UK Banking : In a financial market dominated by shifting interest rates, the UK Banking systems have found an innovative and impactful approach to increase their earnings: structural hedging. This novel balance sheet exercise, which decreases banks’ sensitivity to interest rate changes, has proven to be a game-changer in the first half of 2023. Each of Britain’s main institutions has seen structural hedges of well over £1 billion ($1.3 billion) during this period, with Barclays Plc leading the charge with an estimated jump of over 60%, taking its hedging income to an astonishing £3.6 billion for 2023.
For finance chiefs, this strategic action has become a substantial contributor to profitability, particularly as swap contracts are repriced at rising interest rates. This trend is anticipated in UK Banking to mitigate income setbacks stemming from severe mortgage competition and the temptation to pass on a higher part of rate hikes to customers in UK Banking.
NatWest Group Plc’s Chief Financial Officer, Katie Murray, stressed the ongoing significance of this hedging strategy. “We do expect through to 2025 that the uplift from the hedging activity remains sizable,” she noted during the bank’s recent conference call.
The relevance of this approach was emphasized by the bankruptcy of many US regional institutions, including Silicon Valley Bank, earlier this year. These occurrences underlined the crucial need for proper asset and liability management, especially in times when depositors remove considerable sums or switch to higher-yielding savings accounts.
Structural hedging involves the purchase of financial derivatives, thereby insulating the banks from the quick impact of interest rate movements on their interest income. This tactical operation aims to “smooth the income of our banking book businesses over time,” according to Barclays Chief Financial Officer Anna Cross.
The execution of these hedges falls under the purview of treasury teams, who play a vital role in securing banks’ wholesale funding. Despite a reputation for being more scholarly than conventional traders, these teams are crucial business partners, engaging with commercial teams to balance risk and reward pricing schemes.
The number of treasury workers committed to the structural hedge might range from 50 to 500, depending on the size of the bank in UK Banking system. Asset and liability management analysts, as well as execution teams, are largely involved in these activities. Key decisions pertaining to hedging are often made by the bank’s risk committees in UK Banking, comprising board members, the finance chief, and the chief executive.
There are two basic techniques to structural hedging: the ‘caterpillar’ and the ‘dynamic’ methods. The ‘caterpillar’ strategy avoids having a viewpoint on future interest rate fluctuations, while the ‘dynamic’ approach entails making market calls and timing the acquisition of swap contracts accordingly. While Barclays and NatWest opt for the ‘caterpillar’ method, Lloyds Banking Group Plc is known for pursuing a ‘dynamic’ approach.
UK Banking & Former CEO
Notably, one of the most profitable movements in British banking history was orchestrated by Antonio Horta-Osorio, former CEO of Lloyds. Under his supervision, Lloyds’ hedge was repositioned, enabling the bank to successfully predict that rates would remain low for a lengthy term, resulting in large earnings.
While shareholders may rejoice at these windfalls, the dependence on market projections can also generate investor concern. When treasurers’ forecasts go awry, the scrutiny can be harsh. A recent example was Standard Chartered Plc, which incurred approximately $100 million in losses due to mistimed estimates.
Virgin Money UK Plc provides another case study, having discontinued its structural hedge program in 2020. At that time, the Bank of England’s benchmark rate stood at 0.10%, and the bank thought that rates could only grow, further boosting income without the need for a hedge. However, this decision was changed when authorities highlighted the prospect of implementing negative rates.
RBC analyst Benjamin Toms emphasized the mechanical aspect of most banks’ in UK Banking structural hedging technique, comparing it with the more dynamic investment style utilized by some. As Toms underlined, timing is of critical importance in this delicate financial dance.
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