Background: The financial crisis of 2007-2010 had a massive impact on the financial markets worldwide. The crisis was partly blamed on the credit derivatives collateralized debt obligations and credit default swaps. These instruments were used to create leverage and speculation, which led to uncertainty in the financial system worldwide. There has been no recent documentation of how credit derivatives are used in Swedish banks, and what risks and opportunities they bring along. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe the use of credit derivatives in Swedish banks, what benefits and risks they may generate and how the recent financial crisis has affected their use. Research Method: This is a qualitative multiple case study which uses an inductive approach. The study covers four cases, three of the largest Swedish commercial banks, and a bank that specializes on international financing. Seven people working in different fields in these banks have been interviewed. Conclusions: Credit derivatives are mostly used for hedging in Swedish banks, which mainly involves the use of credit default swaps, and sometimes iTraxx. Purely speculative trades are rare. The risks that arise are mainly due to lack of transparency in OTC trading, and abusive use of these instruments. Credit derivatives greatly facilitate risk management in banks. Regulations have increased since the financial crisis and the demand for more complex products greatly decreased.

Credit derivative market has experienced an exponential growth during the last 10 years with credit default swap (CDS) as an undoubted leader within this group. CDS contract is a bilateral agreement where the seller of the financial instrument provides the buyer the right to get reimbursed in case of the default in exchange for a continuous payment expressed as a CDS spread multiplied by the notional amount of the underlying debt. Originally invented to transfer the credit risk from the risk-averse investor to that one who is more prone to take on an additional risk, recently the instrument has been actively employed by the speculators betting on the financial health of the underlying obligation. It is believed that CDS contributed to the recent turmoil on financial markets and served as a weapon of mass destruction exaggerating the systematic risk. However, the latest attempts to curb the destructive force of the credit derivative for the market by means of enhancing the regulation over the instrument, bringing it on the stock-exchange and solving the transparency issue might approve CDS in the face of investor who seeks to diminish the risk of his financial portfolio. In our thesis we provide empirical evidence of CDS ability to fulfil the diversification function in the portfolio of such credit sensitive claims as bonds and stocks. Our data for the empirical analysis consist of 12 European companies whose debt underlies the most frequently traded single-name CDS with the maturity of 5 years. Through multivariate vector autoregressive models we have tested the intertemporal relation between stock returns, CDS and bond spreads changes as well as the magnitude of this relation depending on the stock market state.   The results we have achieved for our sample are the following: 1) stock returns are mainly negatively related to the CDS and bond spread changes; 2) stock returns are the least affected by both credit spread changes, whereas changes in bond spreads are the best explained by the stock and CDS market movements; 3) the strength of the relation between three variables differs over the time: the relationship between stock returns and CDS spreads is the most dominant during the pre and post-crisis periods, while during the financial crisis time the relation between stock returns and bond spread changes as well as that of between both credit spreads comes to the foreground.   The above described relations between the three markets serve as a proof of the possibility to work out diversification strategies employing CDS. During the time of turbulence on the markets the investor may exert bigger diversification gains with the help of CDS. Thus, in spite of all the recent blame of the instrument from the investor perspective it is still remains one of the sources of profit.

This paper empirically explores how the introduction of Credit Default Swap (CDS) trading affects firm systematic risk. By treating the introduction as an event study and imploring propensity score matching and difference-in-differences analysis, this research finds that firm exposure to market risk increases after the introduction of CDS instruments, controlling for higher debt levels. These findings change, however, in times of financial crisis when the impact of CDS trading actually reduces systematic risk. These results show that CDS introduction enables a firm to more dramatically change its exposure to systematic risk in comparison to its counterpart to reflect market conditions.

Thesis (doctoral)--University of St. Gallen, 2008.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität St. Gallen, 2009.

Η τρέχουσα χρηματοπιστωτική κρίση, έδωσε τη δυνατότητα σε μεγάλο αριθμό ερευνητών να προσπαθησουν να ερμηνεύσουν συγκεκριμένες διαδικασίες που εμφανίζονται σε αυτή την κατάσταση. Ενδιαφέρον αποτελεί η σχέση μεταξύ κρατικών ομολόγων και των CDS. Η ακόλουθη εργασία θα προσπαθήσει μέσα από θεωρητική και εμπειρική ανάλυση να μελετήσει το ασφάλιστρο κινδύνου μεταξύ των δύο μέσων με τη χρήση της θεωρητικών οικονομετρικών μεθόδων. / The current financial crisis, has enabled a large number of researchers trying to interpret specific processes that occur in it. Such interest is the relationship between government bonds and CDS. The following study will attempt to theoretical and empirical study of co-movements of the spread between the two instruments with the use of theoretical econometric methods.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Departamento de Economia, 2011. / Submitted by Shayane Marques Zica (marquacizh@uol.com.br) on 2011-09-12T20:34:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_RodrigoCaldasGonçalves.pdf: 805939 bytes, checksum: 362aab0bea917f3c353b5ea5c9f18b29 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by LUCIANA SETUBAL MARQUES DA SILVA(lucianasetubal@bce.unb.br) on 2011-09-20T15:04:47Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_RodrigoCaldasGonçalves.pdf: 805939 bytes, checksum: 362aab0bea917f3c353b5ea5c9f18b29 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-09-20T15:04:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_RodrigoCaldasGonçalves.pdf: 805939 bytes, checksum: 362aab0bea917f3c353b5ea5c9f18b29 (MD5) / Este trabalho aborda o modelo de precificação do CDS de emissões soberanas, proposto por Remolona in ‘A Ratings Based Approach to Measuring Sovereign Risk’ (International Journal of Finance and Economics, vol. 13, issue 1, 26-39) como forma de evidenciar parcelas do risco soberano não amparadas pela perda esperada, calculada de acordo com o rating soberano dos emissores, originando o que a literatura acadêmica chama de Credit Spread Puzzle. Foi avaliado o modelo para CDS com maturidades de 2, 3, 5, 7 e 10 anos, para grupos de 7 e 8 países emergentes, incluindo-se sempre o Brasil, considerando os períodos entre janeiro de 2002 e junho de 2006, e janeiro de 2002 e junho de 2010, utilizando para tal regressões em painel. Complementarmente, foram realizadas regressões lineares individuais pelo método OLS de 12 países, sendo 10 emergentes e 2 da zona do Euro que atualmente enfrentam problemas em relação à gestão de suas dívidas externas. Foi também avaliado o comportamento do indicador de Volatilidade VIX, elaborado pela Chicago Board of Options Exchange, e as implicações que possui na formação do CDS. Com base em dados de expectativas de perdas de todos os países, calculado com base no rating individual divulgado pela agência de classificação de Risco Moody’s, e nos CDS dos diversos países analisados, foi calculada individualmente a parcela de prêmio decorrente de perdas inesperadas, ou prêmio de risco, e feita análise comparativa com o prêmio de risco brasileiro. Os resultados mostraram que o modelo proposto por Remolona sofreu forte influência da crise subprime ocorrida entre 2008 e 2009, o que mudou os parâmetros dos coeficientes da regressão em painel, sem, no entanto, invalidar o modelo. Foi constatado que existem restrições para aplicação do modelo aos CDS individualmente, não sendo confiável sua utilização sem adaptações. Foi constatada a existência de autocorrelação de resíduos, demonstrando que existem fatores que não foram incluídos na modelagem. Em relação à análise de prêmios, constatou-se que o Brasil, se comparado aos demais países avaliados, vem apresentando significativas melhoras na taxa de CDS, além de ter apresentado perdas menores em razão da crise do subprime, principalmente nas maturidades de 2, 3 e 5 anos, indicando uma incompatibilidade entre as perdas esperadas, e consequentemente a classificação de risco atribuída, e a precificação feita pelo mercado, sendo que muitas vezes a última apresentou valor inferior à precificação esperada. _______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT / This paper discusses the model for pricing sovereign CDS emissions proposed by Remolona in 'A Ratings Based Approach to Measuring Sovereign Risk' (International Journal of Finance and Economics, vol. 13, issue 1, 26-39) as a way of showing portions of sovereign risk is not supported by the expected loss calculated in accordance with the sovereign rating of the issuers, resulting in what the academic literature calls the Credit Spread Puzzle. We evaluated the model for CDS with maturities of 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years, for groups of 7 and 8 developing countries, always including Brazil, considering the periods between January 2002 and June 2006 and January 2002 and June 2010, using such panel regressions. In addition, individual linear regressions were performed by OLS from 12 countries, 10 emerging and 2 of the Eurozone which currently face problems in relation to the management of foreign debts. It was also rated the behavior of the VIX volatility indicator, developed by the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, and the implications it has on the formation of the CDS. Based on data from expected losses of all countries, calculated on the basis of individual rating issued by rating agency Moody's, and the CDS of the analyzed countries, was calculated individually to share premium arising from unexpected losses, or premium risk, and made comparison with the Brazilian risk premium. The results showed that the model proposed by Remolona was strongly influenced by the subprime crisis that occurred between 2008 and 2009, which changed the parameters of the regression coefficients in the panel, without, however, invalidate the model. It was noted that restrictions apply to individual CDS, its use is not reliable without adaptations. It has been found the existence of autocorrelation of residues, demonstrating that there are factors that were not included in the modeling. On the analysis of premiums, it was found that Brazil, as compared to other countries evaluated, has shown significant improvements in the rate of CDS, and also presented lower losses due to subprime crisis, primarily with maturities of 2, 3 and 5 years, indicating a mismatch between the expected losses, and consequently the risk ratings assigned, and pricing by the market, and often the latter showed a value below the expected pricing.

This thesis consists of one hedge fund study and two credit default swap (CDS) studies. The first study investigates the relationship between mega hedge funds (the largest 25% of funds) and two bond yields (U.S. Treasury yield and Baa yield). Using a merged sample of 9,725 hedge funds from 1994 to 2012, I find that hedge fund outflow produced a more significant relationship than inflow, and the dollar outflow of large hedge funds can predict the increase in the bond yields. The association is also more pronounced for large funds with a short notice period prior to redemption. The results suggest that hedge fund flows provide predictive information for the movement of bond yields. The second study investigates the systematic and firm-specific credit and liquidity risks of CDS spreads. Using data on CDS spreads of 356 U.S. firms from 2002 to 2011, I find that systematic credit and liquidity risks are important in cross-sectional prediction of CDS spreads. In addition, the importance of systematic liquidity risk becomes substantial since the financial crisis in 2007. This finding challenges the current Basel III procedures for counterparty credit risk regulations, in which only pure default should be used. In addition, the systematic credit and liquidity factors can be used as a proxy for CDS spreads of firms that do not have traded CDSs. The last study extends Carr and Wu (2010), in which deep out-of-the-money (DOOM) put options and CDSs are associated as they both provide credit insurance for credit protection buyers. Using the Nelson-Siegel (1987) model, I obtain the credit and illiquidity components for DOOMs and CDSs over the period from May 2002 to May 2012. I show that, after controlling the factors that explain the difference between the DOOM and CDS markets, the components converge over time in these two markets. Thus, I can exploit the observed convergence pattern by constructing a simple trading strategy, and this benchmark strategy produces a positive return. I further construct two other strategies based on the component information, and these two refined strategies outperform the benchmark strategy by the Sharpe ratio and Carhart alpha. My three studies contribute to the literature in hedge fund systemic risk and CDS credit and liquidity risks.

Vymezení CDO jako samostatného druhu sekuritizace a porovanání se sekuritizaci tradiční. Vymezení základních parametrů (kreditní struktura, účel vytvoření, struktura tranší, podkladová aktiva), které charakterizují CDO a systematizace CDO dle uvedených parametrů. Vysvětlení specifik vybraných struktur (Cash Flow, Market Value, Syntetická CDO) a rizik s nimi spojených. Popis kolaterálu a specifik struktury Structured Finance CDO.

In this thesis, we study how sovereign credit default swaps are able to measure systemic risk as well as how they can be used to construct optimal portfolios to minimize risk. We define the clustering coefficient as a proxy for systemic risk and design an optimization problem with the goal of minimizing the mean absolute deviation of the clustering coefficient on a group of nine European countries. Additionally, we define a metric we call the diversity score that measures the diversification of any given portfolio. We solve this problem for a baseline set of parameters, then spend the remainder of the thesis modifying these parameters to investigate how the optimal solution and diversity score are impacted.