Credit Spread Adjustment (CSA)

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With the end of LIBOR drawing closer, the FCA, Bank of England and the Working Group on Sterling Risk-Free Reference Rates (the Working Group) are encouraging market participants to actively transition from referencing LIBOR rates in their loan agreements to risk-free rates (such as SONIA). In this respect, one important aspect that market participants need to consider is the credit spread adjustment (CAS) that will be required. Market participants use a CAS to mitigate the risk of value transfer when transitioning to risk-free rates due to the difference between LIBOR rates and the risk-free rates, caused by the lack of a credit risk premium in risk-free rates.
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Continue Reading UK Working Group Publishes Paper on Credit Adjustment Spread Methodologies

On April 8, the ARRC announced that it had agreed on a recommended spread adjustment methodology for cash products referencing USD LIBOR.

The ARRC’s recommended methodology is intended for use in for USD LIBOR contracts that have incorporated the ARRC’s recommended hardwired fallback language or for legacy USD LIBOR contracts where a spread-adjusted SOFR can…

Following the selection of alternative risk-free rates (RFRs) to replace each of the five LIBOR currencies: SOFR (for USD LIBOR), SONIA (for GBP LIBOR), SARON (for CHF LIBOR), TONAR (for JPY LIBOR) and €STR (for Euro LIBOR), ISDA launched consultations to obtain input from market participants on how to address the adjustments required as a…

On January 21, 2020, the ARRC released a Consultation on spread adjustment methodologies for cash products referencing U.S. dollar (USD) LIBOR. The ARRC indicated that the spread adjustments are intended for use (i) in USD LIBOR contracts that have incorporated the ARRC’s recommended hardwired fallback language, or (ii) for legacy USD LIBOR contracts where a spread-adjusted SOFR can be selected as a fallback. The adjustments seek to establish a  static  spread  adjustment  that  would  be  fixed  at  a  specified  time  at  or  before  LIBOR’s  cessation and would adjust for the historical differences between LIBOR and SOFR and are intended to make the spread-adjusted rate comparable to LIBOR (the ARRC clarified that it is not considering dynamic spread adjustments). In addition to the methodology for determining spread adjustments, the ARRC is requesting comment on whether a “transition period” over which the applicable spread adjustment would be implemented should be included for any cash products in order to smooth the effects of a potentially abrupt transition to a new spread-adjusted rate, which may differ significantly from the rates prevailing at the time LIBOR is discontinued.
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Continue Reading ARRC Consultation on Spread Adjustment Methodologies

On July 27, 2017, the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, Andrew Bailey, announced that the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) may not continue to be available after 2021. Since this announcement, a number of national working groups have been set up, and consultations carried out, to develop and select alternative risk-free rates (RFRs) to replace LIBOR.
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Continue Reading Update on Benchmarks Reform in Derivatives