Delivery Amount (VM) - VM CSA Provision

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2016 ISDA Credit Support Annex (VM) (English law)
A Jolly Contrarian owner’s manual™

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Paragraph 2(a) in a Nutshell

Use at your own risk, campers!
2(a) Delivery Amount. If the Transferee demands a Delivery Amount at least equal to the Transferor’s Minimum Transfer Amount on (or following) a Valuation Date, the Transferor must transfer Eligible Credit Support with a Value of the Delivery Amount (rounded under Paragraph 11(c)(vi)(B)) to the Transferee. The “Delivery Amount” is the amount by which the Transferee’s Exposure exceeds the Value of the Transferor’s Credit Support Balance on that Valuation Date (adjusted for pending but unsettled transfers).

Full text of Paragraph 2(a)

2(a) Delivery Amount (VM). Subject to Paragraphs 3 and 4, upon a demand made by the Transferee on or promptly following a Valuation Date, if the Delivery Amount (VM) for that Valuation Date equals or exceeds the Transferor’s Minimum Transfer Amount, then the Transferor will transfer to the Transferee Eligible Credit Support (VM) having a Value as of the date of transfer at least equal to the applicable Delivery Amount (VM) (rounded pursuant to Paragraph 11(c)(vi)(B)). Unless otherwise specified in Paragraph 11(c), the “Delivery Amount (VM)” applicable to the Transferor for any Valuation Date will equal the amount by which:
(i) the Transferee’s Exposure
exceeds
(ii) the Value as of that Valuation Date of the Transferor’s Credit Support Balance (VM) (adjusted to include any prior Delivery Amount (VM) and to exclude any prior Return Amount (VM) , the transfer of which, in either case, has not yet been completed and for which the relevant Regular Settlement Day falls on or after such Valuation Date).


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Content and comparisons

Now the interesting thing here is the difference that pledged collateral under the 2016 NY Law VM CSA makes over title-transferred collateral regime of the 2016 VM CSA. You will see the difference in the 2016 NY Law VM CSA’s Delivery Amount, which is the positive difference between Secured Party’s Exposure and the value of Posted Credit Support held by the Secured Party — easy, right? — and 2016 VM CSA’s equivalent provision which is the positive difference between the Transferee’s Exposure and the Credit Support Balance adjusted to exclude any inflight but unsettled collateral movements.

The 2016 VM CSA is a bit more leaden in how it describes things but these amount to the same thing: you don’t get any credit (support) for collateral until it has landed with the other party. This creates some curious scenarios, as you will see if you read on. 3(a)2(a)

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Summary

Calculating Delivery Amounts and Return Amounts

Differences between 1995 CSA and 2016 VM CSA

Note that under a 2016 VM CSA there is no Independent Amount or Threshold, so there is no need for a Credit Support Amount (which is Exposure adjusted by applicable Independent Amounts and Thresholds) — everything keys off the plain old Exposure.

Unless, that is, you have retrofitted your 2016 VM CSA to include Independent Amounts. The below assumes you have done that. Because some genius in your credit department will have decided this is really important. If you haven’t, it is a bit easier: just substitute “Credit Support Amount” for “Exposure”. For more on this stimulating topic, see Credit Support Amount (VM/IA).

Delivery Amounts

First: work out your Credit Support Amount. This is:

Transferee’s Exposure + Net Independent Amounts (IF ANY)[1]

Second: calculate the Value of the Transferor’s Credit Support Balance. This is basically the prevailing value of the Eligible Credit Support (and income on it) that the Transferor has ponied up at that time.
Third: Deduct the Credit Support Balance from the Credit Support Amount. Fourth: If the difference from the sum you did in (3):

is less than zero, KEEP QUIET. If you are lucky, the other guy won’t ask you for a Return Amount.
is more than zero but less than the Minimum Transfer Amount, also KEEP QUIET. No Delivery Amount for you today, because you haven’t exceeded the Minimum Transfer Amount, so you are not entitled to one.
is more than the Minimum Transfer Amount you can demand the whole amount (I.e., not just the bit over the MTA).

Return Amounts

Basically the converse of a Delivery Amount. In this case you deduct the Credit Support Amount from the Credit Support Balance.

What about in-flight Credit Support deliveries?

So yesterday you met a margin call by delivering a bond the standard settlement cycle for which means it won’t arrive till the day after tomorrow. How is this “in-flight collateral” treated for today’s margin call?

It’s treated as if you have already made it. This is the significance of the parenthetical:

(adjusted to include any prior Delivery Amount and to exclude any prior Return Amount, the transfer of which, in either case, has not yet been completed and for which the relevant Settlement Day falls on or after such Valuation Date).

However, if your counterparty fails in the meantime (before the bond has settled, and assuming ultimately it never does), it would count as an Unpaid Amount which would factor into your close-out calculation.

At first, this seems odd, but the risk is a time value risk associated with the collateral, not a counterparty risk per se. You accepted it when you agreed to Eligible Credit Support with a long settlement cycle in the first place. If you don’t want that time-value risk, don’t agree to collateral with a long settlement cycle.

Picturesque speech

Bonus learning for free: In arithmetic, a sum being subtracted is the “subtrahend” and the sum it is being subtracted from is the “minuend”.

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General discussion

CSA transfer timings

This is how the timing works for CSA transfers.

Terminology check: to make this easy, we refer to both 2016 VM CSAs and 2016 VM CSAs as “2016 VM CSAs”. This cuts out a lot of “Delivery Amount and/or Return Amount as the case may be” nonsense. The date on which someone demands a 2016 VM CSA we call a “2016 VM CSA”.

To be clear, neither Demand Date nor 2016 VM CSA are “ISDA canon”.

Remember the 2016 VM CSA is simply the person making the demand.

  1. Value 2016 VM CSA and 2016 VM CSA: Firstly, value what you are going to call: the 2016 VM CSA under para 2016 VM CSA or 2016 VM CSA. This is roughly 2016 VM CSA - 2016 VM CSA (or vice versa).
    1. Under 2016 VM CSA, the 2016 VM CSA will transfer 2016 VM CSA having a 2016 VM CSA as of the date of transfer of the 2016 VM CSA.
    2. Per the 2016 VM CSA provision, all calculations happen at the 2016 VM CSA. Fluctuations in value after that time won’t invalidate the 2016 VM CSA, but they may mean a party can immediately call for more 2016 VM CSA (that is, have another 2016 VM CSA).
    3. The 2016 VM CSA keys off the 2016 VM CSA.[2]
  2. 2016 VM CSA: On or promptly following any 2016 VM CSA (it need not be a 2016 VM CSA) on which the 2016 VM CSA has moved in its favour, one party may demand a 2016 VM CSA (para 2(a)) or a 2016 VM CSA (para 2(b)).
  3. 2016 VM CSA: Under para 2016 VM CSA (2016 VM CSA) if the demand is received before the 2016 VM CSA on a 2016 VM CSA that is a 2016 VM CSA the transfer must be made by close of business on the related Regular Settlement Day.[3] If received after the 2016 VM CSA or on a non-2016 VM CSA, the transfer must be made by close of business on the Regular Settlement Day relating to the day[4] after the Demand Date.
  4. Settlement Day: Here is where things differ materially between the 1995 CSA and the 2016 VM CSA.
    1. 1995 CSA: The Settlement Day for any day (whether or not it is a 2016 VM CSA) is:
      1. Cash: for cash, the next 2016 VM CSA and,
      2. Securities: for securities, the 2016 VM CSA after the date on which a trade in the relevant security, if effected on the day in question, would have been settled in accordance with customary practice.
    2. 2016 VM CSA: In the new world we have the new concept of the Regular Settlement Day, and this is the same Local Business Day as the Demand Date. The run-off text at the end of Paragraph 3(a) gives you a little more flex: if the demand came after the Notification Time, then you must make the transfer by close on the Regular Settlement Day for the next day. Just how the business days interact under the ISDA and CSA is about as complicated as string theory, by the way. For a cheat’s guide, see How business days work under the CSA. You’re welcome!
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See also

Template:M sa 2016 CSA 2(a)

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References

  1. In the 2016 VM CSA there really shouldn’t be IA as it kind of defeats the regulatory goal of marking actual exposures to market, but there may be, since ISDA caved and retrofitted the 2016 VM CSA with a an Independent Amount section
  2. Under the 1995 CSA you may specify either close of business on the Valuation Date or the Local Business Day immediately before it. Under the 2016 VM CSA you have flexibility to determine the Valuation Time as at the point you close your book each day.
  3. The “Settlement Day” under the 1995 CSA is slightly different.
  4. Note: ordinary day, not Local Business Day