Dealing in Financial Instruments as Principal
AU-1.4.11
Dealing in
financial instruments as principal means buying, selling, subscribing for orunderwriting anyfinancial instrument on own account, includingunderwriting transactions.Amended: October 2014
Amended: October 2012
Amended: October 2009AU-1.4.11A
Only
Category 1 investment firms are permitted tounderwrite the issuance offinancial instruments . However, the CBB will only permit such activity if thelicensee has the financial ability to absorb the size of the commitment.Amended: October 2014
Amended: October 2012
Added: January 2012AU-1.4.11B
In assessing the financial ability of a
licensee , the CBB will consider, amongst other factors, thelicensee's capital adequacy, its capacity to undertake the activity, and its track record in complying with applicable regulatory requirements. Anyunderwriting activities require the prior approval of the CBB's Capital Market Supervision Directorate and are subject to Module OFS (Offering of Securities) of Volume 6 of the CBB Rulebook.Amended: October 2014
Added: January 2012AU-1.4.12
A person carries on an activity specified in Rule AU-1.4.11 only if he is a market maker or deals on own account on an organised, frequent and systematic basis by providing a system accessible to third parties in order to engage in dealings with them.
AU-1.4.13
A licensee that carries on an activity of the kind specified by Rule AU-1.4.11 is authorised to act as a market maker and has the ability to deal in
financial instruments on terms determined by it. Such a licensee undertakes such an activity using its own financial resources, but may also controlclient assets or liabilities in the course of its designated investment business.Amended: July 2007AU-1.4.14
A person does not carry on an activity specified in Rule AU-1.4.11 if the activity relates to the person issuing his own shares/debentures, warrants or bonds.
AU-1.4.15
The activity specified in Rule AU-1.4.11 may also include providing credit, where it is an incidental part of buying, selling, subscribing for or
underwriting financial instruments . However, the amount provided as credit must be paid out of theinvestment firm licensee's capital and not out of clients' assets.Amended: October 2012AU-1.4.16
Examples of the type of 'incidental' credit activity provided for under Rule AU-1.4.15 include the provision of margin facilities on trading accounts or credit elements intrinsic to a structured or leveraged financial product.