JP Morgan Chase 2015 Annual Report Download - page 248

Notes to consolidated financial statements
238 JPMorgan Chase & Co./2015 Annual Report
Note 13 – Securities financing activities
JPMorgan Chase enters into resale agreements, repurchase
agreements, securities borrowed transactions and securities
loaned transactions (collectively, “securities financing
agreements”) primarily to finance the Firm’s inventory
positions, acquire securities to cover short positions,
accommodate customers’ financing needs, and settle other
securities obligations.
Securities financing agreements are treated as
collateralized financings on the Firm’s Consolidated balance
sheets. Resale and repurchase agreements are generally
carried at the amounts at which the securities will be
subsequently sold or repurchased. Securities borrowed and
securities loaned transactions are generally carried at the
amount of cash collateral advanced or received. Where
appropriate under applicable accounting guidance, resale
and repurchase agreements with the same counterparty are
reported on a net basis. For further discussion of the
offsetting of assets and liabilities, see Note 1. Fees received
and paid in connection with securities financing agreements
are recorded in interest income and interest expense on the
Consolidated statements of income.
The Firm has elected the fair value option for certain
securities financing agreements. For further information
regarding the fair value option, see Note 4. The securities
financing agreements for which the fair value option has
been elected are reported within securities purchased
under resale agreements, securities loaned or sold under
repurchase agreements, and securities borrowed on the
Consolidated balance sheets. Generally, for agreements
carried at fair value, current-period interest accruals are
recorded within interest income and interest expense, with
changes in fair value reported in principal transactions
revenue. However, for financial instruments containing
embedded derivatives that would be separately accounted
for in accordance with accounting guidance for hybrid
instruments, all changes in fair value, including any interest
elements, are reported in principal transactions revenue.
Secured financing transactions expose the Firm to credit
and liquidity risk. To manage these risks, the Firm monitors
the value of the underlying securities (predominantly high-
quality securities collateral, including government-issued
debt and agency MBS) that it has received from or provided
to its counterparties compared to the value of cash
proceeds and exchanged collateral, and either requests
additional collateral or returns securities or collateral when
appropriate. Margin levels are initially established based
upon the counterparty, the type of underlying securities,
and the permissible collateral, and are monitored on an
ongoing basis.
In resale agreements and securities borrowed transactions,
the Firm is exposed to credit risk to the extent that the
value of the securities received is less than initial cash
principal advanced and any collateral amounts exchanged.
In repurchase agreements and securities loaned
transactions, credit risk exposure arises to the extent that
the value of underlying securities exceeds the value of the
initial cash principal advanced, and any collateral amounts
exchanged.
Additionally, the Firm typically enters into master netting
agreements and other similar arrangements with its
counterparties, which provide for the right to liquidate the
underlying securities and any collateral amounts exchanged
in the event of a counterparty default. It is also the Firm’s
policy to take possession, where possible, of the securities
underlying resale agreements and securities borrowed
transactions. For further information regarding assets
pledged and collateral received in securities financing
agreements, see Note 30.
As a result of the Firm’s credit risk mitigation practices with
respect to resale and securities borrowed agreements as
described above, the Firm did not hold any reserves for
credit impairment with respect to these agreements as of
December 31, 2015 and 2014.
Certain prior period amounts for securities purchased under
resale agreements and securities borrowed, as well as
securities sold under repurchase agreements and securities
loaned, have been revised to conform with the current
period presentation. These revisions had no impact on the
Firm’s Consolidated balance sheets or its results of
operations.