23/1/2014: Funding Markets Spring Hits a Bump in the Euro Area: H2 2013 Repo Market Report

ICMA (International Capital Markets Association) report released yesterday showed massive 9.5% contraction in euro area repo markets, leading to lower availability of short-term funding to banks in the market over H2 2013 compared to H1. The core drivers of the decline are

• ECB's supply of funds met by lenders who are becoming more reliant on Central Bank's funding, and
• Cash hoarding by banks.

Here is a summary table showing H2 2013 repo market at the lowest point of any half-year period since H1 2009 and the third lowest reading since H1 2005.

At the same time, the share of anonymous electronic trading jumped unexpectedly to 25% from 19.8% a year ago. This came at the expense of domestic business (down to 26.1% from 29.7% a year ago) and less significantly at the expense of cross-border transactions within the euro area (down to 18% from 18.9% a year ago). The survey suggested that ECB's funding sources are the driver behind these trends in relation to domestic repos.

Summary table:

Net conclusion: things are not running smoothly in the funding markets, some five years since the crisis trough.

Full report here: http://www.icmagroup.org/media/Press-releases/