No reuse of assets by depositary - UCITS V Provision: Difference between revisions

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Expect optimistic [[prime brokerage]] [[sales]]folk to argue that the limited exception will cover PB rephypothecation as long as the PB limits itself to 100% of the fund’s [[indebtedness]]. Alas, this is wishful thinking. The permitted exception to the bar on reuse is designed to allow {{tag|UCITS}} funds to participate in fully collateralised [[Agent lender|agent lending]] programmes. In that case a custodian lends client assets into the market on the client’s behalf (and as its [[agent]]) to earn a positive additional return for the fund. This is a very different thing to allowing a prime broker to play with the fund’s assets to defray its own financing costs from its margin lending on those very assets. To wit:
Expect optimistic [[prime brokerage]] [[sales]]folk to argue that the limited exception will cover PB rephypothecation as long as the PB limits itself to 100% of the fund’s [[indebtedness]]. Alas, this is wishful thinking. The permitted exception to the bar on reuse is designed to allow {{tag|UCITS}} funds to participate in fully collateralised [[Agent lender|agent lending]] programmes. In that case a custodian lends client assets into the market on the client’s behalf (and as its [[agent]]) to earn a positive additional return for the fund. This is a very different thing to allowing a prime broker to play with the fund’s assets to defray its own financing costs from its margin lending on those very assets. To wit:
*“[[Reuse]]” is defined to include transfer, sale and loan
*“[[Reuse]]” is defined to include transfer, sale and loan
*“[[Reuse]]” is expressed to be “for the account of” the UCITS. This is consistent with the “reuser” {{ucits5prov|depositary}} acting as ''[[agent]]'' — like, as an [[agent lender]] — on behalf of the fund, rather than as the fund’s [[principal]] (in which case reuse would be for the account of the depositary). [[Agent lending]] is a very different kettle of fish: there, the custodian has not (necessarily) financed the asset — that is to  say, an agent lending arrangement is in no sense a function of the principal’s indebtedness to the {{ucits5prov|depositary}} — but rather is a custodian offering to generate some yield enhancement for its clients by lending their assets out into the market, for a fee, against collateral provided by those market borrowers.
*“[[Reuse]]” is expressed to be “for the account of” the UCITS. This is consistent with the “reuser” {{ucits5prov|depositary}} acting as ''[[agent]]'' — like, as an [[agent lender]] — on behalf of the fund, rather than as the fund’s counterparty or banker (in which case [[reuse]] would be “for the account of the counterparty”, not the fund). [[Agent lending]] is a very different kettle of fish: there, the custodian has not (necessarily) financed the asset — that is to  say, an agent lending arrangement is in no sense a function of the principal’s indebtedness to the {{ucits5prov|depositary}} — but rather is a custodian offering to generate some yield enhancement for its clients by lending their assets out into the market, for a fee, against collateral provided by those market borrowers.
*[[Agent lending]] “[[reuse]]” is, thus, explicitly for the benefit of the fund [[principal]], in that the fund earns a positive return by doing it. The best you could say of {{tag|PB}}-style [[rehypothecation]]  is that the fund avoids a steeper financing charge from the {{tag|PB}} that would be implied were the [[prime broker]] not allowed to [[rehypothecate]] the assets it has financed. In any case {{tag|UCITS}} have fairly strict limits against [[leverage]] so generally shouldn't be financing assets in the first place.
*[[Agent lending]] “[[reuse]]” is, thus, explicitly for the benefit of the fund [[principal]], in that the fund earns a positive return by doing it. The best you could say of {{tag|PB}}-style [[rehypothecation]]  is that the fund avoids a steeper financing charge from the {{tag|PB}} that would be implied were the [[prime broker]] not allowed to [[rehypothecate]] the assets it has financed. In any case {{tag|UCITS}} have fairly strict limits against [[leverage]] so generally shouldn't be financing assets in the first place.
*Likewise, the theory of [[rehypothecation]] is that it isn't [[Collateral|collateralised]], and certainly not with high-quality collateral: to the contrary, the [[prime broker]]’s right to take assets is dependent on the fund’s indebtedness to the PB, so that there is nothing to collateralise. Arguing that by effectively eliminating [[indebtedness]] is kind of like being [[Collateralised transaction - Basel II Provision|collateralised]] (as long as you limit yourself to 100% of [[indebtedness]]) is a stretch.
*Likewise, the theory of [[rehypothecation]] is that it isn't [[Collateral|collateralised]], and certainly not with high-quality collateral: to the contrary, the [[prime broker]]’s right to take assets is dependent on the fund’s indebtedness to the PB, so that there is nothing to collateralise. Arguing that by effectively eliminating [[indebtedness]] is kind of like being [[Collateralised transaction - Basel II Provision|collateralised]] (as long as you limit yourself to 100% of [[indebtedness]]) is a stretch.