FCA Extends Timeline to Cease Issuance of LIBOR-Linked Loan Products
FCA published a statement from the Working Group on Sterling Risk-Free Reference Rates (RFRWG) on the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the timeline for LIBOR transition plans of firms. As per the new timeline, all new issuance of sterling LIBOR-referencing loan products that expire after the end of 2021 should cease by the end of the first quarter of 2021. The statement also highlights that within sterling cash markets, transition to SONIA in the bond market has been largely completed. In loan markets, lenders will continue work to make SONIA-based products available before the end of the third quarter of 2020 and some borrowers will be ready to take advantage of these alternative products before then.
The RFRWG, FCA, and BoE recognize that it will not be feasible to complete transition away from LIBOR across all new sterling LIBOR-linked loans by the original target of the end-of-the-third quarter of 2020. There will likely be continued use of LIBOR-referencing loan products into the fourth quarter of 2020 in particular, to maintain the smooth flow of credit to the real economy. Taking this into consideration, the RFRWG recommends that:
- By the end of the third quarter of 2020, lenders should be in a position to offer non-LIBOR linked products to their customers.
- After the end of the third quarter of 2020, lenders, working with their borrowers, should include clear contractual arrangements in all new and re-financed LIBOR-referencing loan products to facilitate conversion ahead of the end of 2021, through pre-agreed conversion terms or an agreed process for renegotiation, to SONIA or other alternatives.
- All new issuance of sterling LIBOR-referencing loan products that expire after the end of 2021 should cease by the end of the first quarter of 2021.
Once plans and working arrangements disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak begin to stabilize, the working group (RFRWG) and its members will intensify communication with customers needing to move away from LIBOR as part of transition.
Related Link: FCA Statement
Keywords: Europe, UK, Banking, Securities, LIBOR, COVID-19, SONIA, IBOR Reform, Benchmark Reform, Interest Rate Reform, BOE, FCA
Next Article
OJK Amends Regulation on Corporate GovernanceRelated Articles
FED Revises Capital Planning and Stress Testing Requirements for Banks
FED finalized a rule that updates capital planning requirements to reflect the new framework from 2019 that sorts large banks into categories, with requirements that are tailored to the risks of each category.
ECB Releases Results of Bank Lending Survey for Fourth Quarter of 2020
ECB published results of the quarterly lending survey conducted on 143 banks in the euro area.
ESAs Publish Reporting Templates for Financial Conglomerates
ESAs published the final draft implementing technical standards on reporting of intra-group transactions and risk concentration of financial conglomerates subject to the supplementary supervision in EU.
EBA Publishes Report on Asset Encumbrance of Banks in EU
EBA published the annual report on asset encumbrance of banks in EU.
MAS Revises Guidelines on Technology Risk Management
MAS revised the guidelines that address technology and cyber risks of financial institutions, in an environment of growing use of cloud technologies, application programming interfaces, and rapid software development.
US Agencies Publish Updates for Call Reports, FFIEC 101, and FR Y-9C
FED updated the reporting form and instructions for the FR Y-9C report on consolidated financial statements for holding companies.
EBA Proposes Guidelines for Establishing Intermediate Parent Entities
EBA issued a consultation paper on the guidelines on monitoring of the threshold and other procedural aspects of the establishment of intermediate EU parent undertakings, or IPUs, as laid down in the Capital Requirements Directive.
EC Adopts Financial Reporting Changes Arising from Benchmark Reforms
EC published Regulation 2021/25 that addresses amendments related to the financial reporting consequences of replacement of the existing interest rate benchmarks with alternative reference rates.
BIS Bulletin Examines Key Elements of Policy Response to Cyber Risk
BIS published a bulletin, or a note, that examines the cyber threat landscape in the context of the pandemic and discusses policies to reduce risks to financial stability.
HMT Updates List of Post-Brexit Equivalence Decisions in UK
HM Treasury, also known as HMT, has updated the table containing the list of the equivalence decisions that came into effect in UK at the end of the transition period of its withdrawal from EU.
