News Centre

Sweden’s Finansinspektionen: Banks May Now Grant Amortisation Exemption

Date 14/04/2020

FI’s Board of Directors has decided that the proposal communicated on 2 April will go into effect as of today. This means that banks will now be able to grant both new and existing mortgagors exemption from the requirement on amortisation. The exemption gives mortgagors greater financial manoeuvrability in these uncertain times during the spread of COVID-19.

Statement Of CFTC Chairman Heath P. Tarbert In Support Of Long-Awaited Updates To The CFTC’s Bankruptcy Regime

Date 14/04/2020

In his 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway offers what is perhaps the best chronicle of the anatomy of a typical bankruptcy. In the novel, the character Mike Campbell is asked how he went bankrupt.  He answers:  “two ways . . . gradually and then suddenly.”

Moscow Exchange: Risk Parameters For New Bonds

Date 14/04/2020

New bonds will be accepted to margin trading starting from 15.04.2020. From this date on, the following risk parameters will be applied:

Statement Of Support By CFTC Commissioner Quintenz Regarding Part 190 Bankruptcy Regulations – Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking

Date 14/04/2020

I am pleased to support today’s proposal to amend the Commission’s regulations governing the bankruptcy proceedings of commodity brokers.  This proposal makes the first comprehensive change to these regulations since they were first issued in 1983.  It marks another important step in Chairman Tarbert’s agenda to update and make more efficient several critical areas of the Commission’s regulations.  I note that today’s proposal was not hastily prepared in response to the market events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.  Commission staff has been considering these amendments since 2017, when a subcommittee of the American Bar Association (ABA) requested that the Commission update the part 190 bankruptcy regulations.[2]  The ABA provided its proposal in response to the CFTC’s Project KISS initiative, which generally requested input from the public on how the Commission’s regulations could be simplified to reduce compliance burdens.[3]  I commend former Chairman Giancarlo for launching Project KISS because it is important for agencies periodically to review their regulations, some of which may not have been amended for many years, to ensure they are as targeted, rational, and transparent as possible, in light of new developments in the markets they affect.  I am pleased that the Commission’s rulemaking work continues despite the new challenges the agency is facing in light of the pandemic.

FIA March 2020 SEF Tracker

Date 14/04/2020

EU Banks Sail Through The Corona Crisis With Sound Capital Ratios

Date 14/04/2020

The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its quarterly Risk Dashboard covering Q4 2019 data and summarising the main risks and vulnerabilities in the EU banking sector. Ahead of the Corona crisis, EU banks’ capital ratios and asset quality have improved. However, return on equity (RoE) has further worsened.

Statement Of CFTC Commissioner Rostin Behnam Regarding Part 190 Bankruptcy Regulations

Date 14/04/2020

I respectfully support the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (the “Commission” or “CFTC”) issuance of a proposed rule (the “Proposal”) to amend Part 190 of its regulations, which govern bankruptcy proceedings of commodity brokers.  First and foremost, I want to thank Commission staff for all of their hard work on this Proposal.  If finalized, it will be the first major update of the CFTC’s existing Part 190 since 1983, when it was originally implemented by the Commission.

State Street To Provide Central Banks With PriceStats Inflation Indicators to Assess Economic Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic - Indicators Derived From Unstructured Data Will Help Central Banks Better Track Retail Pricing, Consumer Demand Shifts Driven By COVID-19

Date 14/04/2020

State Street Corporation (NYSE:STT) today announced that it will offer its State Street PriceStats Series, a comprehensive suite of indicators to monitor trends in retailer pricing and consumer demand in 22 countries, to central banks around the world at no cost. The announcement comes following an influx of inquiries from central banks as they seek to mitigate the negative economic effects of the pandemic.

tZERO’s Digital Securities Protocol Now Supports Tezos Blockchain

Date 14/04/2020

tZERO, the global leader in blockchain innovation for capital markets, announced today that its digital securities protocol now supports Tezos, an open-source public blockchain for assets and applications that can evolve by updating itself. The integration marks tZERO’s first step in supporting other blockchains outside of Ethereum on its open-source protocol. This expands the range of technological options available to digital securities issuers who wish to have their securities be compatible with the tZERO ecosystem.

FSB Consults On Regulatory, Supervisory And Oversight Recommendations For “Global Stablecoin” Arrangements

Date 14/04/2020

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) today published for consultation 10 high-level recommendations to address the regulatory, supervisory and oversight challenges raised by “global stablecoin” arrangements.