Clearstream and Cetip launch collateral management outsourcing service

JOINT PRESS RELEASE: New service goes live mid-July 2011/More security for the Brazilian OTC derivative market/Service could be a blueprint for other market infrastructures across the globe

Clearstream and Cetip will launch their collateral management outsourcing offering in mid-July 2011. The new service is designed for the Brazilian market and will enable Cetip clients to efficiently handle their collateral exposure in their time zone and real-time, thus strengthening their risk profiles across OTC derivative activities. The service will build on Clearstream’s proven collateral management infrastructure. It will be offered on a fully automated basis incorporating auto-allocation, auto-substitutions and optimisation of the underlying collateral, leveraging the full benefit of collateralization.

The triparty collateral management service will initially focus on the collateralization of OTC derivative exposures managed via Cetip. The service will enable Brazilian participants to mobilize, domestically, assets eligible at Cetip and SELIC, the central depository of securities issued by the National Treasury and the Brazilian central bank. In a second phase, it is envisaged also to target assets eligible at Clearstream in order to fulfil collateral obligations out of an enlarged collateral pool.

Jeffrey Tessler, CEO of Clearstream, said: “Efficient handling of collateral continues to be a major industry concern around the globe. We have developed a pioneering solution with and for Cetip that can serve as blueprint for other market infrastructures. The model we have developed with Cetip is subject to great interest in the international financial community, mainly due to its unique and innovative character. We will also continue to grow our collateral pool, the Global Liquidity Hub, to further increase the attractiveness of this service.”

Luiz Fernando Vendramini Fleury, CEO of Cetip, said: “The triparty collateral management system developed with Clearstream meets the needs of both market participants and our local regulatory bodies. The new service helps to increase liquidity in a more secure and transparent manner – and at lower cost. The collateral management service provided by an authorized outsourced company and under the supervision of the regulating bodies brings more security to the Brazilian OTC derivative market.”

The registration of OTC derivatives has been mandatory in Brazil since 1994. Brazil is therefore almost two decades ahead of other major economies, i.e. Europe, where the registration of OTC derivatives will be mandatory from 1 January 2013 with the implementation of a new regulation by the European Securities and Market Authority (ESMA). According to the International Association of Swaps and Derivatives (ISDA), In Europe, following the crisis, more than 70 percent of operations are collateralized against less than 10 percent in Brazil. Easier access to the collateral management services will therefore result in a much more secure and stable Brazilian market. More than 75 percent of the OTC derivatives of the Brazilian market is registered with Cetip.

Collateral is kind of a “guarantee” that market participants ask for in order to secure exposures resulting from financial transactions. It is therefore an enabler for liquidity, transparency and sound and sustainable risk management practices. In the market environment following the global financial crisis collateral has become very scarce. Accordingly, it is key for every market player to efficiently handle the use of collateral and to release or access collateral within the shortest timeframe possible. Consolidation of collateral pools is a global trend. Clearstream has created the “Global Risk Management and Liquidity Hub” – a collateral pool – that major institutions like banks, financial institutions, central banks, central counterparties (CCPs) and infrastructure providers are connected to.


About Clearstream

Clearstream is the global liquidity provider within Deutsche Börse Group. As an international central securities depository (ICSD) headquartered in Luxembourg, Clearstream provides the post-trade infrastructure for the Eurobond market and services for securities from 52 domestic markets worldwide, including Brazil. Its services include the issuance, settlement and custody of securities, as well as investment fund services and global securities financing (GSF). With approximately 2,500 customers in more than 110 countries and more than €11 trillion in assets under custody, Clearstream is one of the world’s largest settlement and custody firms for domestic and international securities.

Clearstream is one of only four global providers of collateral management services. The company offers a wide range of collateral management services together with a suite of securities lending products under the Global Securities Financing services. In May 2011, the GSF monthly average outstanding reached a volume of €552.7 billion, illustrating the growing importance of secured financing and the continued search for a centralized collateral pool. Clearstream’s approach to create a Global Liquidity and Risk Management Hub for the industry allows the company to offer a highly automated, smooth and safe environment for its clients, i.e. borrowers, lenders, and those dealing with bonds, cash, equities or funds – or any participant collateralising those assets.

About Cetip

Cetip is the Brazilian central securities depository (CSD) which operates the leading marketplace for fixed income securities and over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives in Latin America. Cetip integrates the financial market. It is a publicly-held company that offers registration, custody, trading and settlement of assets and securities. By solutions in technology and infrastructure, it grants liquidity, safety and transparence for financial operations, contributing to the sustainable development of the market and the Brazilian society. The Company is also Latin America’s largest depositary of fixed income securities and Brazil’s largest private assets clearinghouse.

More than 15 thousand institutions use Cetip’s services, including investment funds, commercial, multiple and investment banks, brokers and distributors, lenders, consortiums, leasers and real estate credit companies, credit cooperatives and foreign investors, and non-financial companies, such as foundations, vehicle dealers and insurance companies. Millions of individuals are benefited each day by the Company’s products and services, such as EFT processing and DOC clearing, as well as lien services, bank deposit certificates (CDBs) and fixed income securities.

Related links
Clearstream website (www.clearstream.com)
Cetip website (www.cetip.com.br)