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Fair Value Option
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value Option and Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]  
Fair Value Option

18.    Fair Value Option

 

We report our results to HSBC in accordance with its reporting basis, International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRSs”). We have elected to apply fair value option accounting to selected financial instruments in most cases to align the measurement attributes of those instruments under U.S. GAAP and IFRSs and to simplify the accounting model applied to those financial instruments. We elected to apply fair value option (“FVO”) reporting to certain commercial loans including commercial leveraged acquisition finance loans and related unfunded commitments, certain fixed rate long-term debt issuances and hybrid instruments which include all structured notes and structured deposits. Changes in fair value for these assets and liabilities are reported as gain (loss) on instruments designated at fair value and related derivatives in the consolidated statement of income (loss).

Loans  We elected to apply FVO to all commercial leveraged acquisition finance loans held for sale and related unfunded commitments. The election allows us to account for these loans and commitments at fair value which is consistent with the manner in which the instruments are managed. As of December 31, 2011, commercial leveraged acquisition finance loans held for sale and related unfunded commitments of $377 million carried at fair value had an aggregate unpaid principal balance of $448 million. As of December 31, 2010, commercial leveraged acquisition finance loans held for sale and related unfunded commitments of $1.0 billion carried at fair value had an aggregate unpaid principal balance of $1.1 billion.

We have provided loans to a third party for which we simultaneously entered into a series of derivative transactions to hedge certain risks associated with these loans. We elected to apply fair value option to these loans which allows us to account for them in a manner which is consistent with how the instruments are managed. The fair value of these commercial loans was $273 million at December 31, 2010. The unpaid principal balance of these loans was $270 million at December 31, 2010. There were none of these commercial loans outstanding as of December 31, 2011.

These loans are included in loans held for sale in the consolidated balance sheet. Interest from these loans is recorded as interest income in the consolidated statement of income. Because a substantial majority of the loans elected for the fair value option are floating rate assets, changes in their fair value are primarily attributable to changes in loan-specific credit risk factors. The components of gain (loss) related to loans designated at fair value are summarized in the table below. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, no loans for which the fair value option has been elected are 90 days or more past due or on nonaccrual status.

Long-Term Debt (Own Debt Issuances)  We elected to apply FVO for certain fixed-rate long-term debt for which we had applied or otherwise would elect to apply fair value hedge accounting. The election allows us to achieve a similar accounting effect without meeting the rigorous hedge accounting requirements. We measure the fair value of these debt issuances based on inputs observed in the secondary market. Changes in fair value of these instruments are attributable to changes of our own credit risk and interest rates.

Fixed-rate debt accounted for under FVO at December 31, 2011 and 2010 totaled $1.7 billion and had an aggregate unpaid principal balance of $1.8 billion. Interest on the fixed-rate debt accounted for under FVO is recorded as interest expense in the consolidated statement of income. The components of gain (loss) related to long-term debt designated at fair value are summarized in the table below.

Hybrid Instruments  We elected to apply fair value option accounting principles to all of our hybrid instruments, inclusive of structured notes and structured deposits, issued after January 1, 2006. As of December 31, 2011, interest bearing deposits in domestic offices included $9.8 billion of structured deposits accounted for under FVO which had an unpaid principal balance of $9.6 billion. As of December 31, 2010, interest bearing deposits in domestic offices included $7.4 billion of structured deposits accounted for under FVO which had an unpaid principal balance of $7.4 billion. Long-term debt at December 31, 2011 included structured notes of $3.4 billion accounted for under FVO which had an unpaid principal balance of $3.5 billion. Long-term debt at December 31, 2010 included structured notes of $3.7 billion accounted for under FVO which had an unpaid principal balance of $3.4 billion. Interest on this debt is recorded as interest expense in the consolidated statement of income. The components of gain (loss) related to hybrid instruments designated at fair value which reflect the instruments described above are summarized in the table below.

Components of Gain on Instruments at Fair Value and Related Derivatives  Gain (loss) on instruments designated at fair value and related derivatives includes the changes in fair value related to both interest and credit risk as well as the mark-to-market adjustment on derivatives related to the financial instrument designated at fair value and net realized gains or losses on these derivatives. The components of gain (loss) on instruments designated at fair value and related derivatives related to the changes in fair value of the financial instrument accounted for under FVO are as follows:

 

                                                                 
    Year Ended December 31,  
    2011     2010  
     Loans    

Long-

Term

Debt

   

Hybrid

Instruments

    Total     Loans    

Long-

Term

Debt

   

Hybrid

Instruments

    Total  
    (in millions)  

Interest rate component

  $ (5   $ (345   $ (391   $ (741   $ 2     $ (99   $ (556   $ (653

Credit risk component

    (14     376       113       475       42       62       41       145  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total mark-to-market on financial instruments designated at fair value

    (19     31       (278     (266     44       (37     (515     (508

Net realized loss on financial instruments

    (1     -       -       (1     -       -       -       -  

Mark-to-market on the related derivatives

    -       369       305       674       (3     199       529       725  

Net realized gain on the related long-term debt derivatives

    -       64       -       64       -       77       -       77  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gain (loss) on instruments designated at fair value and related derivatives

  $ (20   $ 464     $ 27     $ 471     $ 41     $ 239     $ 14     $ 294