US move triggers CDS default

By Aline van Duyn in New York
Published: September 8 2008 19:21 | Last updated: September 8 2008 19:21

One of the largest defaults in the history of the $62,000bn credit derivatives market has been triggered by the US government’s seizure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, raising questions about how dealers will unwind billions of dollars worth of contracts.

Although the $1,600bn of debt issued by the troubled mortgage groups is regarded as safe after the US government’s move to take control of the companies, their move into “conservatorship” counts as the equivalent of a bankruptcy in the credit derivatives market.
This triggers a default on credit default swaps – instruments that provide a form of insurance on fixed-income assets. Dealers in the market are now working to settle these contracts.
The exact amount of CDS on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not known, reflecting the private nature of the market, but they are part of widely traded indices and the amounts are likely to be significant. Analysts at Lehman Brothers said: “There is likely to be a considerable amount of notional protection outstanding.”