Huh? So how do you explain that all the mkt participants, including yours truly, heard of the coming changes yesterday afternoon, well ahead of the official announcement this morning? What the heck do you mean there is no haircut? You're not aware of the terminology used in the repo market for margin? Let me enlighten you... The sort of "margin/capital reserve" you're referring to is called "repo haircut" in the short-term funding mkt.Quote from Ed Breen:
Martinghoul, you are spreading misinformation. There is no 'haircut' in the London Clearing House (LCH) move and there was no informal private then public disclosure...that is all crap.
LCH.Clearnet (along w/CCG) is (among other things) a repo clearing house. They have raised haircuts on Italian repo trades that clear through them. It was not "known" that they will do as their stated criteria include, but are not limited to, the yield spread (includes sov CDS levels, ironically). Finally, it's not 4.5% over German debt, but rather a spread to a basket of AAA Eurozone sovereigns (France, Holland, Germany, etc).They, as the clearing house for the trades, simply raised the capital reserve for dealers margin accounts on trading Italian debt...which was a predicted and prudent move as the spread between Italian debt and German debt exceeded 4.5%...It was known for days that if the spread reached that level the LCH would have to raise margin requirements and so they did. It was predictible to anyone who understood these markets. It is ridiculous and misleading to call that adjustment 'shenanigans.'
Anything will help the PIIGS.A 50 basis point reduction from the ECB would not help the PIIGS because it will do noting to make there debt attractive...but it will be good for the dollar and then after the margin calls, for gold.
Generally, could you pls refrain from telling me things about my mkt that you clearly don't know and understand all that well?
