Euroclear announces today that a Memorandum of Understanding has just been signed with Newedge UK Financial Limited ('Newedge') and EuroMTS Ltd. ('MTS') to promote Euroclear's global Collateral Highway as a means to manage collateral for triparty repo transactions conducted on the Newedge/MTS Agency Cash Management (ACM) platform in Europe.
ACM is a market-led, FSA-regulated platform launched by Newedge and MTS in January 2012. It is the only auction-driven platform for triparty repo transactions between cash and collateral providers geared towards the institutional repo market. Cash providers are generally hedge funds, pension funds, corporates, central banks, family offices, investment managers and bank treasurers, whereas collateral providers are usually investment banks, commercial banks and asset managers.
Tim Howell, Chief Executive Officer of Euroclear, said: "The agreement with Newedge and MTS will go very far in ensuring best execution of Agency Cash Management triparty repo deals on a straight-through basis. Given the caution with which market participants are managing risk in the current environment, the Collateral Highway helps cash givers and receivers mitigate counterparty risk by easily collateralising credit exposures with diversified pools of securities on a segregated basis. We are delighted to work closely with Newedge and MTS as a post-trade provider for the Agency Cash Management market. We are well equipped to work with even more counterparties, including non-bank institutions, to bring additional and welcome liquidity to the European repo markets."
Jack Jeffery, Chief Executive Officer of MTS, said: "The ACM platform was launched in response to demand from customers for secured money market investments and the transparency offered by electronic trading. We recognise the sophistication and appeal of Euroclear's Collateral Highway and the advantages it will bring to our present and future participants. The Agency Cash Management market will significantly benefit from this initiative."
Nicolas Breteau, Chief Executive Officer of Newedge, said: "The new regulatory framework brings significant changes to the way institutional investors manage cash and collateral. Linking the ACM platform with Euroclear's Collateral Highway creates a unique solution that helps participants to maximise the efficiency and transparency of their repo transactions and to meet all pre- and post-trade, operational and inventory management obligations."
The Memorandum of Understanding also covers an agreement to jointly market the service and educate existing and potential non-bank clients on the ease and safety with which they can engage in triparty repo transactions.