2012-03-22
The Supervisor of Banks issued Directive 339-1 to establish basic principles for market risk management and measurement for Israeli banking corporations. The directive mandates that qualifying institutions implement a comprehensive risk management system utilizing internal models, Value at Risk calculations, and stress-scenario analyses. Furthermore, it requires the establishment of an independent risk control unit subordinate to the chief risk officer to monitor exposures and assess model adequacy.
Supervisor of Banks: Proper Conduct of Banking Business [6] (9/21) Market Risk Management Page 339- 1 ONLY THE HEBREW VERSION IS BINDING MARKET RISK MANAGEMENT Introduction (2/97)
Supervisor of Banks: Proper Conduct of Banking Business [6] (9/21) Market Risk Management Page 339- 2 ONLY THE HEBREW VERSION IS BINDING "Fair value of a derivative financial instrument" As defined in the Directives concerning the preparation of a banking corporation's annual financial statements (Reporting to the Public Directives); "Market risk" Risk of a loss in on- and off-balance-sheet positions deriving from a change in the fair value of a financial instrument due to a change in market conditions (e.g., changes in price levels in different markets, interest rates, foreign exchange rate, inflation, share and commodities prices). "Market maker" A banking corporation which deals in financial instruments and derivative financial instruments with customers and other market makers, and which holds a portfolio of these instruments, and sells and buys them by quoting selling and buying prices, obtaining income from the margin between purchases and sales. The administrative infrastructure (2/97) 3. Void. The exposure document (2/97) 4. Void. The board of directors and policy (2/97) 5. Void. The risks manager (2/97) 6. Void. Internal audit (2/97) 7. Void.
Supervisor of Banks: Proper Conduct of Banking Business [6] (9/21) Market Risk Management Page 339- 3 ONLY THE HEBREW VERSION IS BINDING Interest rate risks (2/97) 8. Void. Market risk (2/97) (7/99) (6/04) 9. (a) A banking corporation which takes positions in foreign currency, invests in securities for its own account (nostro), or makes a large-scale market in derivative financial instruments (as defined in Subsection 9(b) below) shall manage the market risks deriving from its overall activities by means of a comprehensive system as detailed in Subsection 9(c) below. Notwithstanding the above, a banking corporation whose main market risks are concentrated in relatively few areas of activity shall be allowed to manage its market risks as set out in this section in those areas only. (b) The provisions of this section shall apply only to banking corporations which satisfy at least one of the following criteria: (1) The portfolio of investments in securities held for resale and for trading exceeds NIS 3 billion or 50% of the banking corporation’s capital. (2) The total limits and authorizations to meet positions in the foreign currency sector, including existing ceilings of exposure in the banking corporation’s branches abroad, exceed NIS 500 million or 33 percent of the banking corporation’s capital less nonfinancial items, net. (3) Void. (4) The banking corporation acts as a market maker in derivative instruments (excluding market making in the two-sided trading in the foreign currency/NIS market) and it has not received an exemption from this section from the Supervisor of Banks due to a low level of activity. (c) The banking corporations’ market-risk management system must include all the following components:
Supervisor of Banks: Proper Conduct of Banking Business [6] (9/21) Market Risk Management Page 339- 4 ONLY THE HEBREW VERSION IS BINDING (1) An internal model for measuring market risks, based on such statistical techniques as: variance-covariance, historical simulations, and Monte Carlo simulations. (2) Regular measurement (at least monthly, and in the trading book, daily) of the banking corporation’s exposure to market risks by estimates of Value at Risk (VAR) based on the corporation’s internal model. VAR estimates the corporation’s maximum expected loss in the event of the realization of market risks in a given time period and with a predetermined degree of statistical confidence. The use of this method requires regular revaluation of all the corporation’s positions based on the fair value of assets and liabilities. (3) Stress-scenario analyses of market risks. (4) A model or method of assessing the feasibility of taking positions in various areas, taking the risks into account. (5) A market and interest rate risk control unit (as described in Section 10 below). Market and interest rate risk control unit (2/97) 10. (a) (1) A banking corporation which is required to manage its market risks according to a model using the VAR method, shall establish an independent function to control market and interest rate risks that will be independent of the other functions responsible for managing and trading in the various instruments. (2) The risk management unit will be directly subordinate to the banking corporation's chief risk officer as defined in Proper Conduct of Banking Business Directive number 310 regarding "Risk Management". (b) The risk control unit shall act in accordance with the provisions of Proper Conduct of Banking Business Directive no. 310 regarding "Risk Management". Among other things, the risk control unit must assess the adequacy of the models implemented in the banking corporation for measuring risk; examine whether actual activity and exposures conform
Supervisor of Banks: Proper Conduct of Banking Business [6] (9/21) Market Risk Management Page 339- 5 ONLY THE HEBREW VERSION IS BINDING with the approved principles and exposure limits; periodically check the actual results against the models’ forecasts; develop and perform stressscenario analyses; compile regular reports quantifying the risks; and report regularly on the results of the examinations. (c) Void.
Circular 06 number Version Details Date 1852 1 Original Directive February 23, 1997 1980 2 Update July 14, 1999 2134 3 Update June 13, 2004 2358 4 Update December 27, 2012 2378 5 Update May 30, 2013 2669 6 Update September 30, 2021