Market regulator Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) has allowed mutual funds to participate in Credit Default Swap (CDS) transactions, which allow business entities to hedge risks associated with the bonds market. This follows the RBI notification issued in May 2011 stating the guidelines on CDS for corporate bonds.
Importantly, SEBI has allowed mutual funds to participate in CDS transactions only as users (protection buyer). Thus, mutual funds are permitted to buy credit protection only to hedge their credit risk on corporate bonds they hold. The funds shall not be allowed to sell protection and hence are not permitted to enter into short positions in the CDS contracts. However, they shall be permitted to exit an existing ‘bought position’. This too can be done only if the fund house’s total exposure through CDS in corporate bonds along with equity, debt and derivative positions exceeds 100 per cent of the scheme’s net assets.
Further, the total exposure related to premium paid for all derivative positions, including CDS, shall not exceed 20 per cent of the net assets of the scheme. In addition to this, the SEBI has prescribed that MFs can buy CDS for the eligible securities as reference obligations (underlying) only for fixed maturity plans exceeding one-year tenor.
Furthermore, before undertaking CDS transactions, mutual funds shall frame a written policy on participation in CDS approved by the Board of the Asset Management Company and the Trustees as per the guidelines specified by RBI and SEBI. This policy shall be reviewed by mutual funds, at least once a year.
Meanwhile, SEBI, in order to encourage growth of the corporate bond market, has also decided that the base of eligible securities may be expanded for mutual funds to participate in repo in corporate debt securities, from ‘AAA’ rated to ‘AA ‘and above rated corporate debt securities.
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