July 20, 2016

The war on markets continued today with the arrest of Mark Johnson, HSBC’s global head of foreign exchange cash trading in London:

The two allegedly conspired to take advantage of inside information about an unidentified company’s plans to sell part of its stake in an Indian subsidiary, according to the complaint. The client was Cairn Energy Plc, which was selling the unit to Vedanta Resources Plc, according to people with knowledge of the transaction. HSBC was hired to trade about $3.5 billion in proceeds of the sale to pounds. Johnson and Scott began buying pounds in the days before the transaction, anticipating that they would cause the price of pounds to spike — a practice known as “ramping” — then execute the transaction, making the pounds they’d bought earlier more valuable, according to the complaint.

Scott and Johnson — his supervisor at the time — told the client the deal should take place at 3 p.m. “so there’s an element of surprise” to get a better rate, according to the complaint, which quoted from recorded phone calls and messages between the two and their client. There was less liquidity at the 3 p.m. fix than the one at 4p.m., making it easier to manipulate, though they told their client they were about the same.

They and other traders they directed ramped the price, sending the pound to its highest in two days at 2:56 p.m. London time. When Scott told Johnson the client was still going ahead with the full transaction despite the spiking price, Johnson said “Ohhhh, f***ing Christmas,” according to the complaint. In the end, HSBC and the men’s internal accounts reaped about $8 million from the front-running, according to Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Robert Capers.

GBPRamping
Click for Big

Well, the main thing that sticks out in this story to me is the fact that whoever it was at Cairn Energy who negotiated this deal is a complete idiot. Converting $3.5-billion into pounds in one trade at one specific time? Didn’t it occur to anybody to think, gee, this is kind of a big trade? It also looks as if this idiot who somehow managed to be in charge of $3.5-billion has no idea whether the guys at HSBC are fiduciaries or counterparties – and the idiot had a responsibility to know that.

The second thing to jump out at me is the question of what the authorities suggest HSBC should have done. They were told to convert $3.5-billion at the 3pm fixing, so they did. As they are not as stupid as the moron at Cairn Energy, they laid off their end in pieces. Does anybody care to guess in the comments what the execution price of the trade would have been if the entire order had been placed electronically as a market order at 2:59:59?

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 0.0000 % 1,666.5
FixedFloater 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 0.0000 % 3,044.4
Floater 4.93 % 4.71 % 91,231 16.03 4 0.0000 % 1,754.5
OpRet 4.84 % -0.85 % 45,539 0.12 1 0.3168 % 2,851.5
SplitShare 5.12 % 5.52 % 98,293 4.58 5 -0.2731 % 3,359.8
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 -0.2731 % 2,621.5
Perpetual-Premium 5.48 % 1.59 % 83,597 0.28 12 0.1527 % 2,680.4
Perpetual-Discount 5.23 % 5.21 % 99,495 15.06 26 0.2963 % 2,829.5
FixedReset 5.02 % 4.37 % 153,164 7.16 88 0.9716 % 2,022.5
Deemed-Retractible 5.01 % 3.58 % 124,194 0.10 33 0.4141 % 2,763.8
FloatingReset 2.92 % 4.53 % 32,112 5.15 11 0.7112 % 2,130.7
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
TD.PR.Z FloatingReset 1.01 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.10
Bid-YTW : 4.45 %
MFC.PR.B Deemed-Retractible 1.04 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.22
Bid-YTW : 5.81 %
TD.PR.T FloatingReset 1.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.07
Bid-YTW : 4.39 %
SLF.PR.D Deemed-Retractible 1.13 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.30
Bid-YTW : 6.17 %
CM.PR.P FixedReset 1.14 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.56
Evaluated at bid price : 18.56
Bid-YTW : 4.13 %
BAM.PR.Z FixedReset 1.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 19.40
Evaluated at bid price : 19.40
Bid-YTW : 4.84 %
BNS.PR.Q FixedReset 1.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.66
Bid-YTW : 3.97 %
TRP.PR.A FixedReset 1.16 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 14.78
Evaluated at bid price : 14.78
Bid-YTW : 4.62 %
CM.PR.O FixedReset 1.18 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.92
Evaluated at bid price : 18.92
Bid-YTW : 4.15 %
RY.PR.I FixedReset 1.18 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.01
Bid-YTW : 3.96 %
SLF.PR.A Deemed-Retractible 1.18 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.92
Bid-YTW : 5.46 %
HSE.PR.E FixedReset 1.19 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 19.62
Evaluated at bid price : 19.62
Bid-YTW : 5.52 %
BAM.PF.B FixedReset 1.19 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 17.89
Evaluated at bid price : 17.89
Bid-YTW : 4.84 %
TD.PF.C FixedReset 1.20 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.60
Evaluated at bid price : 18.60
Bid-YTW : 4.12 %
TRP.PR.H FloatingReset 1.21 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 10.05
Evaluated at bid price : 10.05
Bid-YTW : 4.39 %
BMO.PR.M FixedReset 1.23 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.80
Bid-YTW : 3.81 %
IFC.PR.A FixedReset 1.26 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 15.25
Bid-YTW : 9.70 %
RY.PR.H FixedReset 1.29 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.90
Evaluated at bid price : 18.90
Bid-YTW : 4.12 %
HSE.PR.C FixedReset 1.29 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.03
Evaluated at bid price : 18.03
Bid-YTW : 5.51 %
SLF.PR.E Deemed-Retractible 1.31 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.50
Bid-YTW : 6.09 %
MFC.PR.H FixedReset 1.34 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.01
Bid-YTW : 5.71 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset 1.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 17.97
Evaluated at bid price : 17.97
Bid-YTW : 4.43 %
TRP.PR.C FixedReset 1.36 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 12.63
Evaluated at bid price : 12.63
Bid-YTW : 4.39 %
TD.PF.B FixedReset 1.42 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.62
Evaluated at bid price : 18.62
Bid-YTW : 4.12 %
BAM.PF.F FixedReset 1.44 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 19.76
Evaluated at bid price : 19.76
Bid-YTW : 4.70 %
BMO.PR.T FixedReset 1.45 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.92
Evaluated at bid price : 18.92
Bid-YTW : 4.10 %
TD.PF.D FixedReset 1.46 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 20.22
Evaluated at bid price : 20.22
Bid-YTW : 4.31 %
BAM.PR.X FixedReset 1.46 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 13.89
Evaluated at bid price : 13.89
Bid-YTW : 4.63 %
HSE.PR.G FixedReset 1.49 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 19.76
Evaluated at bid price : 19.76
Bid-YTW : 5.46 %
NA.PR.W FixedReset 1.49 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 17.71
Evaluated at bid price : 17.71
Bid-YTW : 4.36 %
RY.PR.Z FixedReset 1.49 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 19.05
Evaluated at bid price : 19.05
Bid-YTW : 4.04 %
BAM.PF.G FixedReset 1.51 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 20.20
Evaluated at bid price : 20.20
Bid-YTW : 4.63 %
TD.PF.A FixedReset 1.56 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.89
Evaluated at bid price : 18.89
Bid-YTW : 4.06 %
BAM.PF.A FixedReset 1.57 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 19.35
Evaluated at bid price : 19.35
Bid-YTW : 4.78 %
MFC.PR.G FixedReset 1.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.62
Bid-YTW : 7.07 %
TD.PF.E FixedReset 1.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 20.84
Evaluated at bid price : 20.84
Bid-YTW : 4.29 %
RY.PR.M FixedReset 1.63 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 19.95
Evaluated at bid price : 19.95
Bid-YTW : 4.25 %
SLF.PR.B Deemed-Retractible 1.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.19
Bid-YTW : 5.35 %
BMO.PR.S FixedReset 1.68 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 19.32
Evaluated at bid price : 19.32
Bid-YTW : 4.11 %
MFC.PR.K FixedReset 1.73 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.67
Bid-YTW : 8.04 %
FTS.PR.G FixedReset 1.73 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 17.61
Evaluated at bid price : 17.61
Bid-YTW : 4.18 %
BMO.PR.W FixedReset 1.78 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.85
Evaluated at bid price : 18.85
Bid-YTW : 4.08 %
MFC.PR.N FixedReset 1.79 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.76
Bid-YTW : 7.45 %
VNR.PR.A FixedReset 1.91 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.15
Evaluated at bid price : 18.15
Bid-YTW : 4.87 %
MFC.PR.M FixedReset 1.94 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.91
Bid-YTW : 7.40 %
TRP.PR.E FixedReset 1.99 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.45
Evaluated at bid price : 18.45
Bid-YTW : 4.37 %
CU.PR.C FixedReset 2.00 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 17.30
Evaluated at bid price : 17.30
Bid-YTW : 4.53 %
RY.PR.J FixedReset 2.17 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 20.29
Evaluated at bid price : 20.29
Bid-YTW : 4.29 %
FTS.PR.K FixedReset 2.18 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 18.24
Evaluated at bid price : 18.24
Bid-YTW : 4.00 %
MFC.PR.J FixedReset 2.20 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.55
Bid-YTW : 6.93 %
TRP.PR.F FloatingReset 2.23 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 13.30
Evaluated at bid price : 13.30
Bid-YTW : 4.53 %
HSE.PR.A FixedReset 2.25 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 11.80
Evaluated at bid price : 11.80
Bid-YTW : 5.11 %
BAM.PR.T FixedReset 2.42 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 15.66
Evaluated at bid price : 15.66
Bid-YTW : 4.89 %
MFC.PR.I FixedReset 2.51 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.46
Bid-YTW : 6.54 %
FTS.PR.M FixedReset 2.57 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 19.92
Evaluated at bid price : 19.92
Bid-YTW : 4.20 %
BAM.PR.R FixedReset 2.84 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 15.94
Evaluated at bid price : 15.94
Bid-YTW : 4.70 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
BNS.PR.M Deemed-Retractible 484,385 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2016-08-26
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.99
Bid-YTW : 3.58 %
RY.PR.Q FixedReset 121,428 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2021-05-24
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 26.88
Bid-YTW : 3.99 %
RY.PR.R FixedReset 90,134 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2021-08-24
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 27.15
Bid-YTW : 4.09 %
TRP.PR.J FixedReset 71,597 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2021-05-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 26.25
Bid-YTW : 4.55 %
BAM.PF.H FixedReset 59,996 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2020-12-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 26.30
Bid-YTW : 3.81 %
MFC.PR.O FixedReset 57,629 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2021-06-19
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 26.46
Bid-YTW : 4.41 %
There were 31 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
TRP.PR.H FloatingReset Quote: 10.05 – 10.95
Spot Rate : 0.9000
Average : 0.5659

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 10.05
Evaluated at bid price : 10.05
Bid-YTW : 4.39 %

MFC.PR.J FixedReset Quote: 19.55 – 20.12
Spot Rate : 0.5700
Average : 0.3323

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.55
Bid-YTW : 6.93 %

TRP.PR.B FixedReset Quote: 11.56 – 12.34
Spot Rate : 0.7800
Average : 0.5595

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2046-07-20
Maturity Price : 11.56
Evaluated at bid price : 11.56
Bid-YTW : 4.31 %

MFC.PR.L FixedReset Quote: 18.10 – 18.61
Spot Rate : 0.5100
Average : 0.3143

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.10
Bid-YTW : 7.82 %

SLF.PR.I FixedReset Quote: 18.43 – 19.00
Spot Rate : 0.5700
Average : 0.4200

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.43
Bid-YTW : 7.79 %

IAG.PR.G FixedReset Quote: 19.50 – 19.90
Spot Rate : 0.4000
Average : 0.2613

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.50
Bid-YTW : 7.15 %

3 Responses to “July 20, 2016”

  1. maccampb says:

    i’m going to say 2% less than at 3pm.

  2. prepster says:

    So, if front running client orders for personal gain garners a mere (Atlas) shrug, how would front running newsletter recommendations sit with you 😉

  3. jiHymas says:

    “front running”?

    This is a term that has been grossly misused since politicians, regulators and other ignoramuses started looking for a way to bash market makers.

    Properly speaking, the term “front-running” applies only when the front-runner has a fiduciary obligation to the front-runee. That is not the case with this particular set of facts, in which the two parties were dealing with each other as counter-parties.

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