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AT1 bonds are the most subordinated form of bonds (and together with Tier 2 instruments are often called "bank capital" instruments) that rank senior only to equity. AT1 bonds have a Perpetual character (no fixed maturity), no incentive to redeem, and the payment of coupons is discretionary (coupons are paid if the bank has distributable reserves). AT1 bonds can absorb losses (be converted to equity or be written-down upon the trigger event) when the capital of the issuing financial institutions falls below a supervisor-determined level. The purpose of AT1 instruments is to have a buffer of a readily available source of capital that protects senior bondholders and depositors in times of crisis. In Europe, banks are required by the regulator to have a 1.5% of Risk Weighted Assets in the form of AT1 bonds.
Collateralized Bonds
Collateralised Debt Obligations ("CDO")
Collateralised Debt Obligations are structured products that are backed by other assets. A CDO can be thought of as a promise to pay investors in a prescribed sequence (tranching), based on the cash flow the CDO collects from the pool of bonds or other assets it owns.
Derivatives
Equities
Repos
The word repo refers to the repurchase agreements that govern this market. Essentially it is a collaterized loan. The repo market allows banks and investors to exchange high-quality assets, usually US government bonds, for cash funding. Borrowers then repurchase the assets for a slightly higher price at an agreed date, usually the next day, creating a short-term loan. The market lets banks meet their short-term funding needs and is essential for the smooth operation of the dollar-based financial system. . Market activity is concentrated between 7:00 and 8:30 am EDT and the NY FED actively monitors and intervenes in the market.
Reference: Triparty-Repos by the NY FED, this describes the Repo Market, the terms and risk associated with it and the various calculations and formulae that govern the yield calculation, not just tri-party.
Opening Legleg: The value of the collateral provided is greater than the cash lent. This difference is called "the haircut". For example, if the value of the securities is $100 and the cash lent is $94, the haircut is $6.
Time between Opening and Closing legs is usually a day or two. This is the term of the repo. If during this the term of the repo is overnight, it is called an overnight; everything else is called a term repo. Term repos are more complicated due to margin calls. The observed price of the security rises or falls, there may be margin calls to preserve the haircut.
Closing leg:
Some articles
Breaking NewsNews: In the last the week of September 16 of 2019 there was a huge problem in the repo market. Lenders . On Sept 16 and 17. lenders disappeared from the market, leaving many who wanted short term funding without takers; this created a a huge spike in the overnight and term rates (rates spiked to 10%, when Federal Reserves target rates are 2.0 to 2.25). The commotion was quelled only when the NY FED stepped in providing liquidity in the market. Speculation abounds as to the root cause. The main effect was that there was more demand for cash than there was supply.
- Corporation tax day Sept 15 resulted in cash drain from money market funds
- Fed QE balance sheet is being reduced
- High quantity of Treasuries hit the market at this point in the funding cycle ($54 Billion)- raising demand for cash
- High LCR (Liquidity Coverage Ratio) requirement from big banks (JPM, Citi, Wells, BOA) hold 300+ billion dollars in cash (total held at Fed is $1.3 Trillion). This drains cash from short term lending market, especially since these big banks are dealers and market makers.
- What role would DLT play in this? There are at least a couple of PoCs for Repos a. Broadridge b.<insert>
Suggested Antidotes:
- Be more nimble in the repo market FED (the market is an early morning one in New York as funding needs are expressed between 7:00 and 8:30 am) At this point the FED (NY Open Market desk) is not setup to do this (not enough expertise, not enough traders, slower decision making process etc.)
- Longer "term repos" by the FED
- Start more organised buying of Treasuries or other assets again FED
- Target overnight rates to be made lower FED
- Standing repo facility FED
- Change regulation to require less HQLA ratio SEC etc.
- Involve smaller banks