About a-team Marketing Services
The knowledge platform for the financial technology industry
The knowledge platform for the financial technology industry

A-Team Insight Blogs

Fitch Ratings and S&P to Consider Counterparty Risk Measurement Changes

Subscribe to our newsletter

Ahead of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) roundtable on the 15 April, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings have both indicated that they are considering changes to the way they assess counterparty risks for certain structured products. The SEC is due to scrutinise the practices of the ratings agencies later this month and is likely to come down hard on what it sees as failures to adequately assess risk.

Accordingly, the ratings agencies due to participate in the roundtable have been keen to steal a march on the regulator and implement some changes prior to the event. Fitch is currently seeking comment from the industry about its proposals for asset backed securities in particular, which would require counterparties to put up more collateral against losses and therefore prevent lower rated institutions from taking on the role.

Under the proposals, counterparties would be required to set aside cash throughout the lifetime of an asset backed bond to cover the potential cost of finding a replacement. These counterparties may also need to attain the highest credit ratings or gain government backing, the proposals suggest.

The firm is keen to engage in a “dialogue with the market” about these proposals, which will drastically reduce the number of eligible counterparties for these products, according to Stuart Jennings, managing director in the European structured finance group at Fitch Ratings in London. Fitch has asked for feedback to its proposals this month, after which time it will publish its final requirements.

Fitch has indicated it may also extend its counterparty risk requirements for covered bonds in line with the requirements for asset backed securities.

S&P is engaged in a similar endeavour, although it has thus far only announced an assessment of counterparty risk for asset backed securities. The review period began in October last year.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Related content

WEBINAR

Recorded Webinar: In data we trust – How to ensure high quality data to power AI

Artificial intelligence is increasingly powering financial institutions’ processes and workflows, encompassing all parts of the enterprise from front-office to the back-office. As organisations seek to gain a competitive edge, they are trialling the technology in variety of ways to streamline and empower multiple use cases. Some are further than others along the path to achieving...

BLOG

Six Providers of SFDR Reporting Solutions

Europe’s ESG regulatory space is dominated by the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, which requires listed companies in the bloc to declare the sustainability credentials of the funds they manufacture and the assets in which invest. Its intention is to give investors and advisers a clearer understanding of how sustainable investments are. Compliance requires the reporting...

EVENT

Buy AND Build: The Future of Capital Markets Technology

Buy AND Build: The Future of Capital Markets Technology London examines the latest changes and innovations in trading technology and explores how technology is being deployed to create an edge in sell side and buy side capital markets financial institutions.

GUIDE

Applications of Reference Data to the Middle Office

Increasing volumes and the complexity of reference data in the post-crisis environment have left the middle office struggling to meet the requirements of the current market order. Middle office functions must therefore be robust enough to be able to deal with the spectre of globalisation, an increase in the use of esoteric security types and...