Financial Market Regulation in India (Guidelines Issued by RBI and SEBI)

Guidelines Issued by Reserve Bank of India for the Regulation of Financial Markets 1) Management oversight, policy/operational guidelines – The management of a Primary Dealer should bear primary responsibility for ensuring maintenance of appropriate standards of conduct and adherence to proper procedures by the entity. Primary Dealers (PD) should frame and implement suitable policy guidelines on securities transactions. Operational procedures and controls in relation to the day-to-day business operations should also be worked out and put in place to ensure that operations in securities are conducted in accordance with sound and acceptable business practices. With the approval of respective Boards, the PDs should clearly lay down the broad objectives to be followed while undertaking transactions in securities on their own account and on behalf of clients, clearly define the authority to put through deals, procedure to be followed while putting through deals, and adhere to prudential exposure limits, policy regarding Continue reading

All About Call Money Market in India

The call money market refers to the market for extremely short period loans; say one day to fourteen days. These loans are repayable on demand at the option of either the lender or the borrower. The money that is lent for one day in this market is known as “Call Money”, and if it exceeds one day (but less than 15 days) it is referred to as “Notice Money”. Term Money refers to Money lent for 15 days or more in the Inter Bank Market.  These loans are given to brokers and dealers in stock exchange. Similarly, banks with ‘surplus’ lend to other banks with ‘deficit funds’ in the call money market. Thus, it provides an equilibrating mechanism for evening out short term surpluses and deficits. Moreover, commercial banks can quickly borrow from the call market to meet their statutory liquidity requirements. They can also maximize their profits easily by Continue reading

Organization of Foreign Exchange Department

The Foreign Exchange department, which is also being called as the International Banking Division, is one of the important departments of the banks operating in international market. In India also all scheduled commercial banks, both in the nationalized or non-nationalized sectors, do have Foreign Exchange departments, both at their principal offices as well as offices, in metropolitan centers. This department functions independently under the overall change of some senior executive or a senior officer well-versed in foreign exchange operations as well as in the rules and regulations in force from time to time pertaining to foreign exchange transactions advised by various government agencies. The principal function of a Foreign exchange department is to handle foreign inward remittances as well as outward remittances; buying and selling of foreign currencies, handling and forwarding of import and export documents and giving the consultancy services to the exporters and importers. Besides this, the department Continue reading

Commercial Bill – Meaning, Characteristics and Types

Bills of exchange are negotiable instruments, drawn by the seller (drawer) of the goods on the buyer (drawee) of the goods for the value of the goods delivered. These bills are known as trade bills. Trade bills are called commercial bills when they are accepted by commercial banks. If the bill is payable at a future date and the seller needs money during the currency of the bill, he may approach his bank to discount the bill. The maturity proceeds or face value of a discounted bill from the drawee is received by the bank. If the bank needs funds during the currency of bill, it can rediscount the bill that has been already discounted by it in the commercial bill rediscount market at the available market discount rate. The RBI introduced the Bills Market scheme (BMS) in 1952 and the scheme was later modified into the New Bills Market Continue reading

Concepts and Process of Book Building

Book building is a method of price discovery. In this method, offer price of securities is determined on the basis of real demand for the shares at various price levels in the market. As defined by SEBI guidelines, 1995, “book building is a process undertaken by which a demand for the securities proposed to be issued by a body corporate is elicited and built up and the price for such securities is assessed for the determination of the quantum of such securities to be issued by means of a notice, circular, advertisement, document or information memoranda of offer document.” In book building method, the final issue price is not known in advance. Only a price band is determined and made public before opening of the bidding process. The spread of price between floor price and cap in the price band should not be more than 20%. It means that the Continue reading

National Securities Clearing Corporation Ltd. (NSCCL)

National Securities Clearing Corporation Ltd. (NSCCL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of NSE and was incorporated in August 1995. It was the first clearing corporation to be established in the country and also the first clearing corporation in the country to introduce settlement guarantee. It was set up with the following objectives: to bring and sustain confidence in clearing and settlement of securities; to promote and maintain, short and consistent settlement cycles; to provide counter-party risk guarantee, and to operate a tight risk containment system. Clearing and Settlement by  National Securities Clearing Corporation Ltd. (NSCCL)   National Securities Clearing Corporation Ltd. carries out the clearing and settlement of the trades executed in the equities and derivatives segments of the NSE, It operates a well-defined settlement cycle and there are no deviations or deferments from this cycle. It aggregates trades over a trading period, nets the positions to determine the liabilities Continue reading