed up as the first Japanese clearing member of LCH SA, the French clearing unit of London Stock Exchange-owned LCH Group

Big questions for CDS shorters as Isda protocol countdown begins
With only a month to go until the International Swaps & Derivatives Association rolls out its protocol for narrowly tailored credit events, big net buyers of CDS protection should think hard about both its value and maintaining liquidity, says law firm Kramer Levin

New EC fund rules could lead to ‘pre-pre-marketing’
The European Commission has approved a standardised concept of ‘pre-marketing’ in a move that could see more capital flow through the European Economic Area. The new definition of pre-marketing is meant to provide clarity, but some sources say that the amendments could be seen as an additional burden and lead to a concept of pre-pre-marketing.

Regulators delay final initial margin deadline and add extra roll-out phase
Regulators have granted a one-year reprieve to smaller counterparties from a requirement to post initial margin on derivative trades, while introducing an additional implementation phase. But while a relief for large numbers of firms struggling to meet the deadline, the concession still ignores calls from industry bodies to deploy a higher final capture threshold

Morgan Stanley becomes third bank in four months to join CDSClear
Morgan Stanley has signed up as a member of CDSClear at LCH SA

What price lender integrity if myriad interpretations mean nobody knows where they stand?
Net short language is seeping into loan documentation. The problem is that some funds may not know their net position

Market making begins in German bank senior preferred CDS
Dealers will today begin making markets in senior preferred CDS of German banks, following the implementation of a protocol created by the International Swaps & Derivatives Association

The resolution of narrowly tailored credit events is a leap forward for the CDS market
Isda is replacing the mechanistic determination of a failure-to-pay credit event with a more subjective rule

Ashurst promotes structured products lawyer as one of 21 new partners
Ashurst has promoted to partner a London-based lawyer who specialises in derivatives and debt capital markets

LCH signs up first Italian member to CDSClear
Banca IMI, the investment bank of Intesa Sanpaolo, has signed up as the first Italian member of CDSClear at LCH SA, the French clearing unit of London Stock Exchange-owned LCH Group

Esma amends recognitions for UK CCPs in event of no-deal Brexit
The European Securities and Markets Authority (Esma) will continue to recognise three UK-based central counterparties (CCPs) and the UK Central Securities Depository (CSD) in the event of a no-deal Brexit on 12 April

CDS relative value traders shift their bets as Europe trades inside US
Credit derivative markets have hit a point of position cutting and resetting, with the iTraxx Europe index having dipped inside its US counterpart CDX IG for the first time since December even as the European Central Bank’s new funding programme underwhelmed financials traders

Initial margin relief falls short of industry calls
Reprieve for many smaller counterparties from a requirement to post initial margin (IM) on derivative trades looks likely, following a statement from regulators this week

US dollar three-month is focus point for benchmarks, finds Ice Libor survey
One-, three- and six-month US dollar and sterling are the focus points for Ice Benchmark Administration to seek agreement with banks, according to the results of IBA’s survey on uses of Libor

Isda extends German CDS protocol deadline beyond March index roll
The International Swaps & Derivatives Association (Isda) has extended the deadline for market participants to adhere to its German bank CDS protocol after it became clear a number of affected parties would not be signed up in time

US and UK sound post-Brexit derivatives regulatory accord
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Bank of England have issued a joint statement assuring derivative market participants of continued access to trading and clearing after the UK’s exit from the European Union

Dentons boosts derivatives practice in London with two partner
Dentons has added two partners to its derivatives practice in London

Esma grants no-deal Brexit recognition for UK central clearers
The European Securities and Markets Authority (Esma) has moved to avoid a derivatives market debacle by agreeing to recognise three UK-based central counterparties (CCPs) in the event of a no-deal Brexit

Behave yourselves: EBA policy advisor warns against misuse of securitisation rules
The European securitisation market has come a long way over the last decade, and the message from one policy advisor is clear – don’t do anything to mess it up.

DTCC appoints Deriv/Serv board chairman to replace Thompson
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has appointed a replacement board chairman of its Deriv/Serv credit derivatives repository following the retirement of Larry Thompson in December

CDS lives to bring more fights as it steers past Ziggo and Sears
Credit default swaps have navigated two big tests of their rules, holding up to scrutiny on Ziggo Bond Finance (ZBF) and Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp (SRAC), despite warnings they could weaken the product

Isda sets 27 February deadline for German bank CDS protocol adherence
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association (Isda) has launched a protocol for German bank CDS, as the industry looks to adapt to a change in the country’s law regarding senior financial debt

Bank of England agrees post-Brexit recognition of UK central clearers with Esma
The Bank of England and the European Securities and Markets Authority (Esma) have agreed to continue to recognise central counterparties (CCPs) and the central securities depository (CSD) established in the United Kingdom in the event of a no-deal Brexit

Isda seeks fallback spread vendor for derivatives
The International Swaps & Derivatives Association is seeking an independent service provider to calculate and publish adjustments to fallbacks it will use in interest rate benchmarks for its Isda definitions