I’m in Awe of How Fast Deutsche Bank is Falling Apart

Jon Blogosphere, Corruption, Economy, Market Commentary, Trading Strategies

Counterparties lose confidence, withdraw cash.
Deutsche Bank, with $2 trillion in assets, amounting to 58% of Germany’s GDP, one of the most globally interwoven banks, with gross notional derivatives exposure of 46 trillion, right at the top along with JP Morgan (booked as 41 billion in derivative trading assets after netting and collateral) – this creature of risk and malfeasance, is finally starting to scare its counterparties.
This is how Lehman came unglued. Slowly and then all of a sudden.
Bloomberg News today:
[S]ome funds that use the bank’s prime brokerage service have moved part of their listed derivatives holdings to other firms this week, according to an internal bank document seen by Bloomberg News. Millennium Partners, Capula Investment Management, and Rokos Capital Management are among about 10 hedge funds that have cut their exposure, said a person familiar with the situation….
So far, these are just the first of Deutsche Bank’s 200 hedge-fund clients that use it to clear their derivatives transactions. Banking is a confidence game. When confidence sags, the whole construct comes tumbling down. And the first movers have a big advantage in getting their cash out in in time. Bloomberg:

This post was published at Wolf Street by Wolf Richter ‘ September 29, 2016.