NSE sues Singapore Exchange in the Bombay HC over India product launch
The NSE is trying to stop SGX from launching derivatives that could replace the Nifty 50 contracts that have traded in the city-state for 18 years.The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has sued the Singapore Exchange (SGX) in the Bombay High Court, escalating a dispute that threatens to leave international investors without one of the worldās most widely used offshore futures contracts.
The NSE is trying to stop SGX from launching derivatives that could replace the Nifty 50 contracts that have traded in the city-state for 18 years.Global funds use these instruments to hedge their positions in one of Asiaās biggest equity markets. Indian exchanges ended agreements that allowed offshore derivatives in February, leaving SGX and others scrambling
This is a big mess. I canāt see how SGX would go through with the launch when this is in the air. Thereās a lot of gray here, because if investors do trade the new contract knowing this legal case is out there, is there legal liability that cuts through to the investors of the new contractsā, said David Shin, Asia head of global equity derivative sales at TD Securities in Singapore.
SGX, which announced the NSEās legal action in a statement on Tuesday, said it has full confidence in its legal position and would vigorously defend itself.The Singapore bourseās stock declined two per cent on news of the lawsuit. The Mumbai court is expected to hear the case on Wednesday, according to people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be named because the details arenāt public
Investors having existing positions in SGX will be affected if the Mumbai court stays the start of the contract,ā said Devansh Lakhani, director at Lakhani Financial Services in Mumbai. āInvestors with outstanding positions may have to book losses if they arenāt able to rollover to the new contractā.
NSE spokesman Debojyoti Chatterjee declined to comment. The exchangeās move is another ratcheting up of tensions between bourses in India and Singapore amid efforts by the former to keep trading onshore.
China and Malaysia are among other emerging economies in the region that have taken steps to keep control of capital flows even as they push to further integrate into global markets. In Indiaās case, its been promoting a tax-free trading zone in Prime Minister Narendra Modiās home state, known as Gift City, as an alternative to offshore centers.
āThe principal objective is to prevent Indiaās turnover from being affected by overseas venues,ā said Gopalan Sridhar, a Singapore-based fund manager at Aquarius Investment Advisors Pte. āAt the same time, NSE is trying to increase access to international investors by increasing trading hours and allowing US clients to tradeā.
US regulators last week approved allowing NSE members to accept American customer funds for trading in futures and options contracts on the Mumbai bourse. In February, Indiaās national exchanges said they would end all licensing agreements with overseas bourses and also stop providing live prices.
The Business Standard, New Delhi, 23 May 2018
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