CVA Greeks: Their Importance, Common Calculation Methodologies, & Testing for Accuracy
Since the 2008 financial crisis, Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA) has become an industry standard practice for pricing counterparty default risk into Over-The-Counter (OTC) derivative contracts. Moreover, CVA hedging has become a common risk management activity for many institutions, as market moves can have a considerable impact on CVA numbers and result in massive potential losses for firms.
In order to set up efficient hedges, however, traders and risk managers need to know the CVA sensitivities for the full portfolio. These calculations can be complex and time consuming, especially as the number of underlyings, positions, netting sets, and legal agreements increases. And most importantly, the CVA Greeks must be accurate, so appropriate hedges can be put in place to mitigate the risks. How can practitioners be sure their CVA Greek calculations are converging to the correct numbers, so they can be confident in their hedging activities?
On Wednesday, April 13th featured speaker Laure Darleguy Financial Engineer at Numerix, discussed the importance of accurate CVA Greeks and analyzed industry best practices and different methodologies for calculating first order CVA sensitivities (delta and vega) to ensure consistency and convergence.
Ms. Darleguy addressed the following:
- Review of CVA basics
- The importance of accurate CVA Greeks
- The different methodologies commonly used in the market to calculate CVA Greeks
- Case studies and convergence tests using the finite difference method
Featured Speakers
Laure Darleguy
Laure Darleguy joined the Numerix Financial Engineering team in 2014, focusing on developing solutions to price vanilla and exotic derivative products, including market risk and valuation adjustment measures, using Numerix analytics. In addition, she performs consulting and professional service work for clients on bespoke solutions and training. Prior to joining Numerix, Ms. Darleguy specialized in new product creation and the pricing of exotic derivatives as a structurer on fixed income and foreign exchange desks for Societe Generale. During her tenure there she developed new payoffs to propose innovative solutions and widen product offerings to clients.
Ms. Darleguy holds a BSc in Mathematics from Pierre et Marie Curie University and an MSc in Finance from Paris Dauphine University.
As Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Global Marketing & Corporate Communications, James leads the company’s global marketing and corporate communications efforts, spanning a diverse set of solutions and audiences. He oversees integrated marketing communications to clients in the largest global financial markets and to the Numerix partner network through the company's branding, electronic marketing, research, events, public relations, advertising and relationship marketing.
Since joining Numerix in 2008, James has launched the organization’s award-winning thought leadership program, bringing to light challenges and insights from Numerix market experts. He also hosts the Numerix Video Blog, tackling the challenges pressing the derivatives markets—from regulatory issues to trading strategies.
Prior to joining Numerix, James served as Managing Director of Global Marketing and Communications for Fitch Ratings. During his tenure at Fitch, he built the firm’s public relations program, oversaw investor relations and led marketing and communications plans for several acquisitions. Prior to Fitch, James was a member of the communications team at Moody's Investors Service.
