Financial Regulatory Forum

By Jonathan Spicer
CHICAGO, Oct 21 (Reuters) – The U.S. commodities regulator’s chief said he would work with lawmakers to toughen new derivatives rules recently approved by two congressional groups, signaling he wants more products run through exchanges and clearinghouses, and few companies exempted from clearing.
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WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) – The U.S. futures regulator said on Friday that proposed legislation to reform rules for the over-the-counter derivatives market should cover a larger share of the $450 trillion market.
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  — John Kemp is a Reuters columnist. The views expressed are his own –

By John Kemp
LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Prominent banks and some business groups have warned policymakers their efforts to force standardised over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives transactions onto futures exchanges and into the clearing system will drive trading offshore and raise the cost of genuine risk-hedging for non-financial firms.
But scaremongering by the finance industry’s well-paid lobbyists about “unintended consequences” should not deter legislators from pressing ahead with a worthwhile reform.

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– John Kemp is a Reuters columnist. The views expressed are his own –

By John Kemp
LONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) – The year-long squeeze in the London Metal Exchange’s tin contract has renewed intense criticism about the ineffectiveness of commodity regulation in London. It comes at an awkward time, just as the UK authorities try to resist pressure from the United States to introduce stricter market oversight and tougher position limits.

The squeeze has focused attention on contrasting approaches to market regulation. U.S. regulators have long relied on position limits to ensure markets cannot be cornered by a single participant and prices reflect a diversity of views. (more…)

By Christopher Doering
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – The two main U.S.
regulators policing the securities and futures markets said on
Wednesday they will issue on Oct. 15 a report outlining where
their regulatory frameworks differ and ways to bridge those
gaps.

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   By Christopher Doering and Rachelle Younglai
   WASHINGTON, Sept 3 (Reuters) – The two main U.S. regulators policing the securities and futures markets were urged on Thursday to align their rules for ferreting out fraud, protecting investors and punishing wrongdoers.
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   By Christopher Doering and Rachelle Younglai
   WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) – Major exchanges differ on how far U.S. securities and futures regulators should align their rules, with CME Group <CME.O> – the largest derivatives exchange operator – arguing against a one-size-fits-all rule.
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   NEW YORK, Sept 1 (Reuters) – CME Group Inc <CME.O>, the world’s largest derivatives exchange operator, warned against forcing futures and equities markets into the same regulatory mold on Tuesday, ahead of hearings in Washington.
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   By Rachelle Younglai and Christopher Doering
   WASHINGTON, Sept 1 (Reuters) – The two main U.S. agencies regulating securities and futures markets will begin an unprecedented meeting on Wednesday in an attempt to resolve longstanding conflicts laid bare by the financial crisis.
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By Alden Bentley
NEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) – More transparency or too much information?

Energy traders, analysts and mom-and-pop farmers may find themselves swimming in detail on the big bets and hedges in the commodity markets, when the U.S. futures market regulator overhauls its widely-watched report on trader positions.

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