[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 178 (Thursday, September 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48191-48192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23344]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-37656; File No. SR-GSCC-96-06]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Government Securities Clearing 
Corporation; Order Approving a Proposed Rule Change Permitting All 
Netting Members To Receive Credit Forward Mark Adjustment Payments

September 6, 1996.
    On June 15, 1996, the Government Securities Clearing Corporation 
(``GSCC'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``Commission'') a proposed rule change (File No. SR-GSCC-96-06) 
pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act'') \1\ to allow all netting members to receive credit forward 
mark adjustment payments. Notice of the

[[Page 48192]]

proposal was published in the Federal Register on July 29, 1996.\2\ One 
comment letter was received.\3\ For the reasons discussed below, the 
Commission is approving the proposed rule change.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1) (1988).
    \2\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 37461 (July 19, 1996), 
61 FR 39492.
    \3\ Letter from Santo C. Maggio, President, Refco Securities, 
Inc., to Jonathan Katz, Secretary, Commission (July 12, 1996).
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I. Description

    The rule change amends GSCC Rule 13 to permit all netting members 
to receive credit forward mark adjustment payments from GSCC pursuant 
to GSCC's funds-only settlement process.\4\ Currently, GSCC collects 
forward mark adjustment payments from those netting members with a 
negative forward mark adjustment on a particular business day with 
regard to a particular CUSIP and remits forward mark adjustment 
payments to eligible category one dealer and bank netting members that 
are in a positive forward mark position with regard to such CUSIP. Each 
member's forward mark adjustment is recalculated each day with any 
debit or credit from the previous day reversed, and a new forward mark 
adjustment payment obligation is established. Only cash can be used to 
fund forward mark adjustment payments because GSCC passes through 
credit forward mark adjustment payments.
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    \4\ The forward mark adjustment is a daily mark-to-market 
process for all net settlement positions designed to account for 
GSCC's ongoing exposure on each forward net settlement position. 
Because GSCC novates and guarantees forward settling trades prior to 
the settlement of such trades, GSCC incurs multi-day settlement 
exposure on such trades. To mitigate this risk, GSCC collects from 
each netting member on a daily basis an amount equivalent to the 
difference between the contract value of the netting member's 
positions and GSCC's system value based on current market values 
(``collateral mark''). GSCC also collects a financing mark based on 
the rate for all forward repurchase and reverse repurchase 
transactions (``repos'') which is equal to the product of the market 
value of the repo, GSCC's system repo rate, and the repo term. A 
member's forward mark adjustment payment is the sum of all 
collateral marks and all financing marks.
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    Section 1 of GSCC Rule 13 previously provided that only category 
one dealer netting members and bank netting members that have been 
members for at least sixty calendar days are entitled to receive credit 
forward mark adjustment payments. This limitation was put into effect 
in connection with the implementation of GSCC's netting service for 
repurchase transactions (``repo'').\5\ Under the rule change, all 
netting members are eligible to receive credit forward mark adjustment 
payments, and the sixty day waiting period has been eliminated.
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    \5\ GSCC believed that limiting credit pass throughs in 
connection with the implementation of the netting service for repos 
was a prudent measure to ensure that the revised forward mark 
adjustment process did not pose undue risk to GSCC. For a complete 
description of GSCC's repo netting system, refer to Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 36491 (November 17, 1995), 60 FR 49649 
[File No. SR-GSCC-95-02] (order approving proposed rule change 
implementing GSCC's netting services for non-same-day-settling 
aspects of next-day and term repo transactions).
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    Although all netting members are now eligible to receive credit 
forward mark adjustment payments, special provisions apply to category 
two dealer netting members and category two futures commission merchant 
(``FCM'') netting members. Under GSCC's current rules, category two 
dealer netting members and category two FCM netting members are 
required to provide GSCC with additional clearing fund margin 
protection \6\ in part because of the more modest minimum net worth 
requirements for these types of netting members.\7\
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    \6\ Category two dealer and FCM netting members have applicable 
margin factors as set by GSCC's Board of Directors which can be no 
lower than ninety-nine percent of historical one day price 
volatility. All other GSCC members have applicable margin factors as 
set by GSCC's Board of Directors which can be no lower than ninety-
five percent of historical one day price volatility.
    \7\ For example, category two dealer netting members and FCM 
netting members must maintain a net worth of $25 million, but 
category one banks and category one dealers and FCMs must maintain a 
minimum net worth of $100 million and $50 million, respectively.
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    Accordingly, the rule change provides that each category two dealer 
netting member and category two FCM netting member now have an option 
as to whether it wishes to (i) receive credit forward mark adjustment 
payments and have the haircut applicable to its clearing fund deposit 
raised from the current levels to levels that are based on historical 
two day volatility designed to cover ninety-five percent of price 
movements, as determined by using the greater of the price movements 
from the last quarter or the last year, or (ii) not receive credit 
forward mark adjustment payments and retain its current clearing fund 
margin level.

II. Comment Letters

    One comment letter was received with regard to the proposed rule 
change from Refco Securities, Inc. (``Refco'').\8\ In its letter 
supporting the proposed rule change, Refco stated that it is an active 
participant in the government securities market and wants to 
participate in the repo netting process in the same manner as other 
dealers but as a category two dealer netting member it is unable to do 
so because it is not eligible to receive credit forward mark adjustment 
payments.
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    \8\ Supra note 3.
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III. Discussion

    Section 17A(b)(3)(F) \9\ of the Act requires that the rules of a 
clearing agency be designed to assure the safeguarding of securities 
and funds which are in the custody or control of the clearing agency or 
for which it is responsible. The Commission believes that the proposed 
rule change is consistent with GSCC's obligations under Section 17A of 
the Act.
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    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78q-1(b)(3)(F) (1988).
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    The rule change should permit GSCC to deliver credit forward mark 
adjustment payments to all netting members while still assuring the 
safeguarding of securities and funds within its custody or control. 
GSCC has gained some experience with the new forward mark adjustment 
process since the implementation of the process in November 1995 and is 
now better able to assess its liquidity needs. Furthermore, GSCC will 
only permit category two dealer and FCM netting members to receive 
credit forward mark adjustment payments if such netting members 
maintain additional clearing fund margin. If any such netting member 
elects to receive credit forward mark adjustment payments, the increase 
in the netting member's margin factors should help ensure that GSCC has 
sufficient collateral if such netting member defaults on its settlement 
obligations.

III. Conclusion

    On the basis of the foregoing, the Commission finds that the 
proposed rule change is consistent with the requirements of the Act and 
in particular Section 17A of the Act and the rules and regulations 
thereunder.
    It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act, 
that the proposed rule change (File No. SR-GSCC-96-06) be and hereby is 
approved.

    For the Commission by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\10\
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    \10\17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12) (1996).
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Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-23344 Filed 9-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M