Insights

Managing Margin (Part 4) – The Future of Margin – Ten Predictions
We offer ten predictions about future developments in the margin arena. Some we expect with a fair amount of certainty, while others require us to gaze more deeply into our crystal ball; nonetheless, we believe all are legitimate and, we hope, thought-provoking.

Data Quality – Portfolio and Risk Data: Why It’s So Hard To Do It Right
If you have ever thought, “maybe we should collect and store our own data, so that we can have control over it,” or you think that all risk platforms are basically the same when it comes to data, we offer a look behind the scenes at what is involved in building and maintaining comprehensive datasets.

Meltdowns, Margin Calls, and a Risk-Oriented Mindset
If a firm does not have all of its positions modeled on the same risk platform, it cannot know its total risk. But strong tools and practices can help sell-side and buy-side firms alike to avoid creating dangerous conditions.

Managing Margin (Part 3) – The Importance of Transparency
Broker-dealers understand the importance of producing accurate margin calculations for their clients’ accounts, but they need to know more than just how much margin each client must post; they need to know why the margin system came up with a given result.

The Angle of Coincidence
In times of stress in the markets, not only does volatility increase for individual assets, cross-asset correlations can increase dramatically as well. This results in a “double whammy” for a typical portfolio because the portfolio’s volatility increases due to both effects.

Managing Margin (Part 2) – Drowning in Data, Sinking in the Support Effort
Those responsible for maintaining a margin system often feel that they are drowning in data management issues. In part two of this series we discuss ways to make margin calculations far more efficient and meet the firm’s need for answers in real-time.

Managing Margin (Part I) – Five Key Challenges from a System-Wide View
Computing, optimizing and monitoring real-time margin requirements across a multitude of instruments and customer accounts is a Herculean task. In this article, TS Imagine discusses the key challenges in this arena and will dive deeper into the specifics of solving its challenges.

ALTAIR PANOPTICON™ & IMAGINE – A Compelling Combination
Steven Harrison, President of TS Imagine, and Bruce Zulu, Director of Technical Support Services for the Business Intelligence division at Panopticon’s parent company, Altair, explain the collaboration and how it benefits clients.

How a Stressful Election Could Stress Your Portfolios
Most market observers agree that the many uncertainties swirling around the US Presidential election are likely to generate volatility in the US equity market that could last well beyond November 3rd.

Thinking about Building a Volatility Surface? Think Again
At first glance, constructing a volatility surface looks like a straightforward exercise – a closer look reveals there is a great deal more to consider.