by Quantifi & Intel

New challenges in the financial markets driven by changes in market structure and regulations and accounting rules like Basel III, EMIR, Dodd Frank, MiFID II, Solvency II, IFRS 13, IRFS 9, and FRTB have increased demand for higher performance risk and analytics. Problems like XVA require orders of magnitude more calculations for accurate results. This demand for higher performance has put a focus on how to get the most out of the latest generation of hardware.

Vectorisation is a key tool for dramatically improving the performance of code running on modern CPUs. Vectorisation is the process of converting an algorithm from operating on a single value at a time to operating on a set of values at one time. Modern CPUs provide direct support for vector operations where a single instruction is applied to multiple data (SIMD).

by Dmitry Pugachevsky (Quantifi) and Vlad Ender (Kauri Solutions)

The Basel Committee’s overhaul of the market risk capital framework marks a major change to previous versions. FRTB is likely to have a substantial influence in the way firms are organised, and their approach to measuring and reporting risk. For example, at desk level there will be a requirement to monitor SA capital in addition to IMA. Banks need to decide whether the costs associated with operational and IT change is justified. Are more complex products likely to pay for themselves given the majority of the life of a trade will need to be calculated with SA as opposed to IMA? What is the impact of CVA charges?

by Rahul Patel (Quantifi) and Sol Steinberg (OTC Partners)

The global financial crisis highlighted the importance of liquidity in functioning financial markets. Pre-2008, market participants received easy access to readily available funding and were ill-prepared for events that transpired during the credit crisis. Failure to adequately assess and manage liquidity underpinned major market turmoil, triggering unprecedented liquidity events and the ultimate demise of Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and other financial institutions previously thought too big to fail.

by Marc Adler and Mark Traudt (Quantifi)

The derivatives landscape has evolved greatly over the past few years, driven by the scale and pace of regulatory change, economic unease and competitive pressures. These drivers have heightened the attention on risk technology and operations, forcing firms to re-think their business operating models. Microservices is a new approach to financial technology that optimises evolutionary change at a granular level.

by Quantifi & Cognizant

Over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets continue to be impacted by regulatory changes. These changes are affecting the way financial institutions do business in multiple, interrelated ways. Rising capital requirements are impacting profitability and return on equity. Market participants are now being forced to clear standard OTC trades through Central Counterparties (CCPs) and will soon face margin requirements for the remaining, nonstandard, uncleared derivatives.