User's area

Acumen can now handle deals that have a PAYOFF formula linked to the maximum value of an Index for a range of observation dates. For instance: coupon = ( MaxIndexLevel/ Initial Level - 1 )* 10 000 000 JPY where MaxIndexLevel = maximum index level between two dates and Initial Level = index level just before the date range.

It is now possible to run the CREDIT RISK module of Acumen based on "Basel Add on factors". This means that now three different matrices for add-on factors can be used, allowing for example to compute credit risk based on Basel, national, and internal add-on factors.

New types of graphs have been added in Acumen. They can be found at the RATE MANAGER level, in the rate historics consultation area, when asking for a graph (other types of charts have not yet been changed). Chart Director is used to build the new graph. Various settings can be defined, type of graph, color, time range, and analysis tools such as Bollinger Bands, different average value calculations, and performance indicators such as the Rate of change. Similar new types of graphs could be used elsewhere later in Acumen.

In the "Future type" table, a new button was added to display the list of all futures maturities linked to a specific futures contract, with the possibility to "View/Update/Create/Delete" future maturities from the "Futures type" table.

A new table "User_validation" has been created in order to record the number of times a deal or a static table has been validated. Every time this is the case, this table is incremented. It shows among other things the record type and id, and the validation user. So it is especially useful for audit purposes to know when a deal has been validated in the past, and by whom.

A new interest calculation basis ACT/364 is now managed by Acumen. This calculation basis has been created to handle specific African markets interest calculation, used for example in Kenya. It is similar to ACT/365 except that the fixed number of days of the year is 364 instead of 365. A corresponding accrued rule has been created also to handle bond accrued interest calculation.

In the ORDER MANAGEMENT module, limited orders are now displayed in different colors. In case an order has once hit the market rate, it is displayed in green color and shown on the specific page "Reached". In case it has never hit the market conditions, it is displayed in red. The "Ok" and the "Out" displayed in the "Leg" column then indicate if the current market value (e.g. exchange rate for forex orders) is generating a profit (OK) or loss (OUT).

A new keyword is now available in SQL requests of export interfaces: $CURRENTVALUE(xxx,0) allows to export the calculated values of the chosen xxx parameter. Possible parameters are OUTST (outstanding nominal), BEGPER (beginning of current period), ENDPER (end of current period), NBDPER (Number of days of the current period), RATEPER (Rate of the current period), INTPER (Interest amount of the current period), NEXTPAY (Next payment date).

Communication between the DATAFEEDER and Acumen has changed: Now, the DATAFEEDER program sends real time rates only to the Information Server (IS), and the IS sends them to workstations (before rates were sent directly to workstations). This new functionality secures the sending of rates and prices, avoiding the loss of information. It also solves other problems that occurred from time to time.

In the "Messages from servers" window that is open alongside the ACUMEN window, two icons inform the user on the status and the availability of the main two application servers: LRMS-IS and QSCANNER. Indeed, in this window, two traffic lights have been added. The first one gives the status of the Information Server, the second one the status of the Qscanner. The traffic light is normally green when everything is OK. If the servers are inactive during 15 seconds, the traffic light becomes orange. It becomes red after 1 minute of unavailability. This helps an Acumen user understand why for example a contract has not been created from a pricing. If the light is orange or red, the user should contact the administrator, because maybe the Qscanner timer has been switched to 0 seconds, or the application is working hard on an import, or it has been stopped by IT staff.