LBMA gets a lifeline
By Alasdair Macleod
The draft PRA rules complying with Basel 3 regulations have now
been issued six months ahead of their implementation to allow banks to
adjust for them in time. From now, senior bankers, their lawyers and
bank treasury managers will be planning amendments to their business
strategies accordingly.
As a division of the
Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority recognises the
importance of gold trading in London and has inserted a clause into the
new rules (Article 428f) which will allow the LBMA’s centralised
settlement system to continue to function. But in line with Basel 3’s
apparent determination to get banking’s exposure to uneven derivative
positions substantially reduced, net positions in precious metal
derivatives in the form of forwards and swaps will be penalised through
their inefficient use of balance sheet resources and will likely be
replaced by transactions fully backed by physical gold.
The
LBMA has been thrown a lifeline but will likely have to refocus from
forward derivatives to physical bullion backed trading. By responding
positively to these developments, the LBMA and its membership can retain
and build on their pre-eminent position in global precious metals
markets.
This article points out that the market
value of forward derivatives in gold is currently the equivalent of
8,675 tonnes. While it would be incorrect to think it will all translate
into new bullion demand, there is little doubt that if Basel 3 leads to
the demise of the London forwards market, it will lead in turn to a
significant replacement in the form of physical demand.
This
article also looks at the broader picture for banking in the light of
the PRA’s new regulations as well as the specifics for precious metal
derivatives.
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https://www.goldmoney.com/rese…ghts/lbma-gets-a-lifeline
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