Trading of credit-default swaps insuring U.S. Treasuries has doubled as the government struggles to agree on plans to cut its budget deficit and raise the $14.3 trillion national debt limit.
A total of 819 contracts covering a net notional $4 billion of debt were outstanding as of May 20, up from 449 contracts covering $2 billion a year ago, according to the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. Average daily trading volume surged to $490 million last week from $10 million the week before, making the U.S. the fourth most active among 1,000 contracts tracked by DTCC, up from 633rd.
