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CME Hikes FX Margins: AUD, CAD, JPY, RMB Impacted

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Barely has the USD/Renminbi (or RMB) contract started to trade on the CME and already the exchange decided to hike the margin by 18.5%. And not only: in a broad action across the board, the CME hiked margins in some key FX contracts, including Aussie Dollar, Yen, Canadian Dollar, Forint, Zloty, and the Koruna. In addition, CME hiked two Interest Rate products including EM and I3. So if anyone was wondering why the AUDXXX dropped after hours, now you know.

 

 

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Fri, 12/02/2011 - 17:58 | 1940072 Odin
Odin's picture

Could these fuckers make it any more obvious that they are criminals?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:08 | 1940113 cossack55
cossack55's picture

Truly. It is analogous to the MOB hiking the vig by 20%.  You always know you are dealing with criminals.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:11 | 1940125 Comay Mierda
Comay Mierda's picture

must... make... dollar... strong!

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:34 | 1940341 Quinvarius
Quinvarius's picture

LOL.  It is so obvious they trade for themselves and got raped by the dollar printing announcement.  CME probably won't be around much longer. 

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:37 | 1940348 Au_Ag_CuPbCu
Au_Ag_CuPbCu's picture

This is an outrage!!! Where are the hikes for gold and silver??  I need to get some more physical on the cheap damnit!

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:43 | 1940361 Quinvarius
Quinvarius's picture

The CME has been stocking up on gold and silver.  They won't probably try to do anything to it until they unload.

Sat, 12/03/2011 - 03:04 | 1941102 fockewulf190
fockewulf190's picture

Oh you can bet your left nut thats coming soon enough. Probably after Europe pulls another Homer next week

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:15 | 1940132 kill switch
kill switch's picture

This is the same Criminals that screwed the likes of Gerald Celente by claiming they had $100,000,000,000 to make everybody whole,,,and what did they do on the MFGlobal shit storm...They ran for the tall grass these fuckers......that's fraudulent inducement Hey Duffy,, where's the money fuck face..... 3.2 billion missing/stolen.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:32 | 1940186 SHEEPFUKKER
SHEEPFUKKER's picture

Why would anyone want to do business with these criminals?  How many times do I have to say it...... GET FUCKED CME!!

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 21:05 | 1940531 spanish inquisition
spanish inquisition's picture

So is this to promote a stronger dollar, or is it to give cash to primary dealers so they can rebuild their segregated accounts that have been plundered.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:33 | 1940652 Buck Johnson
Buck Johnson's picture

Bingo!!!!!!!  Do everybody truly think that MF Global was the only one using their clients money?  No way, everybody was doing it and as I suspect there may be a few MF globals sitting on the sidelines barely holding on.

Sat, 12/03/2011 - 02:59 | 1941099 fockewulf190
fockewulf190's picture

Looks like it's Fosters time.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 21:13 | 1940546 Xibalba
Xibalba's picture

you didn't think you could win, did you?

Sat, 12/03/2011 - 11:47 | 1941451 covert
covert's picture

the zero sum economics at work will always lead to a kleptocracy.

http://expose2.wordpress.com

 

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:01 | 1940082 Vampyroteuthis ...
Vampyroteuthis infernalis's picture

The CME knows something is going down in the markets this weekend. Another hedgie bites the dust?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:05 | 1940098 Odin
Odin's picture

Wouldn't surprise me... Im beginning to think we are closer to the credit crisis then we think... Bring on the Lehman event baby, this market deserves to die...

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:08 | 1940112 Vampyroteuthis ...
Vampyroteuthis infernalis's picture

Unless we have mass scale debt forgiveness (not going to happen), the only way forward is mass debt default. The can has been kicked until it found a large wall.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:49 | 1940236 SHEEPFUKKER
SHEEPFUKKER's picture

Uh, there's a little thing called war too don't forget. 

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:07 | 1940279 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

You won't behave yourselves? I hike your margins!

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:40 | 1940355 Ahmeexnal
Ahmeexnal's picture

Credit Agricole files for chapitre onze.

Sat, 12/03/2011 - 04:29 | 1941162 Hicham
Hicham's picture

I'm still getting used to HOPING that this sort of thing happens..but after that 15% drop in FAZ, bought 200 more at 42.50, then another 200 at 42.00 today, some negativity would be excellent :D

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:12 | 1940296 Alien Invader
Alien Invader's picture

Ah if only it was the Giant Squid...

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:09 | 1940117 MFL8240
MFL8240's picture

Fiat Money is dangerous and the Dollar is the number one problem ready for implosion. 

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:51 | 1940382 Carlyle Groupie
Carlyle Groupie's picture

The JPY is fine n' dandy. Couldn't be a problem there....

USD will be the landing strip for the next flight to safety.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:35 | 1940478 CPL
CPL's picture

Yup.

 

Nearly time for the equities implosion that follows the flight from risk in the FX market.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:32 | 1940649 earleflorida
earleflorida's picture

japan own's all [90%+/+] its debt, whereas amerika's houston,... we have  a "Problem"!

Sat, 12/03/2011 - 05:58 | 1941198 jarboejl
jarboejl's picture

Yes, but 25% of their population (and growing) is over 65. They have a severely negative population growth rate.  Their culture is VERY xenophobic, which means immigrants aren't going to pick up the working-age slack. 

Eventually, their bonds will have to be defaulted upon, and THAT will be the ultimate kick in the pants to all those "wize" savers who put their faith in government.  I mean, you're not buying Treasuries, are you?  Of course not.  Because you know that at current rates (and the speed of Bernanke's printing press), it's a losing bet in real terms.  The Japanese are indeed very frugal and should be commended for their lifelong saving, but it is where they parked it that is the biggest mistake.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:13 | 1940131 Stuart
Stuart's picture

one of their inside buddies must be caught on the wrong side of a trade.   Gotta force liquidiations.... oh wait, I thought they only do that in the precious metals markets.. Gonna get killed because you can't deliver, no problem... SOS call and voila, hike margins and force contract liquidation.  What a crooked frickin' wheel. 

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:16 | 1940141 sleepingbeauty
sleepingbeauty's picture

Can someone please translate this into English?? In the past margin hikes were done on Silver and Gold. I think the Tylers said this was done in order to stop traders from driving the price up and to make physical metal less attractive (for all sorts of nefarious reasons).

When they do it on currencies, what is the goal?? To make the other currencies less attractive so that the USD stays the go to money?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:19 | 1940149 The Fonz
The Fonz's picture

Discerning the goal might not be so certain an endevour, but much as with gold and silver the results are predictable. The value of those pairs will drop relative to the dollar.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:28 | 1940172 chump666
chump666's picture

huge FX volatility out of Asia.  more so China.  Selling currency and buying USDs,  commodity currencies are now looking like they could dump hard i.e AUD, CAD.  its a very bearish sign.  when equities rallied this week and indust metals were sold.  next week i would watch for hedge funds unloading AUD, CAD, copper positions

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:52 | 1940243 SHEEPFUKKER
SHEEPFUKKER's picture

AUD and CAD are both commodity based currencies. A margin hike on those is a defacto hike on AU and AG. 

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:05 | 1940272 chump666
chump666's picture

if the chinese are dumping their currency, what are they buying apart from USD?  gold will still out bid the USD.  like in 2008, when the AUD went down 60% and gold was bought.  

now if the hedge funds and others dump the AUD....

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:22 | 1940310 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

Some of those currencies, like the Forint, are becoming extremely volatile because of mass capital exodus and surprise moved by the central bank to fight it with sudden interest rate hikes. They may be expecting others to foolow suit, creating a dangerous Fx market and raising the risk of blow ups. They learned from MF Global that nobody's safe 

Sat, 12/03/2011 - 01:06 | 1940943 WVO Biker
WVO Biker's picture

The are trading RMB/USD, and not USD/RMB on the merc. Just saying.

Sat, 12/03/2011 - 08:15 | 1941247 chump666
chump666's picture

yeah right so you see a sh*t load on rmb selling and the cme just rolls with it?   the worst timing in the markets was the rmb hedge when 99% of china is selling.  

china is the margin call from hell.  the CME are  protecting their a-holes

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:35 | 1940345 SteveNYC
SteveNYC's picture

I think the AUD is going to hold up better than the others. The yield differential between the AUD and the US(hit)D is huge, this will lend it support until the kangaroos start to lower rates.

Sun, 12/04/2011 - 10:27 | 1943666 dereksatkinson
dereksatkinson's picture

Not if there are heavy FX short positions in each.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:35 | 1940480 disabledvet
disabledvet's picture

i agree with this. the question is "is this real deflation this time or not?" The Bernank simply is not allowing for prices to deflate--even though we all know all of Wall Street's money center banks are flat broke! EXTRAORDINARY!

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:51 | 1940508 willien1derland
willien1derland's picture

To your point Bernancke cannot allow deflation as there is no monetary tool that can address this condition - his entire thesis is to devalue the USD in order to maintain US interest rates at ZERO - each 25 basis point equals 140 billion USD in additional US interest expense - Bernacke is cornered and the US TBTF banks will maintain their allegiance to him provided he keeps the USD flowing, however, to usurp Bennie's term - transitory USD strength might not be such a bad thing going in Fiscal year end for TBTF banks as it would give a boost their balance sheet as well as assist others around the world holding USD denominated assets - then 2012Q1 when the employment figures cave due to temporary holiday employees being sacked - Bernackenstein enters QE3 & modifies Operation Twist buying US Mortgage Paper...

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:39 | 1940662 earleflorida
earleflorida's picture

big ben is a dumb-ass, period!

no one ever wins the game of 'fire',... that is to say "Burning the Candle from Both Ends"

this is a reality of life - like it or not

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:20 | 1940150 Bastiat
Bastiat's picture

Raising margins is a great idea! There's more client money to co-mingle and steal.  Duh.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:28 | 1940170 Mr Lennon Hendrix
Mr Lennon Hendrix's picture

Marc Faber is looking like a genius right now!  Will his prediction of a Chinese slowdown be correct?  Considering the slowdown has been underway for months, yours truely would say yes.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:32 | 1940183 chump666
chump666's picture

the guy lives there, travels and sees the signs.  he also made comments on the HUGE outflows of Yuan last mth or so.  

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:38 | 1940203 chump666
chump666's picture

the gold bugs should not be pissed.  silver will unwind but we get economic/geopolitcal chaos via China, middle east etc.  gold will be bid

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:50 | 1940239 Lost Wages
Lost Wages's picture

It's OK with me if silver unwinds a little, because I'm buying a lot of it in one or two weeks.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:42 | 1940214 robertocarlos
robertocarlos's picture

We needed a lower CDN dollar anyways. Now our oil is worth more. and those Playbooks are flying out the door.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:16 | 1940304 Alien Invader
Alien Invader's picture

Playbook? What's that?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:35 | 1940479 robertocarlos
robertocarlos's picture

RIM, Canadian iPad.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:39 | 1940492 CPL
CPL's picture

Old company that used to make phones and opted to sell a closed tablet on a dead Palm platform in an open source world built on faster, less buggy software in some guy's basement.  Andro...Andre...Andy...something....lol

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 23:34 | 1940765 Xanadu_doo
Xanadu_doo's picture

Yep. Canda, bitcheaz. That's the best bet for those of us here in the norhtern midwest, once SHTF. I for one can get cozy w/ the queen -- better than the sleazy rat-bastards overtaking the states, yo. 

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:44 | 1940225 fonzanoon
fonzanoon's picture

So CAD, AUD etc will be dumped in order to load up on USD?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:40 | 1940495 CPL
CPL's picture

<que dramatic soap opera music>

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:00 | 1940614 DosZap
DosZap's picture

fonzanoon

So CAD, AUD etc will be dumped in order to load up on USD?

Makes TOTAL sense to me.

TWO of the strongest currencies get dumped for the lower five precentile one...........Yup,purrrrrfect sense.

Well, will be a great time to load up on CAD, and the AUD.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:45 | 1940227 FranSix
FranSix's picture

No! Not the Zloty!! >:-[

Is this the 30-year interest rate swap they're referring to?

http://quotes.ino.com/chart/?s=CBOT_I3.Z11.E

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:22 | 1940313 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

Zloty may follow the Forint down the path to extreme volatility and surprise central bank moves to fight it

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:38 | 1940352 FranSix
FranSix's picture

The so-called 30-year interest rate swap actually trades on the bond price, not necessarily the interest rate:

http://quotes.ino.com/chart/index.html?s=CBOT_I3.Z11.E&t=&a=&w=&v=dmax

compare:

http://quotes.ino.com/chart/index.html?s=PACF_TLT&t=&a=&w=&v=d12

Wonder how the bond auction went, can't find any news.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:49 | 1940377 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

But currency volatility was the reason their central bank intervened, and is determined to intervene again if needed. Needless to say the market perceives weakness and central bankers would be begging for margin hikes to boil evil speculators

Sat, 12/03/2011 - 14:54 | 1941820 ded_moroz
ded_moroz's picture

1/3 of public debt of Poland is denominated in foreign currencies. The debt is almost 55% of GDP; if zloty weakens significantly and public debt exceeds 55% of GDP, the governemt will be forced to cut deficit (at least the consstitution says so). If debt exceeds 60% of GDP, the government will be forced to produce a budget surplus.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:45 | 1940228 fonzanoon
fonzanoon's picture

WTF?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:48 | 1940235 fonzanoon
fonzanoon's picture

I thought these guys are doing everything they can to engineer a weak USD. Why would they try to weaken other currencies against it?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:04 | 1940266 jimmyjames
jimmyjames's picture

I thought these guys are doing everything they can to engineer a weak USD. Why would they try to weaken other currencies against it?

**********

I think it would have a strengthening effect on other currencies-at least temporarily-

If you were short the CAD or AUD and you knew a margin hike was coming-you would likely cover before the hike-

Both the CAD and AUD were looking ripe for shorting as China tips over-

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:39 | 1940490 willien1derland
willien1derland's picture

JJ - Excellent assessment & if you are a central banker you do have concerns related to deflation...since AUD & CAD are 'commodity' currencies maintaining/appreciating values would support commodity prices...However, one possibility to strengthening the USD would be to support EU banks selling/holding USD based assets - additionally, Greece must receive the 8 billion Euros before 19 December to meet its maturing bond redemptions...Is there any existing 'voluntary' Greek bond holders unwilling to accept the 50% haircut?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:42 | 1940498 CPL
CPL's picture

All of them appearently by the stupidity of attempting to loan more money to bums.  And all that haircut is covering is the interest on the debt itself.  The quarterly interest.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:53 | 1940247 Matt
Matt's picture

Is there any way of predicting when and where margin hikes will occur?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:05 | 1940273 DCon
DCon's picture

send your resume to sellyoursoul@goldman.com

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:33 | 1940338 Deadpool
Deadpool's picture

sure, tap the NY Fed's phone lines.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:08 | 1940269 sudzee
sudzee's picture

Hmmm, MF, LME, con-joinedco-mingled customer accounts, JPM. hmm.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:32 | 1940334 Deadpool
Deadpool's picture

THAT'S IT! I'M TELLING THE AUTHORITIES...oh right. never mind.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 19:52 | 1940381 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

Tyler: You will be interested in this piece of news...

Portugal raids pension funds to meet deficit targets 

The small countries are paying in blood . 

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:54 | 1940688 earleflorida
earleflorida's picture

what makes you think that amerika hasn't already done the same - afterall, it takes 2years for a foia to get fed data,... if they can get full disclosure at all, and, once obfuscated by fed-speak jargon  pending - kinda feel for gov't employees making 40%-50% more than private sector, but,... - oh well

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:05 | 1940406 willien1derland
willien1derland's picture

Interesting pattern - if you review the CZK (Koruna), PLN (Zloty), & the Forint (HUF) versus the USD all of these currencies have returned to their 23 November price point after falling significantly when the CBs intervened...speculating here, but, as I understand it mortgages from these countries were denominated in Swissie & Euros...some bank or banks must be getting their ass kicked as I know many EU banks hold significant positions in US CMBS/RMBS paper as well & that they would love to unload to raise capital....if anyone is out there please critique - would be interested in other opinions...Perhaps EU banks with mortgage paper they want to unload is facing losses due to unlegged/poor hedging positions as banks have need to raise capital for liquidity purposes

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:10 | 1940430 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

Yes. Those countries have been plagued by EUR strength despite deteriorating economies and credit. All part of the plan to save the core and through the periphery under the bus. Hungary this week tried to stem capital flight by raising rates despite economy near (in) recession. Desperation. Will work for a bout a week. 

In related news: 


Ships stranded, crops in jeopardy, power shortages as drought hits eastern Europe Unusual drought triggers alarm across Balkans

 

A lack of rain has triggered the worst drought in decades for this time of year, dropping river levels to record lows and sounding an alarm in parts of central and eastern Europe.


Power supplies are running low in Serbia, drinking water shortages have hit Bosnia, and crop production is in jeopardy in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. The Czech Republic is at its driest since records began in 1775.

http://www.newser.com/article/d9rcg9302/ships-stranded-crops-in-jeopardy...

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:25 | 1940464 sabra1
sabra1's picture

ahhh! the effects of chem-trails!

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:23 | 1940639 Bansters-in-my-...
Bansters-in-my- feces's picture

You bet effects of chemtrails....

Where I am in canada,there has not been a day in a long time now,where they have not sprayed heavily.

Most people do not still know it is even happenig.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:42 | 1940670 sabra1
sabra1's picture

the deadly mixture is now being added to all jet fuels! amazing how the public is not rioting to stop the poisoning!

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:28 | 1940468 willien1derland
willien1derland's picture

Thank you for the prompt & very informative response - it is greatly appreciated CE -

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:04 | 1940618 DosZap
DosZap's picture

Caviar Emptor

You sure their not mixed up with Texas?.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 21:05 | 1940532 fonzanoon
fonzanoon's picture

I am trying to figure out why mining shares were off huge today and financials were up big today. Do these margin hikes play into this somehow?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 21:17 | 1940553 slewie the pi-rat
slewie the pi-rat's picture

there was a piece by gary north, today [lew rockwell.com via goldSeek] abt wtf the banksters, led by the chairsatan, have been sugar-plum up to, this week, currency-wize

if i understood him, the banks are looking ahead at the possible train derailments and are trying to protect themselves.  from themselves...

here's the link: French Fried Banks
By: Gary North

here's a copy/paste:  Ben Bernanke is in panic mode. The November 30 coordinated announcements of six central banks regarding their intervention into the currency markets was exactly that – coordinated. If you think it was coordinated by anyone other than Bernanke, you are out of touch with reality.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:37 | 1940658 sabra1
sabra1's picture

the intervention on nov. 30th, was actually a bailout of the american banks, in the guise of bailing out european banks! just look how well the US banks did today! all an illusion!

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 21:21 | 1940559 fonzanoon
fonzanoon's picture

I can't figure out if this is a 5-10 year slow motion train wreck or is there a big event that triggers a collapse quickly. Hard to know.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:37 | 1940656 ejhickey
ejhickey's picture

Why is the State of Illinois considering giving the CME a tax break, especially since the CME dropped the ball on MF Globsl?

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:39 | 1940661 sabra1
sabra1's picture

i'm positive it's got nothing to do with being in chicago!

Sat, 12/03/2011 - 13:30 | 1941617 SAJ
SAJ's picture

ejhickey -- There have been discussions for many months at the CME's board of directors regarding relocating the CME headquarters. CBoT and CME to another state, due to the incredibly unfriendly business climate in Illinois.  Texas, Georgia (presumably Atlanta), Missouri (presumably Kansas City), Kansas (Johnson County), Ohio (surprisingly to me), and Arizona have been among the states discussed.

And, true to form, the Illinois goobermint can only come up with an insubstantial tax giveaway to stop this, rather than removing a bunch of very costly regulations (that do not, btw, produce more than a pittance of revenue for Illinois).

 

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 22:54 | 1940695 onlooker
onlooker's picture

 

Never have so many given so much to so few.

 

The ethics, morays, values, and rules are gone and so are we.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 23:02 | 1940713 earleflorida
earleflorida's picture

no, were not gone,... but they soon will be?

Sat, 12/03/2011 - 12:14 | 1941481 Alchemist
Alchemist's picture

All this conspiracy theory stuff is dumb.. Interbank FX market is massive and dwarves the size of the futures market by a huge margin.. This margin hike might effect some levered retail accounts forcing them to post more margin but is pretty irrelevant to the larger fx markets

Sun, 12/04/2011 - 00:05 | 1943075 Grand Supercycle
Grand Supercycle's picture

SP500 bull vs bear battle reverts to bearish bias after price action on Friday and more downside expected.

My long term indicators have continued to warn of US Dollar strength and EURO weakness and these signals have increased since 2009. The overdue dollar rally should be substantial.

http://stockmarket618.wordpress.com

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!