For immediate release

The Federal Reserve Board today issued its 1998 Trading and Capital-Markets Activities Manual for examiners and banking organizations. The new manual represents a substantive revision and expansion of the Trading Activities Manual issued in March 1994. The new manual compiles the latest Federal Reserve supervisory guidance on trading operations and related capital-markets banking activities. It details both sound management practices and key examination and review considerations for these operations and activities. The manual provides in-depth discussions of a wide range of risk management issues encountered in trading and dealer operations including revised and expanded presentations on market risk, counterparty credit risk, legal risk, financial reporting, accounting and ethics. Chapters on capital adequacy and settlement risk and a comprehensive subject index have also been added. A new section of the manual present existing guidance on other capital-markets related activities including whole-bank interest rate risk management, investment and end-user activities, and secondary market credit activities and products such as securitization and credit derivatives. The manual also includes profiles of 35 specific financial instruments commonly encountered in trading and capital-markets related activities. Each profile contains a basic description of the instrument and discussions on topics such as the risks encountered, pricing conventions, accounting treatment, risk-based capital considerations and bank-eligibility requirements. Copies of the manual may be obtained for $50 from: Publications Services Division of Support Services Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Washington, D.C. 20551 Updates and supplements will be issued as needed in the spring and fall of each year. The price will be $20 annually. The manual was produced by staff members at the Board of Governors and at the Federal Reserve Banks of New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and San Francisco.

1998 Other announcements