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CA-10.5.7

Where a conventional bank licensee engages in a deliberate arbitrage strategy, in which a futures contract on a broad-based index matches a basket of stocks, it is allowed to carve out both positions from the standardised methodology on the following conditions:

(a) The trade has been deliberately entered into, and separately controlled; and
(b) The composition of the basket of stocks represents at least 90% of the index when broken down into its notional components.

In such a case, the minimum capital requirement is limited to 4% (i.e. 2% of the gross value of the positions on each side) to reflect divergence and execution risks. This applies even if all of the stocks comprising the index are held in identical proportions. Any excess value of the stocks comprising the basket over the value of the futures contract or vice versa is treated as an open long or short position.

January 2015