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    2023-07-04

MIFIDPRU 5.1 Application and purpose

Application: Who?

MIFIDPRU 5.1.1 R

1This chapter applies to:

  1. (1)

    a MIFIDPRU investment firm; and

  2. (2)

    a UK parent entity that is required by MIFIDPRU 2.5.7R to comply with MIFIDPRU 5 on the basis of its consolidated situation.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.2 R

1Where this chapter applies on the basis of the consolidated situation of the UK parent entity, any reference to a “firm” or “MIFIDPRU investment firm” in this chapter is a reference to the hypothetical single MIFIDPRU investment firm created under the consolidated situation.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.3 G

1 MIFIDPRU 2.5.45G and 2.5.46G contain additional guidance on how a UK parent entity should apply the requirements in this chapter on a consolidated basis.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.4 G

1 MIFIDPRU 5.2 to 5.10 do not apply to a commodity and emission allowance dealer in the circumstances set out in MIFIDPRU 5.11.

Application: What?

MIFIDPRU 5.1.5 R

1 MIFIDPRU 5.2 applies to all of a firm’s activities that may give rise to concentration risk.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.6 G

1 MIFIDPRU 5.2 is therefore relevant to both a MIFIDPRU investment firm that deals on own account and one that does not (e.g. an SNI MIFIDPRU investment firm).

MIFIDPRU 5.1.7 R

1 MIFIDPRU 5.3 to 5.10 apply to a firm when dealing on own account in relation to transactions that are recorded in the trading book.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.8 G

1 MIFIDPRU 5.3 to 5.10 apply whether a firm is dealing on own account for itself or on behalf of a client.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.9 G

1A MIFIDPRU investment firm that has permission to operate an organised trading facility may rely on that permission to:

  1. (1)

    engage in matched principal trading in certain types of financial instruments with client consent, in accordance with MAR 5A.3.5R(1); and

  2. (2)

    deal on own account in illiquid sovereign debt instruments in accordance with MAR 5A.3.5R(2).

Purpose

MIFIDPRU 5.1.10 G

1This chapter contains:

  1. (1)

    Rules and guidance on how a MIFIDPRU investment firm must monitor and control concentration risk (MIFIDPRU 5.2).

  2. (2)

    Rules and guidance on the concentration risk requirements that apply to the trading book exposures of a MIFIDPRU investment firm that is dealing on own account (MIFIDPRU 5.3 to MIFIDPRU 5.10). MIFIDPRU 5.3 sets out an overview of these requirements.

  3. (3)

    Rules and guidance on when a commodity and emission allowance dealer is exempt from the requirements of this chapter (MIFIDPRU 5.11).

Interpretation

MIFIDPRU 5.1.11 G

1In this chapter, references to client include any counterparty of the firm.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.12 R

1Subject to MIFIDPRU 5.1.13R to MIFIDPRU 5.1.16R, a group of connected clients means:

  1. (1)

    two or more persons who, unless it is shown otherwise, constitute a single risk because one of them, directly or indirectly, has control over the other or others; or

  2. (2)

    two or more persons between whom there is no relationship of control as described in (1) but who are to be regarded as constituting a single risk because they are so interconnected that, if one of them were to experience financial problems, in particular funding or repayment difficulties, the other or all of the others would also be likely to encounter funding or repayment difficulties.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.13 R

1Where a central government has direct control over, or is directly interconnected with, more than one person, they do not all have to be treated as a single group of connected clients. Instead, the existence of a group of connected clients may be assessed separately at the level of each person directly controlled by or directly interconnected with the central government, which must include all of the natural and legal persons which are controlled by or interconnected with that person, including the central government.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.14 R

1Regional governments and local authorities, whether in the United Kingdom or a third country, may be treated in the same way as central governments under MIFIDPRU 5.1.13R if there is no difference in the risk they pose compared to central governments.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.15 G
  1. (1)

    1There may be no difference in the risk posed by a regional government or local authority if it has specific revenue-raising powers, or if there are specific institutional arrangements which reduce the risk of default.

  2. (2)

    The PRA maintains a list of all regional governments and local authorities within the United Kingdom which it treats as exposures to the central government of the United Kingdom, in accordance with article 115 of the UK CRR. A firm may have regard to this list when applying the test in MIFIDPRU 5.1.14R to regional governments and local authorities in the United Kingdom.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.16 R

1Two or more persons do not constitute a single group of connected clients solely because of their direct exposure to the same central counterparty for clearing purposes.

Exposures to trustees

MIFIDPRU 5.1.17 R

1For the purposes of this chapter, if a firm has an exposure to a person (‘A’) when A is acting on its own behalf, and also an exposure to A when A acts in the capacity of trustee, custodian or general partner of an investment trust, unit trust, venture capital or other investment fund, pension fund or a similar fund (a “fund”), the firm may treat the latter exposure as if it was to the fund as a separate client, unless such treatment would be misleading.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.18 G

1When considering whether such treatment would be misleading, a firm should consider factors such as:

  1. (1)

    the degree of independence of control of the fund, including the relation of the fund’s board and senior management to the firm or to other funds or to both;

  2. (2)

    the terms on which the counterparty, when acting as trustee, is able to satisfy its obligation to the firm out of the fund of which it is trustee;

  3. (3)

    whether the beneficial owners of the fund are connected to the firm, or related to other funds managed within the firm’s group, or both; and

  4. (4)

    for a counterparty that is connected to the firm itself, whether the exposure arises from a transaction entered into on an arm’s length basis.

MIFIDPRU 5.1.19 G

1In deciding whether a transaction is at arm’s length, the following factors should be taken into account:

  1. (1)

    the extent to which the person to whom the firm has an exposure (‘A’) can influence the firm’s operations through, for example, the exercise of voting rights;

  2. (2)

    the management role of A where A is also a director of the firm; and

  3. (3)

    whether the exposure would be subject to the firm’s usual monitoring and recovery procedures if repayment difficulties emerged.

MIFIDPRU 5.2 Monitoring obligation

MIFIDPRU 5.2.1 R

1A firm must monitor and control its concentration risk using sound administrative and accounting procedures and robust internal control mechanisms.

MIFIDPRU 5.2.2 G

1 MIFIDPRU 5.2.1R requires a firm to monitor and control all sources of concentration risk. This is not limited to trading book exposures, but also includes any concentration in assets not recorded in a trading book (for example, trade debts) and off-balance sheet items. It also includes any concentration risk that may arise from the following:

  1. (1)

    the location of client money;

  2. (2)

    the location of custody assets;

  3. (3)

    a firm’s own cash deposits; and

  4. (4)

    earnings.

MIFIDPRU 5.3 Overview of concentration risk requirements for dealing on own account

MIFIDPRU 5.3.1 G

1 MIFIDPRU 5.4 to MIFIDPRU 5.10 contain the concentration risk requirements that apply to the trading book exposures of a MIFIDPRU investment firm that is dealing on own account:

  1. (1)

    MIFIDPRU 5.4 explains how a firm should calculate the value of its exposure to each client or group of connected clients (the exposure value or EV).

  2. (2)

    MIFIDPRU 5.5.1R explains how a firm should calculate the concentration risk soft limit for its exposure to a client or group of connected clients.

  3. (3)

    MIFIDPRU 5.5.3R explains how a firm should calculate the value by which its exposure to each client or group of connected clients exceeds the concentration risk soft limit (the exposure value excess or EVE). The EVE is relevant to the calculation of the K-CON requirement.

  4. (4)

    MIFIDPRU 5.6 contains the obligation to calculate the K-CON requirement and to notify the FCA if the value of a firm’s exposure to a client or group of connected clients exceeds the concentration risk soft limit.

  5. (5)

    MIFIDPRU 5.7 explains how to calculate the K-CON requirement.

  6. (6)

    MIFIDPRU 5.8 contains rules designed to prevent firms from avoiding the K-CON requirement.

  7. (7)

    MIFIDPRU 5.9 contains the ‘hard’ concentration risk limits, and associated provisions.

  8. (8)

    MIFIDPRU 5.10 excludes certain exposures from the concentration risk requirements in MIFIDPRU 5.4 to 5.9.

MIFIDPRU 5.4 Calculation of exposure value (EV)

MIFIDPRU 5.4.1 R

1For the purposes of MIFIDPRU 5.5 to MIFIDPRU 5.10, a firm must calculate an exposure value (EV) for each client or group of connected clients by adding together the following items:

  1. (1)

    the positive excess of the firm’s long positions over its short positions in all the trading bookfinancial instruments issued by the client in question, using the approach specified for K-NPR in MIFIDPRU 4.12.2R to calculate the net position for each instrument; and

  2. (2)

    the exposure value of contracts and transactions referred to in MIFIDPRU 4.14.3R with the client in question, calculated using the approach specified for K-TCD in MIFIDPRU 4.14.8R.

MIFIDPRU 5.4.2 R

1For the purposes of MIFIDPRU 5.4.1R(1), where a firm calculates a K-CMG requirement in relation to a portfolio, it must calculate its net position for the exposures in that portfolio using the approach specified for K-NPR in MIFIDPRU 4.12.2R.

MIFIDPRU 5.4.3 R

1The EV with regard to a group of connected clients must be calculated by adding together the exposures to the individual clients within the group, which must be treated as a single exposure.

MIFIDPRU 5.4.4 R

1When calculating EVs, a firm must take all reasonable steps to identify underlying assets in relevant transactions and the counterparty of the underlying exposures.

MIFIDPRU 5.5 The concentration risk soft limit and exposure value excess

The concentration risk soft limit

MIFIDPRU 5.5.1 R
  1. (1)

    1The concentration risk soft limit for EVs to an individual client or group of connected clients is 25% of a firm’sown funds, subject to (2) and (3).

  2. (2)

    1Where an individual client is a MIFIDPRU-eligible institution, the concentration risk soft limit for that client is the higher of:

    1. (a)

      25% of the firm’sown funds; or

    2. (b)

      £150 million or 100% of the firm’sown funds, whichever is the lower.

  3. (3)

    1Where a group of connected clients includes one or more MIFIDPRU-eligible institutions, the concentration risk soft limit for the group is the higher of:

    1. (a)

      (a) 25% of the firm’sown funds; or

    2. (b)

      £150 million or 100% of the firm’sown funds, whichever is the lower, provided that for the sum of exposure values with regard to all connected clients that are not MIFIDPRU-eligible institutions, the concentration risk soft limit remains at 25% of the firm’sown funds.

MIFIDPRU 5.5.2 G

1The Handbook definition of MIFIDPRU-eligible institution includes private or public undertakings, including the branches of such undertakings, provided that those undertakings, if they were established in the UK, would be UK credit institutions or MIFIDPRU investment firms, and provided that those undertakings have been authorised in a third country that applies prudential supervisory and regulatory requirements comparable to those applied in the UK.

The exposure value excess (EVE)

MIFIDPRU 5.5.3 R
  1. (1)

    1A firm that exceeds the concentration risk soft limit for a client or group of connected clients must calculate the exposure value excess (EVE).

  2. (2)

    A firm must calculate the EVE for an individual client or group of connected clients using the following formula:

    1. EVE = EV – L

    where:

    L = the concentration risk soft limit specified in MIFIDPRU 5.5.1R.

MIFIDPRU 5.6 Obligations for a firm that exceeds the concentration risk soft limit

MIFIDPRU 5.6.1 R

1For as long as a firm exceeds the concentration risk soft limit for one or more clients or groups of connected clients, it must calculate the K-CON requirement.

MIFIDPRU 5.6.2 R

1When a firm exceeds the concentration risk soft limit for a client or group of connected clients, it must notify the FCA without delay of the amount of the EVE, and the name of the individual client or group of connected clients.

MIFIDPRU 5.6.3 R

1A firm must make the notification referred to in MIFIDPRU 5.6.2R by completing Part A of the form in MIFIDPRU 5 Annex 1R and submitting it using the online notification and application system.

MIFIDPRU 5.7 Calculating K-CON

MIFIDPRU 5.7.1 R
MIFIDPRU 5.7.2 R

1The CON own funds requirement for each client or group of connected clients in MIFIDPRU 5.7.1R must be calculated by:

  1. (1)

    determining the own funds requirement for the excess (OFRE) in accordance with MIFIDPRU 5.7.3R; and

  2. (2)

    applying the relevant multiplication factor or factors in accordance with MIFIDPRU 5.7.4R.

MIFIDPRU 5.7.3 R
  1. (1)

    1The OFRE must be calculated using the following formula:

    MIFIDPRU_5_7_3
  2. (2)
    1. (a)

      The OFR for an individual client is the sum of:

      1. (i)

        the TCD own funds requirement for exposures to that client; and

      2. (ii)

        the K-NPR requirement for the exposures to that client, subject to (b).

  3. (b)

    Where exposures arise from the positive excess of a firm’s long positions over its short positions in all the trading bookfinancial instruments issued by the client in question, the net position of each instrument calculated using the approach specified for K-NPR in MIFIDPRU 4.12.2R shall only include specific-risk requirements.

  4. (c)

    A firm that calculates a K-CMG requirement for a portfolio must calculate the OFR using the approach specified for K-NPR in MIFIDPRU 4.12.2R, subject to (b).

  5. (d)

    The OFR for a group of connected clients must be calculated by adding together the exposures to individual clients within the group, and then determining a single own funds requirement for exposures to the group as if the group were a single undertaking.

MIFIDPRU 5.7.4 R
  1. (1)

    1Where the excess has persisted for 10 business days or less, the CON own funds requirement is the OFRE multiplied by 200%.

  2. (2)

    Where the excess has persisted for more than 10 business days:

    1. (a)

      the EVE must be apportioned according to the tranches in each row of Column 1 of Table 1;

    2. (b)

      the proportion of the EVE in each tranche must be calculated as a percentage of the overall EVE;

    3. (c)

      the OFRE must be pro-rated according to the proportion of EVE falling within each tranche;

    4. (d)

      each portion of the OFRE must be multiplied by the relevant Factor in Column 2 of Table 1; and

    5. (e)

      the CON own funds requirement is the sum of the amounts calculated in accordance with (d).

  3. (3)

    Table 1

    Column 1:

    EVE as a percentage of own funds

    Column 2: Factors

    For the amount up to and including 40%

    200%

    For the amount over 40% up to and including 60%

    300%

    For the amount over 60% up to and including 80%

    400%

    For the amount over 80% up to and including 100%

    500%

    For the amount over 100% up to and including 250%

    600%

    For the amount over 250%

    900%

MIFIDPRU 5.7.5 G
  1. (1)

    1K-CON is an additional K-factor own funds requirement for concentration risk in the trading book.

  2. (2)

    A firm must calculate a CON own funds requirement for each client or group of connected clients for which the exposure value exceeds the concentration risk soft limit. The CON own funds requirement for each client or group of connected clients is then added together determine the K-CON requirement.

  3. (3)

    Determining the CON own funds requirement for each client or group of connected clients involves a two-step calculation:

    1. (a)

      The first step involves an exposure-based calculation, known as the OFRE (the own funds requirement for the excess).

    2. (b)

      The second step involves applying a multiplying factor to the OFRE (or applying different multiplying factors to tranches of the OFRE) based on the length of time for which the excess has persisted and by how much (as a percentage of own funds) the exposure value exceeds the concentration risk soft limit.

  4. (4)

    The reference to how long an excess has persisted relates to how long a firm has had an exposure to a client or group of connected clients that exceeds the concentration risk soft limit, irrespective of whether the constituent parts that make up that total exposure change over the duration of that total exposure.

  5. (5)

    The 10-business day period referred to in MIFIDPRU 5.7.4R runs from the start of the business day on which the excess occurred.

MIFIDPRU 5.7.6 G

1The following example shows how to calculate the CON own funds requirement for an excess to a client that has persisted for 10 business days or less:

  1. (1)

    A firm has:

    1. (a)

      own funds of 1000;

    2. (b)

      a concentration risk soft limit of 250 (25% of 1000);

    3. (c)

      an EV of 262; and

    4. (d)

      an EVE of 12 (262 - 250 = 12).

  2. (2)

    The exposure is all due to debt securities that have a specific risk own funds requirement of 8% (according to Table 1 in article 336 of UK CRR) for the purposes of K-NPR. There is zero K-TCD to this client.

    In this example, the OFR = 262 × 8% = 20.96

  3. (3)

    To calculate the OFRE:

    OFRE = OFR/EV*EVE = 20.96/262 ×12 = 0.96

  4. (4)

    As the excess has persisted for 10 business days or less:

    CON own funds requirement = 0.96 × 200% = 1.92

MIFIDPRU 5.7.7 G

1The following example shows how to calculate the CON own funds requirement for an excess that has persisted for more than 10 business days:

  1. (1)

    A firm has:

    1. (a)

      own funds of 1000;

    2. (b)

      a concentration risk soft limit of 250 (25% of 1000);

    3. (c)

      an EV of 780; and

    4. (d)

      an EVE of 530 (780 - 250 = 530).

  2. (2)

    The exposure is all due to debt securities that have a specific risk own funds requirement of 8% (according to Table 1 in article 336 of UK CRR) for the purposes of K-NPR. There is zero K-TCD to this client.

    In this example, the OFR = 780 × 8% = 62.4

  3. (3)

    To calculate the OFRE:

    OFRE = OFR/EV*EVE = 62.4/780 × 530 = 42.4

  4. (4)

    As the excess has persisted for more than 10 business days, the CON own funds requirement is calculated by apportioning the OFRE in accordance with the relevant EVE tranche in Table 2, multiplying each part of the OFRE by the applicable factor, and then adding the resulting amounts together:

    Application of Table 2

    K-CON factor tranche as per Table 1

    EVEsplit by tranche

    OFREallocated across K-CON tranche by EVEsplit

    CON own funds requirement(OFRE× factor in Table 1)

    Up to 40%

    400

    400/530 × 42.4 = 32

    32 × 200% = 64

    40%-60%

    130

    130/530 × 42.4 = 10.4

    10.4 × 300% = 31.2

    Total:

    530

    42.4

    95.2

  5. (5)

    The CON own funds requirement is the total amount in the last column, 95.2.

MIFIDPRU 5.8 Procedures to prevent investment firms from avoiding the K-CON own funds requirement

MIFIDPRU 5.8.1 R

1A firm must not deliberately avoid the K-CON requirement by:

  1. (1)

    undertaking artificial transactions to close out an exposure and create a new exposure; or

  2. (2)

    temporarily transferring an exposure to another undertaking, whether within the same group or not.

MIFIDPRU 5.8.2 R

1A firm must maintain systems which ensure that any closing out or transfer that is prohibited by MIFIDPRU 5.8.1R is immediately reported to the FCA in accordance with MIFIDPRU 1.1.10R2.

MIFIDPRU 5.9 The ‘hard’ limits on concentration risk

MIFIDPRU 5.9.1 R
  1. (1)

    1Whilst an exposure exceeding the concentration risk soft limit has persisted for 10 business days or less, a firm’sEV for the individual client or group of connected clients must not exceed 500% of the firm’sown funds.

  2. (2)

    Whilst a firm has one or more exposures exceeding the concentration risk soft limit that have persisted for more than 10 business days, the aggregate EVEs for all such exposures must not exceed 600% of the firm’sown funds.

MIFIDPRU 5.9.2 G
  1. (1)

    1An exposure exceeding the concentration risk soft limit persists for as long as the overall exposure exceeds the concentration risk soft limit, irrespective of whether the constituent parts that make up that total exposure change over the duration of that total exposure.

  2. (2)

    For the purpose of MIFIDPRU 5.9.1R(2), the 600% limit applies to the aggregate of all individual EVEs for excesses that have persisted for more than 10 business days, irrespective of whether the individual concentrated exposures are connected to one another.

  3. (3)

    The 10 business day period referred to in MIFIDPRU 5.9.1R runs from the start of the business day on which the excess occurred.

MIFIDPRU 5.9.3 R

1If a firm breaches the requirement in MIFIDPRU 5.9.1R, it must notify the FCA without delay of:

  1. (1)

    the amounts of the exposure or exposures which give rise to the breach;

  2. (2)

    the name or names of the clients concerned; and

  3. (3)

    any steps which the firm or any other person has taken or intends to take to rectify the breach and prevent any future potential occurrence.

MIFIDPRU 5.9.4 R

1A firm must make the notification referred to in MIFIDPRU 5.9.3R using Part B of the form in MIFIDPRU 5 Annex 1R, and must submit it using the online notification and application system.

MIFIDPRU 5.10 Exclusions

MIFIDPRU 5.10.1 R

1The requirements in MIFIDPRU 5.4 to 5.9 do not apply to the following exposures:

  1. (1)

    exposures which are entirely deducted from a MIFIDPRU investment firm’s own funds;

  2. (2)

    exposures incurred in the ordinary course of the settlement of payment services, foreign currency transactions, securities transactions and the provision of money transmission;

  3. (3)

    exposures constituting claims against:

    1. (a)

      central governments, central banks, public sector entities, international organisations or multilateral development banks and exposures guaranteed by or attributable to such persons, where those exposures would receive a 0% risk weight under articles 114 to 118 of the UK CRR;

    2. (b)

      regional governments and local authorities of the UK or a third country which pose no difference in risk compared to a central government covered by (a); and

    3. (c)

      central counterparties and default fund contributions to central counterparties;

  4. (4)

    exposures incurred by a firm to its parent undertaking, to other subsidiaries or connected undertakings of that parent undertaking or to its own subsidiaries or connected undertakings, insofar as those undertakings are supervised on a consolidated basis in accordance with MIFIDPRU 2.5 or with UK CRR, are supervised for compliance with the group capital test in accordance with MIFIDPRU 2.6, or are supervised in accordance with comparable standards in force in a third country, and provided that the following conditions are met:

    1. (a)

      there is no current or foreseen material practical or legal impediment to the prompt transfer of capital or repayment of liabilities; and

    2. (b)

      the risk evaluation, measurement and control procedures of the parent undertaking include the firm and any relevant subsidiary or connected undertaking.

MIFIDPRU 5.11 Exemption for commodity and emission allowance dealers

MIFIDPRU 5.11.1 R

1A commodity and emission allowance dealer is not required to comply with MIFIDPRU 5.2 to 5.10 where all of the following conditions are met:

  1. (1)

    the other counterparty is a non-financial counterparty;

  2. (2)

    both counterparties are subject to appropriate centralised risk evaluation, measurement and control procedures;

  3. (3)

    the transaction can be assessed as reducing risks directly relating to the commercial activity or treasury financing activity of the non-financial counterparty or of that group; and

  4. (4)

    the firm complies with MIFIDPRU 5.11.2R.

MIFIDPRU 5.11.2 R
  1. (1)

    1Before relying on the exemption in MIFIDPRU 5.11.1R, a firm must notify the FCA.

  2. (2)

    A firm must notify the FCA annually thereafter in order to continue to rely on the exemption in MIFIDPRU 5.11.1R.

  3. (3)

    The notification must explain how the firm expects to meet or continue to meet the conditions in MIFIDPRU 5.11.1R.

  4. (4)

    If there is a material change to the information provided in (1) or (2), a firm must notify the FCA without delay.

  5. (5)

    The notifications in (1), (2) and (4) must be made using the form in MIFIDPRU 5 Annex 2R, and must be submitted using the online notification and application system.

MIFIDPRU 5 Annex 1 Notification under MIFIDPRU 5.6.3R and 5.9.3R that limits for concentration risk have been exceeded