LCH.Clearnet Limited’s SwapClear service has surpassed the US$1 trillion market in cleared overnight index swap (OIS) trades in only 11 weeks since OIS clearing was launched.
SwapClear is the leading global interest rate swap clearing service. Launched in 1999, it currently clears circa 64% of the global interbank interest rate swap market and, at 30 September 2009, had US$202 trillion in outstanding notional trade sides.
Further developments are planned for the coming months, including a service tailored for the buy side and extensions to tenors to up to 50 years in some of the 14 currencies currently cleared.
Alberto Pravettoni, managing director of Commercial Services, LCH.Clearnet said: “The success of SwapClear’s OIS offering demonstrates the market’s appetite for tailored OTC clearing solutions. Dealers have long recognised the operational and risk management benefits of clearing interest rate swaps, as well as the proven effectiveness of the SwapClear default management process.”
The resilience of SwapClear’s default management process was demonstrated in September 2008 when it successfully handled Lehman’s US$9 trillion interest rate swap default. The highly effective default management process ensured that 66,390 trades were hedged and auctioned off to other clearing members in a timely fashion and that the default was managed well within the margin held and with no recourse to the default fund.
LCH.Clearnet Limited is both a Financial Services Authority (FSA) Recognised Clearing House and a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) registered Derivatives Clearing Organisation (DCO).
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