S&P Upgrades ABSXchange Platform for Loan Level Stress Testing and Portfolio Analytics
Standard & Poor’s structured finance platform, ABSXchange, has undergone a number of upgrades this month with a view to allowing users to conduct more robust analysis of their structured finance transactions. The platform, which the vendor bought in August 2007 and is part of its Fixed Income Risk Management Services (Firms) business line, now features...
Fincad Updates Analytics Suite 2009 for Excel to Support CDS Big Bang
Following the introduction of the new credit default swap (CDS) standard protocol last week, financial analytics and valuations provider Fincad has updated its Fincad Analytics Suite 2009 for Excel to support the new pricing models. Accordingly, the solution now includes a workbook that implements the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) CDS model, says Bob...
Pricing Partners Launches Source Code Version of Flagship Price-it Solution
Valuations vendor Pricing Partners has launched a new source code solution and development platform for its flagship derivatives pricing and risk management solution Price-it. According to the vendor, the new solution is aimed at expediting the creation and development of a user’s quantitative pricing library, as well as reducing the project risk involved in such...
Bank Leumi Le-Israel Extends GFI Fenics FX Coverage to Pricing and Analysis
Bank Leumi Le-Israel of Tel Aviv has extended its license for GFI Group’s pricing and risk management software, GFI Fenics FX, to the latest version of the software, including two new models, the Structuring Module and the Exotic Math Module. The bank, which has been a GFI Fenics customer since 1995, decided to expand its...
CMA to Integrate CDS Price Data from DataVision with Pricing Partners’ Price-it Excel
CME Group-owned Credit Market Analysis (CMA) has signed a partnership agreement with valuation analytics vendor Pricing Partners, under which CMA will integrate its credit default swap (CDS) price data from DataVision with Pricing Partners’ multi-asset class pricing platform, Price-it Excel. The vendors claim this will provide OTC credit market participants with greater accuracy and transparency...
NumeriX Launches Educational Courses for Financial Engineers on Derivatives Pricing
Numerix, an analytics provider for structuring, pricing and valuation of derivatives and structured products, is launching a series of courses aimed at financial engineers to educate them on the finer points of pricing and managing complex derivatives within the vendor’s solution. The vendor has dubbed the endeavour NumeriX University and it will be offered free...
ISDA’s CDS Big Bang Protocol Goes into Effect for US Market
Following months of preparation by the banking and vendor communities, the US market has today seen the go live date for the overhaul of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) credit default swap (CDS) standard protocols. The changes are aimed at reducing systemic risk by introducing a standardised pricing system for CDSs and making...
Calypso Introduces Software Update for North American CDS Big Bang
In line with the rest of the vendor community, derivatives and risk management solution provider Calypso Technology has updated its solutions to accommodate the credit default swap (CDS) ‘big bang’ being led by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA). Tomorrow, the new Standard North American Corporate (SNAC) CDS contract convention comes into force, which...
Consistent Firm-wide Approach Required for Pricing Functions to Increase Transparency, Says Celent
In the post-credit crisis world, firms must develop a joint approach to OTC derivatives pricing functions across their internal departmental silos, according to a recent report by consultancy firm Celent. In order to increase the transparency of valuations and meet regulatory requirements to this end, financial institutions must adopt coherent and consistent pricing strategies, says...
European Union Ministers Call for Convergence with US on Accounting Standards
Following the move in the US to relax mark to market accounting rules, representatives from the European Union have called for greater convergence between Europe and the US in order to level the playing field. EU politicians including Italy’s Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti and French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde are concerned that the region’s banks...