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Derivative Financial Instruments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Derivative Financial Instruments [Abstract]  
Derivative Financial Instruments
Note 16. Derivative Financial Instruments

We use derivative financial instruments to support our clients' needs and to manage our interest-rate and currency risk. In undertaking these activities, we assume positions in both the foreign exchange and interest-rate markets by buying and selling cash instruments and using derivative financial instruments, including foreign exchange forward contracts, foreign exchange and interest-rate options and interest-rate swaps, interest-rate forward contracts and interest-rate futures.

Interest-rate contracts involve an agreement with a counterparty to exchange cash flows based on the movement of an underlying interest-rate index. An interest-rate swap agreement involves the exchange of a series of interest payments, either at a fixed or variable rate, based on the notional amount without the exchange of the underlying principal amount. An interest-rate option contract provides the purchaser, for a premium, the right, but not the obligation, to receive an interest rate based upon a predetermined notional amount during a specified period. An interest-rate futures contract is a commitment to buy or sell, at a future date, a financial instrument at a contracted price; it may be settled in cash or through the delivery of the contracted instrument.

Foreign exchange contracts involve an agreement to exchange one currency for another currency at an agreed-upon rate and settlement date. Foreign exchange contracts generally consist of foreign exchange forward and spot contracts, option contracts and cross-currency swaps. Future cash requirements, if any, related to foreign exchange contracts are represented by the gross amount of currencies to be exchanged under each contract unless we and the counterparty have agreed to pay or to receive the net contractual settlement amount on the settlement date.

Derivative financial instruments involve the management of interest-rate and foreign currency risk, and involve, to varying degrees, market risk and credit and counterparty risk (risk related to repayment). Market risk is defined as the risk of adverse financial impact due to fluctuations in interest rates, foreign exchange rates and other market-driven factors and prices. We use a variety of risk management tools and methodologies to measure, monitor and manage the market risk associated with our trading activities. One such risk-management measure is value-at-risk, or VaR. VaR is an estimate of potential loss for a given period within a stated statistical confidence interval. We use a risk-measurement system to estimate VaR daily. We have adopted standards for estimating VaR, and we maintain regulatory capital for market risk in accordance with federal regulatory capital guidelines.

Derivative financial instruments are also subject to credit and counterparty risk, which is defined as the risk of financial loss if a borrower or counterparty is either unable or unwilling to repay borrowings or settle a transaction in accordance with the underlying contractual terms. We manage credit and counterparty risk by performing credit reviews, maintaining individual counterparty limits, entering into netting arrangements and requiring the receipt of collateral. Collateral requirements are determined after a comprehensive review of the creditworthiness of each counterparty, and the requirements are monitored and adjusted daily. Collateral is generally held in the form of cash or highly liquid U.S. government securities. We may be required to provide collateral to the counterparty in connection with our entry into derivative financial instruments. Collateral received and collateral provided in connection with derivative financial instruments is recorded in accrued expenses and other liabilities and other assets, respectively, in our consolidated statement of condition. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, we had approximately $1.15 billion and $79 million, respectively, of cash collateral received and approximately $1.48 billion and $530 million, respectively, of cash collateral provided in connection with derivative financial instruments.

We enter into master netting agreements with many of our derivative counterparties. Certain of these agreements contain credit risk-related contingent features in which the counterparty has the option to declare State Street in default and accelerate cash settlement of our net derivative liabilities with the counterparty in the event our credit rating falls below specified levels. The aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with credit risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position as of December 31, 2011 totaled approximately $911 million, against which we had posted aggregate collateral of approximately $276 million. If State Street's credit rating were downgraded below levels specified in the agreements, the maximum additional amount of payments related to termination events that could have been required pursuant to these contingent features as of December 31, 2011 was approximately $635 million. Such accelerated settlement would not affect our consolidated results of operations.

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments:

In connection with our trading activities, we use derivative financial instruments in our role as a financial intermediary and as both a manager and servicer of financial assets, in order to accommodate our clients' investment and risk management needs. In addition, we use derivative financial instruments for risk management purposes as economic hedges, which are not formally designated as accounting hedges, in order to contribute to our overall corporate earnings and liquidity. These activities are designed to generate trading revenue and to manage volatility in our net interest revenue. The level of market risk that we assume is a function of our overall objectives and liquidity needs, our clients' requirements and market volatility.

With respect to cross-border investing, clients have a need for foreign exchange forward contracts to convert currency for international investment and to manage the currency risk in their investment portfolios. As an active participant in the foreign exchange markets, we provide foreign exchange forward contracts and options in support of our clients' needs with respect to their management of currency risk. We also participate in the interest-rate markets, and provide interest-rate swaps, interest-rate forward contracts, interest-rate futures and other interest-rate contracts to our clients to enable them to mitigate or modify their interest-rate risk. As part of our trading activities, we may assume positions in both the foreign exchange and interest-rate markets by buying and selling cash instruments and using derivative financial instruments, including foreign exchange forward contracts, foreign exchange and interest-rate options and interest-rate swaps, interest-rate forward contracts, and interest-rate futures. In the aggregate, positions are matched closely to minimize currency and interest-rate risk. Gains or losses in the fair values of trading derivatives are recorded in trading services revenue in our consolidated statement of income.

We offer products that provide book-value protection primarily to plan participants in stable value funds managed by non- affiliated investment managers of post-retirement defined contribution benefit plans, particularly 401(k) plans. We account for the associated contingencies, more fully described in note 10, individually as derivatives not designated as hedging instruments. These contracts are valued quarterly and unrealized losses, if any, are recorded in other expenses in our consolidated statement of income.

Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments:

In connection with our asset and liability management activities, we use derivative financial instruments to manage our interest-rate risk. Interest-rate risk, defined as the sensitivity of income or financial condition to variations in interest rates, is a significant non-trading market risk to which our assets and liabilities are exposed. These hedging relationships are formally designated, and qualify for hedge accounting, as fair value or cash flow hedges. We manage interest-rate risk by identifying, quantifying and hedging our exposures, using fixed-rate portfolio securities and a variety of derivative financial instruments, most frequently interest-rate swaps and options (e.g., interest rate caps and floors). Interest-rate swap agreements alter the interest-rate characteristics of specific balance sheet assets or liabilities. When appropriate, forward rate agreements, options on swaps, and exchange-traded futures and options are also used.

Fair value hedges

Derivatives designated as fair value hedges are utilized to mitigate the risk of changes in fair value of recognized assets and liabilities. Gains and losses on fair value hedges are recorded in processing fees and other revenue in our consolidated statement of income along with the gain or loss on the asset or liability attributable to the hedged risk. Differences between the gains and losses on fair value hedges and the gains and losses on the asset or liability attributable to the hedged risk represent hedge ineffectiveness, which is recorded in net interest revenue or in processing fees and other revenue. We use interest-rate or foreign exchange contracts in this manner to manage our exposure to changes in the fair value of hedged items caused by changes in interest rates or foreign exchange rates.

We have entered into interest-rate swap agreements to modify our interest revenue from certain available-for-sale securities from a fixed rate to a floating rate. The securities hedged have a weighted-average life of approximately 7.4 years as of December 31, 2011, compared to 7.7 years as of December 31, 2010. These securities are hedged with interest-rate swap contracts of similar maturity, repricing and fixed-rate coupons. The interest-rate swap contracts convert the interest revenue from a fixed rate to a floating rate indexed to LIBOR, thereby mitigating our exposure to fluctuations in the fair value of the securities attributable to changes in the benchmark interest rate.

We have entered into interest-rate swap agreements to modify our interest expense on two senior notes and two subordinated notes from fixed rates to floating rates. The senior notes are due in 2016 and 2021; one pays fixed interest at a 2.875% annual rate and the other pays fixed interest at a 4.375% annual rate. The subordinated notes mature in 2018; one pays fixed interest at a 4.956% annual rate and the other pays fixed interest at a 5.25% annual rate. The senior and subordinated notes are hedged with interest-rate swap contracts with notional amounts, maturities and fixed-rate coupon terms that align with the

hedged notes. The interest-rate swap contracts convert the fixed-rate coupons to floating rates indexed to LIBOR, thereby mitigating our exposure to fluctuations in the fair values of the subordinated notes stemming from changes in the benchmark interest rates.

We have entered into forward foreign exchange contracts to hedge the change in fair value attributable to foreign-exchange movements in the funding of non-functional currency denominated investment securities. These forward contracts convert the foreign currency risk to U.S. dollars, thereby mitigating our exposure to fluctuations in the fair value of the securities attributable to changes in foreign exchange rates. Generally, no ineffectiveness is recorded in earnings, since the notional amount of the hedging instruments is aligned with the carrying value of the hedged securities. The forward points on the hedging instruments are considered to be a hedging cost, and accordingly are excluded from the evaluation of hedge effectiveness and recorded in net interest revenue.

Cash flow hedges

Derivatives categorized as cash flow hedges are utilized to offset the variability of cash flows to be received from or paid on a floating-rate asset or liability. Gains and losses on cash flow hedges that are considered highly effective are recorded in accumulated OCI in our consolidated statement of condition until earnings are affected by the hedged item. When gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated OCI into earnings, they are recorded in net interest revenue in our consolidated statement of income. The ineffectiveness of cash flow hedges, defined as the extent to which the changes in fair value of the derivative exceeded the variability of cash flows of the forecasted transaction, is recorded in processing fees and other revenue.

We have entered into interest-rate swap agreements to modify our interest revenue from certain available-for-sale securities from a floating rate to a fixed rate. The securities hedged have a weighted-average life of approximately 2.8 years as of December 31, 2011, compared to 3.8 years as of December 31, 2010. These securities are hedged with interest-rate swap contracts of similar maturities, repricing and other characteristics. The interest-rate swap contracts convert the interest revenue from a floating rate to a fixed rate, thereby mitigating our exposure to fluctuations in the cash flows of the securities attributable to changes in the benchmark interest rate.

The following table presents the aggregate contractual, or notional, amounts of derivative financial instruments entered into in connection with trading and asset and liability management activities as of the dates indicated:

 

(In millions)    December 31,
2011
     December 31,
2010
 

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:

     

Interest-rate contracts:

     

Swap agreements and forwards

   $ 238,008       $ 52,383   

Options and caps purchased

     1,431         140   

Options and caps written

     1,324         130   

Futures

     66,620         25,253   

Foreign exchange contracts:

     

Forward, swap and spot

     1,033,045         637,847   

Options purchased

     11,215         14,299   

Options written

     12,342         14,587   

Credit derivative contracts:

     

Credit default swap agreements

     105         155   

Other:

     

Stable value contracts

     40,963         46,758   

Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:

     

Interest-rate contracts:

     

Swap agreements

     3,872         1,886   

Foreign exchange contracts:

     

Forwards

     2,613         —     

 

In connection with our asset and liability management activities, we have entered into interest-rate contracts designated as fair value and cash flow hedges to manage our interest-rate risk. The following table presents the aggregate notional amounts of these interest-rate contracts and the related assets or liabilities being hedged as of the dates indicated:

 

The following table presents the contractual and weighted-average interest rates for long-term debt, which include the effects of the hedges presented in the table above, for the years indicated:

     Years Ended December 31,  
     2011     2010  
     Contractual
Rates
    Rate Including
Impact of Hedges
    Contractual
Rates
    Rate Including
Impact of Hedges
 

Long-term debt

     3.64     3.22     3.70     3.30

For cash flow hedges, any changes in the fair value of the derivative financial instruments remain in accumulated OCI and are generally recorded in our consolidated statement of income in future periods when earnings are affected by the variability of the hedged cash flow.

The following table presents the fair value of the derivative financial instruments, excluding the impact of master netting agreements, recorded in our consolidated statement of condition as of the dates indicated. The impact of master netting agreements is disclosed in note 13.

Asset Derivatives      Liability Derivatives  
      December 31, 2011      December 31, 2011  
(In millions)    Balance Sheet
Location
   Fair
Value
     Balance Sheet
Location
   Fair
Value
 

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:

           

Foreign exchange contracts

   Other assets    $ 12,210       Other liabilities    $ 12,315   

Interest-rate contracts

   Other assets      1,682       Other liabilities      1,688   

Other derivative contracts

   Other assets      1       Other liabilities      10   
     

 

 

       

 

 

 

Total

      $ 13,893          $ 14,013   
     

 

 

       

 

 

 

Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:

           

Interest-rate contracts

   Other assets    $ 123       Other liabilities    $ 293   

Foreign exchange contracts

   Other assets      3       Other liabilities      37   
     

 

 

       

 

 

 

Total

      $ 126          $ 330   
     

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

   

Asset Derivatives

    

Liability Derivatives

 
    

December 31, 2010

    

December 31, 2010

 
(In millions)  

Balance Sheet
Location

   Fair
Value
    

Balance Sheet
Location

   Fair
Value
 

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:

          

Foreign exchange contracts

  Other assets    $ 8,058       Other liabilities    $ 8,455   

Interest-rate contracts

  Other assets            133       Other liabilities          131   

Other derivative contracts

  Other assets      2       Other liabilities      10   
    

 

 

       

 

 

 

Total

     $ 8,193          $ 8,596   
    

 

 

       

 

 

 

Derivatives designated as hedges:

          

Interest-rate contracts

  Other assets    $ 32       Other liabilities    $ 228   
    

 

 

       

 

 

 

Total

     $ 32          $ 228   
    

 

 

       

 

 

 

The following tables present the impact of our use of derivative financial instruments on our consolidated statement of income for the years indicated:

 

Differences between the gains (losses) on the derivative and the gains (losses) on the hedged item, excluding any amounts recorded in net interest revenue, represent hedge ineffectiveness.

 

    Amount of Gain
(Loss) on Derivative
Recognized in Other
Comprehensive
Income
    Location of
Gain (Loss)
Reclassified
from OCI to
Consolidated
Statement of
Income
  Amount of Gain
(Loss) Reclassified
from OCI to
Consolidated
Statement of Income
    Location of
Gain (Loss) on
Derivative
Recognized in
Consolidated
Statement of
Income
  Amount of Gain
(Loss) on Derivative

Recognized in
Consolidated
Statement of Income
 
    Year Ended December 31,         Year Ended December 31,         Year Ended December 31,  
(In millions)   2011     2010     2009         2011     2010     2009         2011     2010     2009  

Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges:

                     

Interest-rate contracts

  $ 9      $ 7      $ 14      Net interest

revenue

  $ (7   $ (7          Net interest

revenue

  $ 3      $ 5          
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $ 9      $ 7      $ 14        $ (7   $ (7            $ 3      $ 5