Pre-hedging, or anticipatory hedging, is one of many risk management tools often used in principal-based OTC markets, such as commodities, foreign exchange (FX), or interest rate swap markets. It refers to trading conducted...more
On June 7, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted, pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”), (i) new Rule 9j-1 to combat fraud, manipulation, and deception in connection with...more
On September 26, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) published an order settling charges against Asset Risk Management, LLC (“ARM”), a registered commodity trading advisor (“CTA”) headquartered in Houston,...more
It may not be the next Taylor Swift song, but a prepayment changes the Lender-Borrower relationship. In a swap, we all know there are consequences. Rather than a “breakage cost”, the swap market just calls it an early...more
On July 23, 2020, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) voted 3-2 to approve a final rule (Final Rule) on the cross-border application of certain swap provisions under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA)....more
The SEC has proposed all of its major Title VII rules regulating the security-based swaps market. The authors discuss the current status of this and related rulemakings, the relief the SEC has granted, and the provisions of...more
SEC Approves Rules to Ease Investor Access to Exhibits in Company Filings - On March 1, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted to adopt rule and form amendments that will require issuers to include a...more
If you have been following our alerts on the pending deadlines (and the delays of these deadlines by certain regulators) of the new swap variation margin rules (New Swap Margin Rules) that were due to go into effect on March...more
Although the letter technically does not delay the effective date of March 1, 2017, from the perspective of the buy side, the letter functions as a “grace period,” and the compliance date has been moved to September 1, 2017....more
Because of the implementation of new regulatory requirements relating to both variation and initial margin for swaps, swap documentation for many market participants is about to become much more complicated....more
March 1, 2017, is the scheduled implementation date applicable for all insurance companies for the mandatory posting of variation margin to their swap dealer counterparties under U.S. margin rules. Although the...more
As has been rumored in recent weeks, the CFTC has adopted an order establishing December 31, 2018 as the swap dealer registration de minimis threshold phase-in termination date. With this approval, the de minimis threshold...more
Under current CFTC rules, market participants who exceed $8 billion in gross notional swap dealing activity over a twelve-month period are required to register with the CFTC as swap dealers during the phase-in period...more
As interest in bitcoin derivatives has increased, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has turned more of its attention toward virtual currencies. For a little more than a year, at least two trading facilities...more
On November 18, staff from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight and Office of the Chief Economist issued a preliminary report regarding the swap dealer de minimis...more
On October 22, 2015, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation held an open meeting at which it voted to adopt: (i) final rules governing margin and capital requirements for uncleared swaps and (ii) an interim final rule to...more
On August 19, The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) proposed amendments to existing rules relating to swap data reporting in connection with cleared swaps. The amendments are aimed at providing additional...more
The CFTC recently approved a futures contract on a dividend index as a non-security based index futures contract over the SEC’s objection that the dividend index contract could be a security future; the CFTC’s actions may...more
The SEC Speaks conference has traditionally been a forum in which the agency reviewed significant recent undertakings and indicated its future direction. This year was no different. Four of the five Commissioners addressed...more
Last fall both the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and five U.S. prudential banking regulators (the “Prudential Regulators”) released proposed rules for margin requirements for uncleared swap transactions for...more
The Federal Reserve Board Proposes Repeal of Unfair or Deceptive Acts Rules - On Friday, August 22, 2014, the Federal Reserve Board (the "Board") requested comments on its proposal to repeal its Regulation AA, which...more
The Commission announced its largest whistleblower action this week – an award to a person overseas of over $30 million. The agency also filed a series of actions this week....more
On September 3, 2014, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Board) jointly adopted, with certain federal banking regulators, re-proposed rules that will require registered swap dealers, security-based swap...more
Federal banking regulators (the Prudential Regulators) have re-proposed regulations to require certain dealers and major participants in the swap and security-based swap markets to collect initial and variation margin for...more
After years of anticipation, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission in July 2013 issued more than 300 pages of “guidance” ostensibly to assist market participants in understanding the breadth of the extraterritorial...more