The agent-principal dilemma

The future is a scary place for derivatives market-makers. Faced with a barrage of new rules, some have begun to prepare for a world in which they act more as agents than principals – but what does that mean for the profitability of the business? Mark Pengelly reports

Paul Hamill

For some dealers, it is clear which way the wind is blowing. New regulations that will force a large part of the over-the-counter derivatives market to trade on exchanges or electronic trading platforms mean the traditional market-maker model of liquidity provision, risk-taking and balance-sheet commitment may soon be less relevant than it is today. Instead, some firms predict they will operate more on an agency basis, similar to how they work in the foreign exchange and equities markets. In

Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.

To access these options, along with all other subscription benefits, please contact info@risk.net or view our subscription options here: http://subscriptions.risk.net/subscribe

You are currently unable to copy this content. Please contact info@risk.net to find out more.

Sorry, our subscription options are not loading right now

Please try again later. Get in touch with our customer services team if this issue persists.

New to Risk.net? View our subscription options

You need to sign in to use this feature. If you don’t have a Risk.net account, please register for a trial.

Sign in
You are currently on corporate access.

To use this feature you will need an individual account. If you have one already please sign in.

Sign in.

Alternatively you can request an individual account here