Regulation
FXCM buys majority stake in Faros Trading
FXCM continues its aggressive expansion as it acquires a 50.1% stake in FX agency firm Faros Trading, four years after it was established by Ray Kamrath
Industry forced to rethink reporting after Esma rejects GFMA proposal
FX participants must reconsider their approach to dual reporting under Emir, possibly at considerable cost to those already building towards the proposed model
Gensler not ruling out targeted Sef relief
CFTC chairman recognises difficulty in meeting October 2 Sef deadline, but says platforms need to be targeted in requests
Sefs questioned on plans for erroneous trades
Swap execution facilities have been rushing to meet an October 2 deadline for registration, but more thought is needed on how platforms will deal with trade failures, say conference participants
Pressure mounts on CFTC for relief on Sef rules
CFTC is being lobbied to grant relief on the contentious Footnote 88, which requires platforms to register as Sefs even if the products they offer are not yet made available to trade
Trade reporting is driving FX options out of the US, say dealers
FX options traders looking to avoid Dodd-Frank legislation have been deliberately changing their trading habits to avoid reporting regulation
FX Week Forum: Dodd-Frank and electronic platforms
In the second in a series of video features addressing key themes in the global FX industry, Joel Clark talks to Kathy Alys and Rob Mackenzie Smith about recent stories covering the Dodd-Frank Act's external business conduct standards and pricing on…
FX prime brokers continue to shun four-way agreements
Four-way agreements too difficult under Dodd-Frank external business conduct standards, say prime brokers
Client on-boarding a challenge for Sefs
Icap is the latest firm to apply for Sef status, but the challenge for new platforms will be to on-board clients by the October 2 compliance deadline
FX Week Forum: The challenges of clearing options
In the first in a series of video features addressing key themes in the global FX industry, editorial director Nick Sawyer talks to FX Week editor Joel Clark about the complex issues that have delayed central clearing of FX options
FX swaps and forwards off initial margin hook
Working Group on Margining Requirements has confirmed the exemption of FX swaps and forwards from initial margin, as well as a more restricted exemption for cross-currency swaps
Inconsistency on FX among Asia CCPs worries banks
Indian authorities appear likely to mandate clearing of FX forwards while China is looking at clearing spot, leading to concerns over the potential for cross-border inconsistency on FX clearing
High-frequency traders face up to regulatory clampdown
Regulators have set their sights on high-frequency trading, but some participants believe the industry is already changing
Agency desks hopeful new protocol will solve Dodd-Frank issues
A preliminary protocol to enable four-way FX prime brokerage involving agency desks has been agreed ‘in principle’ and could allow agencies to scale up their activities, having been largely reduced to spot since May
WGMR exemption for FX swaps and forwards expected imminently
Final rules on margin requirements for non-centrally cleared derivatives are expected within weeks, including a long-awaited exemption for FX swaps and forwards
Dual reporting requirements in Asia cause concern
While Singapore will mandate single-sided trade reporting, regulators in Australia and Hong Kong will follow the European Union’s requirement for dual reporting, leading to concerns among market participants
Benchmark overhaul brings substantial improvement, says Lenny Feder
In the aftermath of the Libor scandal, Singapore’s financial industry has opted to overhaul its existing benchmarks to focus on transaction data
Sef regime begins, but platforms concerned over 'permitted' rule
Multi-dealer platforms are worried that, although they have to register as Sefs now, clients might be deterred from using them until they have to
Dion rolls out RFQ system for FX options
Technology vendor aims to help clients, particularly second-tier banks, meet new regulatory requirements for options
Volcker rule is driving reluctance to hold risk, warn currency managers
US banks are holding less risk as they prepare for the requirements of the Volcker rule, leading to more short-term volatility and less liquidity in some currencies
Industry set to miss CFTC deadline on intermediated FXPB
The deadline for FX agency desks and prime brokers to find a solution to the allocation of Dodd-Frank external business conduct responsibilities expires today
Traiana and MarkitServ in turf war over pre-trade screening
Competition between the two vendors increases as they both seek to gain market support for their respective credit screening and clearing certainty products
CFTC cross-border rules slammed as ‘rushed’
The CFTC appears to have made some concessions in its cross-border rules, but critics question how substituted compliance will work, and claim the overall framework has been rushed
CFTC-EC cross-border agreement causes concern
Lawyers warn allowing strictest regulation to prevail will create heavy-handed regime, and regulators have still not fully aligned on treatment of FX swaps