Counterparty credit risk for derivatives by Kevin Liddy, Faculty BTRM

Even in a centrally cleared, collateralised world, banks’ risk exposure to derivatives markets remain significant. “Know your risk” is as important to Boards, EXCOs and CROs as ever. The BTRM Faculty notes how unusually large price movements in a volatile market can generate increased counterparty credit risk on derivative exposures that are potentially “unseen” until it’s too late. The webinar will discuss:

• Losses from the forced unwinding of collateralised equity swaps when a counterparty defaults can be a multiple of what is predicted by commonly used risk models and covered by initial margin;
• The spike in energy prices in August 2022 showed that banks had, as clearers of their clients, many billions at risk;
• The rise in UK gilt yields in September 2022 caused difficulties for UK FIs to meet their margin requirements arising out of their derivatives positions and required the BoE to intervene

Large derivatives counterparty concentrations can be difficult to detect. We present a “lessons learned” for bank executives to incorporate into their risk management processes.