Markit announced the launch of a credit default swap (CDS) data and information portal designed to increase transparency and provide a broader audience with a tool to monitor the market.
The new data portal, available will make a wide range of Markit's independent CDS data sets publicly available, including: prices for Markit's widely traded family of CDS indices, the Markit CDX and Markit iTraxx; the last quote received by Markit before New York close of trading for approximately 450 of the most liquid CDS contracts, including G20 sovereigns, large financial corporations and constituents of Markit's iTraxx and CDX indices; the biggest daily single name CDS movers for North America, Europe and Asia; daily Markit/ICE TrustTM CDS settlement prices for the most liquid Markit CDX index contracts listed for clearing by ICE Trust.
Markit will also publish a free online calculator that converts CDS spreads into the new upfront quoting convention and educational material to encourage greater understanding of the CDS market.
"The CDS market is viewed as the barometer of health for the broad credit markets," said Armins Rusis, global co-head of fixed income at Markit. "It is therefore important to make information about this market as widely available as possible. Markit remains committed to increasing transparency in the CDS market and we will continue to work with the industry to help it adapt to a changing environment."
