Financial instruments meaning

Assimilated Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (UK Market Abuse Regulation) has effect in the UK from IP completion day (31 December 2020)...

This checklist sets out the reporting obligations under the UK’s new short selling regime. For more detail, see Practice Note: The new UK short selling regime. Background The Short Selling Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/29) replace the assimilated UK Short Selling Regulation and introduce a new statutory framework for regulating short selling in the UK. The regime: Defines designated activities for short selling within FSMA 2000 Confers broad rule-making powers on the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Maintains core transparency obligations while giving the FCA greater flexibility Equips the FCA with intervention powers in exceptional circumstances The FCA is consulting on proposed rules and guidance, with a new short selling sourcebook expected in April 2026. When does the UK short selling regime apply? It applies to market participants engaging in short selling of shares admitted to trading or traded on a UK trading venue, and to short selling of UK sovereign debt, associated credit default swaps (CDS) and related...

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note is archived and is no longer maintained. On 31 March 2011, the European Commission (Commission) put forward, via the co-decision process, a proposal to adopt a directive on credit agreements for consumers connected to residential immovable property. Subsequently, on 4 February 2014, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU formally adopted the Mortgage Credit Directive (Directive 2014/17/EU) (MCD). Its publication in the Official Journal of the EU followed on 28 February 2014. The MCD covers first- and second-charge mortgages as well as consumer buy-to-let activity on the same basis. It sets out assumptions used to calculate the annual percentage rate of charge (APRC). A tool built on these assumptions is available to assist users (including regulators, consumers, and creditors) in working out the APRC for a particular credit. Per the Commission, the MCD seeks to establish an EU-wide mortgage credit market delivering strong consumer protection. It also aims to support a more effective internal market for mortgage lending throughout Europe across the...

In this issue: Brexit highlights Brexit SIs Post-Brexit transition guidance Judicial review Constitutional and administrative law Equality and human rights Information law Subsidy control and state aid Public procurement Management and strategic planning Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Brexit highlights The Cabinet Office has released an explanatory memorandum concerning the UK/EU TCA Partnership Council decision (COM(2024)297). The proposal sets out the EU’s stance in the Partnership Council on amending Annex 3 to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and UK, which covers product-specific rules of origin. See: LNB News 15/11/2024 16. The House of Commons Library has issued a briefing on assimilated law reform, outlining the Labour government’s approach following the 2024 general election. The second statutory report, published in July 2024, notes that of the 6,735 items of retained EU law (REUL)...

Financial services developments ESMA consults on CCP collateral and investment policy standards following EMIR 3 review The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has initiated a public consultation on draft regulatory technical standards (RTS) to amend Commission Delegated Regulation 153/2013, following the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR 3) review. The call for input invites feedback on: conditions for central counterparties (CCPs) to accept public guarantees, public bank guarantees and commercial bank guarantees as collateral; criteria under which debt instruments qualify as eligible financial instruments within CCP investment policy; highly secured arrangements for emission allowances lodged as margins or default fund contributions. EMIR 3 makes permanent a broader range of guarantees eligible as collateral and extends scope to clients of CCPs that are non-financial counterparties. The consultation closes on 30 April 2026, with ESMA submitting final draft RTS to European Commission by end-2026...

On 9 October 2024, the FCA noted that firms it regulates frequently act on instructions to execute trades from so-called aggregated accounts, which, while offering legitimate benefits such as streamlined administration, can also create risks if not properly controlled and monitored. Such arrangements can, in some circumstances, facilitate market abuse, where a single actor harms other investors, for example by purchasing shares using information that has not been made public. In its latest Market Watch newsletter, the FCA reported a rise in suspected market abuse in leveraged equity instruments linked to aggregated accounts managed by firms located overseas, particularly in jurisdictions where controls to deter market abuse may not effectively match those overseen by the FCA. Leveraged equity products depend on modest sums of capital being...

This Practice Note examines core aspects of the UK framework for money market funds (MMFs) that stems from Regulation (EU) 2017/1131 (the EU MMF Regulation). It also looks at suggested changes to the framework, with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), HM Treasury and the Bank of England (BoE) working jointly to bolster its resilience and align it with post‑Brexit regulatory objectives. For background on the EU MMF Regulation, see Practice Note: EU MMF Regulation—essentials. What is an MMF? Money market funds (MMFs) are investment funds that invest in short‑term debt instruments and so play a significant role in the short‑term financing of the economy. In particular, MMFs are open‑ended, liquid investment funds that invest in fixed income through short‑term debt, for example money market instruments issued by banks, governments or companies (including treasury bills, commercial paper and certificates of deposit) which pay interest. They therefore form an important connection between demand for, and the supply of, short‑term debt. Further information on the eligible assets of an MMF is...

This Practice Note forms part of the Lexis+® UK Corporate private equity buyout transaction toolkit. Timing Due diligence is typically undertaken after heads of terms are signed and confidentiality arrangements are in place. It then proceeds in parallel with negotiation of the main sale documents (share purchase agreement and associated ancillary papers) and the equity documents (investment agreement, senior debt (loan facility) agreement and, if required, loan note instruments). Most diligence is carried out early in the deal to enable the parties to agree suitable warranty and/or indemnity protection in the formal papers, and to support the seller’s and target management’s disclosures against their respective warranties. Disclosure letters are drafted and negotiated alongside the share purchase agreement and the investment agreement, and executed at the same time as those instruments. A first draft disclosure letter is usually produced only once diligence is well progressed and initial drafts of the relevant documents have already been circulated. What happens during this phase? Due diligence The private...

Brexit Financial Services Legislation Status Guide This guide outlines high-level information on the status of EU laws regulating the payments sector, namely: the second Electronic Money Directive (Directive 2009/110/EC) (2EMD) the Cross-Border Payments Regulation (Regulation (EC) 924/2009) (CBPR) as amended by Regulation (EU) 2019/518 (CBPR2) the Regulation establishing technical and business requirements for credit transfers and direct debits in euro and amending the CBPR (Regulation (EU) 260/2012) (SEPA Regulation) the Payment Accounts Directive (Directive 2014/92/EU) (PAD) the recast Payment Services Directive (Directive (EU) 2015/2366) (PSD2) the Interchange Fee Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2015/751) (IFR) This Practice Note should be read alongside the following Practice Notes: Impact of Brexit: Payment services and electronic money directives—quick guide [Archived] Impact of Brexit: SEPA Regulation—quick guide [Archived] Impact of Brexit: Payment accounts—quick guide [Archived] Impact of Brexit: Interchange Fee Regulation—quick guide [Archived] During the implementation period from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020...

General This Precedent serves for a complete security release and is designed for bilateral debentures or mortgage instruments, where the chargor is a company registered in Ireland, and is intended for use in relation to that specific documentation. Such releases are ordinarily recorded by a deed of release, which is the usual means of documenting the discharge of a mortgage or charge. That approach matters especially if security is discharged early or before the debt is fully satisfied, as it removes arguments about absence of consideration and assures any third party dealing with the security provider that the release is valid. A complete release is appropriate where the creditor no longer needs security to remain in place, for instance when every liability owed to the security holder is being paid off or refinanced by a different lender. If a full release occurs, the security provider’s obligations and liabilities are likewise discharged...

Definitions This Deed, between Lender and Borrower, defines key expressions used. Costs: all expenses on a full indemnity basis, including legal and professional fees. Event of Default: events in clauses 4.1.1–4.1.9. Financial Indebtedness: borrowing, bonds, finance leases, receivables financing, counter‑indemnities, and related guarantees. Insurance Policy: any current or future insurance benefiting the Borrower regarding the Real Property. Interest Rate: the stated annual rate or a closely comparable replacement if required. Legislation: UK laws and subordinate instruments, as amended, including approved codes of practice. Real Property: the assets in Schedule 1 together with buildings, fixtures and fixed plant. Receiver: any receiver (including a receiver and/or manager) appointed under this Deed or by law. Secured Obligations: all present and future liabilities to the Lender, including Costs and interest. Security Interest: any mortgage, charge, pledge, lien or similar arrangement conferring security. Security Period, VAT, Working Day: from today until full discharge; value added tax; any day except Saturday, Sunday...

What is money laundering? Money laundering is the method by which criminal proceeds, along with their genuine source and ownership, are altered so they seem lawful. Put simply, criminals seek to conceal where the money came from and who owns it. How does money get laundered? Ordinarily, laundering unfolds in three commonly recognised phases: placement, layering, and integration. Placement — introducing illicit assets into the financial system. This may involve splitting substantial cash holdings into modest sums, or utilising a broad range of financial instruments (for example, cheques or money orders) lodged at multiple separate venues. Layering — shifting funds already lodged within the financial system to conceal their unlawful origin. This is commonly done through numerous intricate transactions, often using complex offshore company structures and trusts. Integration — after the source of the funds is masked, the money must ultimately surface back within the financial system as bona fide income. This stage includes investing in legitimate enterprises and other assets, such...