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mrbubba's picture

DB ABS/secondary CDO desk

Does anyone know anything about this desk? I hear they are up over a yard this year and remain profitable in all business areas. They are the biggest market maker in ABX on the street. Something does not sound right. This stuff is supposed to be blowing up.

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Jimbo's picture

" I hear they are up over a

" I hear they are up over a yard"

how much is a yard, for those who might not know?

And it seems highly unlikely.

mrbubba's picture

My friend interned on the

My friend interned on the desk and they apparently crossed a billion (yard) while he was there. I highly doubt this was realized gains, but I guess it is pretty good when it is netted with all the other toxic stuff I assume they trade.

Jimbo's picture

yup a yard is a

yup a yard is a billion.

seems VERY unlikely to me.

hodeez's picture

how many people work on the

how many people work on the desk?

girlytrader's picture

supposedly....

I have heard from someone who works at DB that the desk has been shorting the ABX since the beginning of 2007 and they continue to be on the right side of the trades (profitable side), but I don't know/think the desk is up a yard...I would agree that the desk is a main market making in these products though

mrbubba's picture

No more than twenty.

I am pretty sure they have no more than twenty people on the desk. They apparently do all secondary ABS and CDOs which I think some banks might split.

s s s s's picture

they're a good desk

up 1bb would not be that surprising, but this was an extremely unusual year.

db is *definitely* not the biggest-volume abx traders (lehman owns it hands down).

i would be wary that abs/cdo markets are going to be shrinking substantially for at least a couple years. maybe not the best time to get into this specialty.

fafa's picture

interesting

interesting

structure's picture

going to be a lot of

going to be a lot of distressed abs / cdo in the market as the CDOs liquidate

someone stands to make a lot of money

desecrato's picture

how many fired CDO structurers are going for the same positions?

how many fired CDO structurers are going for the same positions?