Increased borrowing and market indicators suggest potential funding challenges

  • Usage of the Bank Term Funding Program is increasing
  • Banks are borrowing from the program to cover funding shortfalls
  • Spikes in the Secured Overnight Financing Rate coincide with the increase in program usage
  • Possible reasons for the increase include decreased cash availability and seasonal impact
  • The SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF has seen a recent surge in value

Usage of the Bank Term Funding Program, a Federal Reserve facility established after the collapse of SVB Financial, has been on the rise. The program allows banks to borrow for up to one year, even when trading at a loss, by pledging collateral at par. Recent spikes in the Secured Overnight Financing Rate have coincided with the increase in program usage, indicating potential funding stress. Possible reasons for the rise include decreased cash availability due to increased borrowing from the Treasury Department and seasonal impact. Additionally, the SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF has experienced a surge in value over the past month, suggesting market optimism towards regional banks.

Public Companies: SVB Financial (SVB), SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (KRE)
Private Companies:
Key People: Moses Sternstein (blogger), Ryan Plantz (analyst at Nomura)


Factuality Level: 7
Justification: The article provides information about the usage of the Bank Term Funding Program and its week-over-week gains. It also includes quotes from experts speculating on the reasons behind the increase in usage. However, the article lacks specific data or evidence to support these claims, and there is no mention of any opposing viewpoints or alternative explanations. Additionally, the article includes unrelated information about the performance of an ETF tracking regional banks, which is not directly relevant to the main topic.

Noise Level: 3
Justification: The article provides some relevant information about the usage of the Bank Term Funding Program and the spikes in the Secured Overnight Financing Rate. However, it lacks in-depth analysis, evidence, and actionable insights. It also includes irrelevant information about the ETF tracking the regional banks, which is not directly related to the main topic.

Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: The article provides information about the usage of the Bank Term Funding Program by banks, which could impact the financial markets and banks involved.

Presence of Extreme Event: No
Nature of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating of the Extreme Event: No
Justification: The article discusses the usage of a Federal Reserve facility and its impact on banks, suggesting potential financial market implications. However, there is no mention of an extreme event or its impact.

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com