CDS' New York Link may be severed
Earlier this month, CDS Clearing and Depository Services (CDS), announced that participants of the New York Link service, which allows CDS participants to clear and settle exchange and over-the-counter trades with U.S. broker-dealers via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC), will have to satisfy additional collateral requirements as of November 1, 2009. As of that date, CDS will "no longer have access to the collateral needed to protect the remaining New York Link participants from the default of a single sponsored participant." As such, CDS will require participants of the New York Link to provide additional collateral and may also require participants to pre-fund their NSCC payment obligations "from time to time". Participants have until September 30 to advise CDS whether they will remain a CDS-sponsored participant or become direct members of the NSCC and Depository Trust Company (DTC). According to CDS, "[b]ased on the number of participants who would be interested in continuing under the new requirements, CDS Clearing will evaluate the economic and risk containment impacts on operating these services." The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (the parent company of the NSCC and DTC), meanwhile, is prepared to "immediately begin processing membership applications of Canadian firms who wish to become members of its NSCC and DTC subsidiaries and who meet the membership criteria."
