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Investing.com -- The Bank of England on Thursday launched a discussion paper exploring potential reforms to enhance the resilience of the U.K. gilt repo market, developed in consultation with the Financial Conduct Authority and with input from HM Treasury and the U.K. Debt Management Office.
The paper examines two main potential measures: greater central clearing of gilt repo transactions and implementing minimum haircuts on non-centrally cleared gilt repo transactions.
The Bank notes that the gilt repo market has grown significantly, with daily average volumes reaching around £250 billion in the first quarter of 2025, approximately 65% higher than 2018 levels. Daily average outstanding positions increased to roughly £935 billion, about 50% higher than 2018.
The discussion paper highlights that more than half of the outstanding stock in the non-centrally cleared segment of the gilt repo market is conducted with zero haircuts, potentially allowing market participants to build up highly leveraged positions that could pose risks to financial stability.
Currently, only 23% of gross outstanding positions in gilt repo are centrally cleared, primarily in the overnight segment. The Bank suggests that greater central clearing could provide benefits including reduced counterparty credit risk and expanded dealer intermediation capacity through netting benefits.
The paper also explores how minimum haircuts on non-centrally cleared transactions could address market failures around margining practices and potentially limit the build-up of highly leveraged positions.
"A well-functioning gilt repo market enhances the liquidity and resilience of the cash gilt market, thereby supporting government financing, the transmission of monetary policy, and sustainable economic growth," the Bank states in the paper.
The Bank of England has already taken steps to address vulnerabilities in the gilt repo market, including setting out a resilience standard for liability-driven investment funds in March 2023 and launching the Contingent Non-Bank Repo Facility to enable eligible counterparties to borrow against gilt collateral in the event of severe market dysfunction.
The paper notes that any potential changes would be announced and implemented with adequate notice and sufficient implementation periods to ensure market participants have time to prepare.