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Derivative Instruments
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivative Instruments
DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS
The following tables summarize the gross fair values of individual derivative instruments and the impact of legal rights of offset as reported in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013.
 
 
Gross
Amounts of
Recognized
Assets /
Liabilities
 
Gross
Amounts
Offset in the
Consolidated
Balance
Sheet
 
Net
Amounts of
Assets /
Liabilities
Presented in
the
Consolidated
Balance
Sheet
 
Gross
Amount of
Collateral
Received /
Pledged Not
Offset in the
Consolidated
Balance Sheet
 
Net Amount
Successor Ambac—June 30, 2014:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Derivative Assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Credit derivatives
$
319

 
$

 
$
319

 
$

 
$
319

Interest rate swaps
$
140,683

 
$
51,322

 
$
89,361

 
$

 
$
89,361

Futures contracts

 

 

 

 

Total non-VIE derivative assets
$
141,002

 
$
51,322

 
$
89,680

 
$

 
$
89,680

Derivative Liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Credit derivatives
$
89,970

 
$

 
$
89,970

 
$

 
$
89,970

Interest rate swaps
303,317

 
51,322

 
251,995

 
102,977

 
149,018

Futures contracts
180

 

 
180

 
180

 

Other contracts
128

 

 
128

 

 
128

Total non-VIE derivative liabilities
$
393,595

 
$
51,322

 
$
342,273

 
$
103,157

 
$
239,116

Variable Interest Entities
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps
$
1,840,399

 
$

 
$
1,840,399

 
$

 
$
1,840,399

Currency swaps
87,061

 

 
87,061

 

 
87,061

Total VIE derivative liabilities
$
1,927,460

 
$

 
$
1,927,460

 
$

 
$
1,927,460


 
Gross
Amounts of
Recognized
Assets /
Liabilities
 
Gross
Amounts
Offset in the
Consolidated
Balance
Sheet
 
Net Amounts
of Assets /
Liabilities
Presented in
the
Consolidated
Balance
Sheet
 
Gross
Amount of
Collateral
Received /
Pledged Not
Offset in  the
Consolidated
Balance Sheet
 
Net Amount
Successor Ambac—December 31, 2013:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Derivative Assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps
$
132,250

 
$
56,876

 
$
75,374

 
$

 
$
75,374

Futures contracts
2,337

 

 
2,337

 
690

 
1,647

Total non-VIE derivative assets
$
134,587

 
$
56,876

 
$
77,711

 
$
690

 
$
77,021

Derivative Liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Credit derivatives
$
94,322

 
$

 
$
94,322

 
$

 
$
94,322

Interest rate swaps
216,287

 
56,876

 
159,411

 
42,555

 
116,856

Other contracts
165

 

 
165

 

 
165

Total non-VIE derivative liabilities
$
310,774

 
$
56,876

 
$
253,898

 
$
42,555

 
$
211,343

Variable Interest Entities
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps
$
1,680,834

 
$

 
$
1,680,834

 
$

 
$
1,680,834

Currency swaps
91,472

 

 
91,472

 

 
91,472

Total VIE derivative liabilities
$
1,772,306

 
$

 
$
1,772,306

 
$

 
$
1,772,306


Amounts recognized for the right to reclaim cash collateral or the obligation to return cash collateral are not offset against fair value amounts recognized for derivative instruments on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The amounts representing the right to reclaim cash collateral and posted margin, recorded in “Other assets” were $95,058 and $3,040 as of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively. The amounts representing the obligation to return cash collateral recorded in “Other liabilities” were $0 and $690 as of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013.



Successor Ambac
 
 
Predecessor Ambac
 
Location of Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in Consolidated
Statement of
Total Comprehensive Income

Amount of Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in Consolidated
Statement of
Total Comprehensive Income
– Period from April 1 through June 30, 2014
Amount of Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in Consolidated
Statement of
Total Comprehensive Income
– Period from May 1 through June 30, 2013


Amount of Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in Consolidated
Statement of
Total Comprehensive Income
– Period from April 1 through April 30, 2013
Financial Guarantee:


 
 


 
Credit derivatives
Net change in fair value of credit derivatives

$
(1,219
)
$
51,220



$
(73,171
)
Financial Services derivatives products:


 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps
Derivative products

(45,534
)
74,169



(29,600
)
Futures contracts
Derivative products

(2,477
)
9,831



(3,588
)
Other derivatives
Derivative products

26

(287
)


22

Total Financial Services derivative products


(47,985
)
83,713



(33,166
)
Variable Interest Entities:


 
 
 
 
 
Currency swaps
(Loss) income on variable interest entities

(997
)
(1,890
)


(4,820
)
Interest rate swaps
(Loss) income on variable interest entities

(81,773
)
437,624



(103,072
)
Total Variable Interest Entities


(82,770
)
435,734



(107,892
)
Total derivative contracts


$
(131,974
)
$
570,667



$
(214,229
)


 
 
 
Successor Ambac
 
 
Predecessor Ambac
 
Location of Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in Consolidated
Statement of
Total Comprehensive Income
 
Amount of Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in Consolidated
Statement of
Total Comprehensive Income
– Period from January 1 through June 30, 2014
Amount of Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in Consolidated
Statement of
Total Comprehensive Income
– Period from May 1 through June 30, 2013
 
 
Amount of Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in Consolidated
Statement of
Total Comprehensive Income
– Period from January 1 through April 30, 2013
Financial Guarantee:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Credit derivatives
Net change in fair value of credit derivatives
 
$
6,163

$
51,220

 
 
$
(60,384
)
Financial Services derivatives products:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps
Derivative products
 
(97,394
)
74,169

 
 
(30,622
)
Futures contracts
Derivative products
 
(4,469
)
9,831

 
 
(3,133
)
Other derivatives
Derivative products
 
37

(287
)
 
 
20

Total Financial Services derivative products
 
 
(101,826
)
83,713

 
 
(33,735
)
Variable Interest Entities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Currency swaps
(Loss) income on variable interest entities
 
4,411

(1,890
)
 
 
(116
)
Interest rate swaps
(Loss) income on variable interest entities
 
(159,565
)
437,624

 
 
(203,620
)
Total Variable Interest Entities
 
 
(155,154
)
435,734

 
 
(203,736
)
Total derivative contracts
 
 
$
(250,817
)
$
570,667

 
 
$
(297,855
)


Financial Guarantee Credit Derivatives:
Credit derivatives, which are privately negotiated contracts, provide the counterparty with credit protection against the occurrence of a specific event such as a payment default or bankruptcy relating to an underlying obligation. Upon a credit event, Ambac is generally required to make payments equal to the difference between the scheduled debt service payment and the actual payment made by the issuer. Substantially all of Ambac’s credit derivative contracts relate to structured finance transactions. Credit derivatives issued are insured by Ambac Assurance. None of our outstanding credit derivative transactions at June 30, 2014 include ratings based collateral-posting triggers or otherwise require Ambac to post collateral regardless of Ambac’s ratings or the size of the mark to market exposure to Ambac.
The majority of our credit derivatives were written on a “pay-as-you-go” basis. Similar to an insurance policy execution, pay-as-you-go provides that Ambac pays interest shortfalls on the referenced transaction as they are incurred on each scheduled payment date, but only pays principal shortfalls upon the earlier of (i) the date on which the assets designated to fund the referenced obligation have been disposed of and (ii) the legal final maturity date of the referenced obligation. The last transaction that was not “pay-as-you-go” terminated in July 2013.
Ambac maintains internal credit ratings on its guaranteed obligations, including credit derivative contracts, solely to indicate management’s view of the underlying credit quality of the guaranteed obligations. Independent rating agencies may have assigned different ratings on the credits in Ambac’s portfolio than Ambac’s internal ratings. The following tables summarize the gross principal notional outstanding for CDS contracts, by Ambac rating, for each major category as of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013:
Successor Ambac—June 30, 2014
Ambac Rating
CLO
 
Other
 
Total
AAA
$

 
$

 
$

AA
841,744

 
207,872

 
1,049,616

A

 
43,160

 
43,160

BBB (1)

 
827,450

 
827,450

Below investment grade (2)

 
282,534

 
282,534

 
$
841,744

 
$
1,361,016

 
$
2,202,760

Successor Ambac—December 31, 2013
Ambac Rating
CLO
 
Other
 
Total
AAA
$

 
$
24,034

 
$
24,034

AA
1,209,071

 
203,025

 
1,412,096

A
128,666

 
107,251

 
235,917

BBB  (1)

 
826,175

 
826,175

Below investment grade (2)

 
277,881

 
277,881

 
$
1,337,737

 
$
1,438,366

 
$
2,776,103

 
(1)
BBB internal rating reflects bonds which are of medium grade credit quality with adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Certain protective elements and margins may weaken under adverse economic conditions and changing circumstances. These bonds are more likely than higher rated bonds to exhibit unreliable protection levels over all cycles.
(2)
Below investment grade internal ratings reflect bonds which are of speculative grade credit quality with the adequacy of future margin levels for payment of interest and repayment of principal potentially adversely affected by major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse conditions.
The tables below summarize information by major category as of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013:
Successor Ambac—June 30, 2014  
 
CLO
 
Other
 
Total
Number of CDS transactions
7

 
12

 
19

Remaining expected weighted-average life of obligations (in years)
1.9

 
4.9

 
3.7

Gross principal notional outstanding
$
841,744

 
$
1,361,016

 
$
2,202,760

Net derivative liabilities at fair value
$
3,811

 
$
85,840

 
$
89,651


Successor Ambac—December 31, 2013
 
CLO
 
Other
 
Total
Number of CDS transactions
7

 
13

 
20

Remaining expected weighted-average life of obligations (in years)
2.1

 
5.0

 
3.6

Gross principal notional outstanding
$
1,337,737

 
$
1,438,366

 
$
2,776,103

Net derivative liabilities at fair value
$
7,993

 
$
86,329

 
$
94,322


The maximum potential amount of future payments under Ambac’s credit derivative contracts written on a “pay-as-you-go” basis is generally the gross principal notional outstanding amount included in the above table plus future interest payments payable by the derivative reference obligations. Since Ambac’s credit derivatives typically reference obligations of or assets held by special purpose entities that meet the definition of a VIE, the amount of maximum potential future payments for credit derivatives is included in the table in Note 3, Special Purpose Entities, Including Variable Interest Entities.
Changes in fair value of Ambac’s credit derivative contracts are accounted for at fair value since they do not qualify for the financial guarantee scope exception under the Derivatives and Hedging Topic of the ASC. Changes in fair value are recorded in “Net change in fair value of credit derivatives” on the Consolidated Statements of Total Comprehensive Income. Although CDS contracts are accounted for at fair value, they are surveilled similar to non-derivative financial guarantee contracts. As with financial guarantee insurance policies, Ambac’s surveillance group tracks credit migration of CDS contracts’ reference obligations from period to period.
Adversely classified credits are assigned risk classifications by the surveillance group. As of June 30, 2014, there are four CDS contracts on Ambac’s adversely classified credit listing, with a net derivative liability fair value of $64,701 and gross notional principal outstanding of $282,534. As of December 31, 2013, there were four CDS contracts on Ambac’s adversely classified credit listing, with a net derivative liability fair value of $62,296 and total notional principal outstanding of $277,881.
Financial Services Derivative Products:
Ambac, through its subsidiary Ambac Financial Services (“AFS”), provides interest rate and currency swaps to states, municipalities and their authorities, asset-backed issuers and other entities in connection with their financings. AFS manages its interest rate swaps business with the goal of retaining some basis risk and excess interest rate sensitivity as an economic hedge against the effects of rising interest rates elsewhere in the Company, including on Ambac’s financial guarantee exposures. As of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 the notional amounts of AFS’s trading derivative products are as follows:
 
Notional
Type of derivative
June 30, 2014
December 31, 2013
Interest rate swaps—receive-fixed/pay-variable
$
688,900

$
697,837

Interest rate swaps—pay-fixed/receive-variable
1,504,626

1,540,976

Interest rate swaps—basis swaps
71,705

146,705

Futures contracts
100,000

100,000

Other contracts
75,650

75,650


Derivatives of Consolidated Variable Interest Entities
Certain VIEs consolidated under the Consolidation Topic of the ASC entered into derivative contracts to meet specified purposes within the securitization structure. The notional for VIE derivatives outstanding as of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are as follows:
 
Notional
Type of VIE derivative
June 30, 2014
December 31, 2013
Interest rate swaps—receive-fixed/pay-variable
$
1,877,383

$
1,818,118

Interest rate swaps—pay-fixed/receive-variable
3,459,937

3,350,714

Currency swaps
795,429

770,319

Credit derivatives
20,063

20,130


Contingent Features in Derivatives Related to Ambac Credit Risk
Ambac’s interest rate swaps with professional swap-dealer counterparties and certain front-end counterparties are generally executed under standardized derivative documents including collateral support and master netting agreements. Under these agreements, Ambac is required to post collateral in the event net unrealized losses exceed predetermined threshold levels. Additionally, given that Ambac Assurance is no longer rated by an independent rating agency, counterparties have the right to terminate the swap positions.
As of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the net liability fair value of all derivative instruments with contingent features linked to Ambac’s own credit risk was $66,214 and $42,555, respectively, related to which Ambac had posted assets as collateral with a fair value of $91,761 and $126,223, respectively. All such ratings-based contingent features have been triggered as requiring maximum collateral levels to be posted by Ambac while preserving counterparties’ rights to terminate the contracts. Assuming all contracts terminated on June 30, 2014, settlement of collateral balances and net derivative liabilities would result in a net receipt of cash and/or securities by Ambac. If counterparties elect to exercise their right to terminate, the actual termination payment amounts will be determined in accordance with derivative contract terms, which may result in amounts that differ from market values as reported in Ambac’s financial statements.