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Financial Derivatives | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2017
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract] |
Financial Derivatives | Financial Derivatives Gains and losses on the Company's derivative contracts for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 are summarized in the tables below: Three and Nine Month Periods Ended September 30, 2017:
|  |  |  | Three Month Period Ended September 30, 2017 |  | Nine Month Period Ended September 30, 2017
Derivative Type |  | Primary Risk Exposure |  | Net Realized Gain/(Loss)(1) |  | Change in Net Unrealized Gain/(Loss)(2) |  | Net Realized Gain/(Loss)(1) |  | Change in Net Unrealized Gain/(Loss)(2)
(In thousands) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Credit default swaps on asset-backed securities |  | Credit |  | $ | 583 |  |  | $ | (577 | ) |  | $ | 486 |  |  | $ | (319 | )
Credit default swaps on asset-backed indices |  | Credit |  | (58 | ) |  | (522 | ) |  | (2,514 | ) |  | (3,132 | )
Credit default swaps on corporate bond indices |  | Credit |  | (975 | ) |  | (591 | ) |  | (2,147 | ) |  | (573 | )
Credit default swaps on corporate bonds |  | Credit |  | (241 | ) |  | 1,837 |  |  | 218 |  |  | 842 |
Total return swaps |  | Equity Market/Credit |  | (293 | ) |  | 1 |  |  | (1,649 | ) |  | 150 |
Interest rate swaps |  | Interest Rates |  | 318 |  |  | (694 | ) |  | (262 | ) |  | (1,492 | )
Futures |  | Interest Rates |  | (152 | ) |  | 147 |  |  | (331 | ) |  | 183 |
Forwards |  | Currency |  | (4,013 | ) |  | 2,026 |  |  | (7,357 | ) |  | 1,162 |
Warrants |  | Equity Market |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | (100 | ) |  | (6 | )
Mortgage loan purchase commitments |  | Interest Rates |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 31 |
Options |  | Credit/Interest Rate/Equity Market |  | 167 |  |  | 26 |  |  | 18 |  |  | 41 |
Total |  |  |  | $ | (4,664 | ) |  | $ | 1,653 |  |  | $ | (13,638 | ) |  | $ | (3,113 | )
(1) | Includes gain/(loss) on foreign currency transactions on derivatives in the amount of $(56) thousand and $(68) thousand, for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017, which is included on the Consolidated Statement of Operations in Realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions.
(2) | Includes foreign currency translation on derivatives in the amount of $(59) thousand and $(194) thousand, for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017, which is included on the Consolidated Statement of Operations in Change in net unrealized gain (loss) on foreign currency translation.
Three and Nine Month Periods Ended September 30, 2016:
|  |  |  | Three Month Period Ended September 30, 2016 |  | Nine Month Period Ended September 30, 2016
Derivative Type |  | Primary Risk Exposure |  | Net Realized Gain/(Loss)(1) |  | Change in Net Unrealized Gain/(Loss)(2) |  | Net Realized Gain/(Loss)(1) |  | Change in Net Unrealized Gain/(Loss)(2)
(In thousands) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Credit default swaps on asset-backed securities |  | Credit |  | $ | 622 |  |  | $ | (288 | ) |  | $ | 1,007 |  |  | $ | (518 | )
Credit default swaps on asset-backed indices |  | Credit |  | 983 |  |  | (2,660 | ) |  | 3,790 |  |  | (905 | )
Credit default swaps on corporate bond indices |  | Credit |  | (21,220 | ) |  | 12,572 |  |  | (34,230 | ) |  | (5,260 | )
Credit default swaps on corporate bonds |  | Credit |  | 110 |  |  | (14 | ) |  | 237 |  |  | 47 |
Total return swaps |  | Equity Market/Credit |  | (4,408 | ) |  | (917 | ) |  | (11,323 | ) |  | 3,466 |
Interest rate swaps |  | Interest Rates |  | 182 |  |  | 1,087 |  |  | (1,167 | ) |  | (11,129 | )
Futures |  | Interest Rates/Equity Market |  | (89 | ) |  | 271 |  |  | (824 | ) |  | 417 |
Forwards |  | Currency |  | 1,525 |  |  | (1,855 | ) |  | 221 |  |  | (1,402 | )
Warrants |  | Equity Market |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | (50 | ) |  | — |
Mortgage loan purchase commitments |  | Interest Rates |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 8 |
Options |  | Credit/ Interest Rates |  | 925 |  |  | (656 | ) |  | 7,257 |  |  | (298 | )
Total |  |  |  | $ | (21,370 | ) |  | $ | 7,540 |  |  | $ | (35,082 | ) |  | $ | (15,574 | )
(1) | Includes gain/(loss) on foreign currency transactions on derivatives in the amount of $0.4 million and $0.3 million, for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2016, which is included on the Consolidated Statement of Operations in Realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions.
(2) | Includes foreign currency translation on derivatives in the amount of $(0.1) million and $1.0 million, for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2016, which is included on the Consolidated Statement of Operations in Change in net unrealized gain (loss) on foreign currency translation.
The tables below detail the average notional values of the Company's financial derivatives, using absolute value of month end notional values, for the nine month period ended September 30, 2017 and the year ended December 31, 2016:
Derivative Type |  | Nine Month Period Ended September 30, 2017 |  | Year Ended December 31, 2016
|  | (In thousands)
Interest rate swaps |  | $ | 1,270,482 |  |  | $ | 1,731,368 |
Credit default swaps |  | 489,515 |  |  | 1,586,923 |
Total return swaps |  | 22,536 |  |  | 113,628 |
Futures |  | 57,240 |  |  | 371,900 |
Options |  | 88,699 |  |  | 357,260 |
Forwards |  | 74,623 |  |  | 80,513 |
Warrants |  | 492 |  |  | 1,640 |
Mortgage loan purchase commitments |  | 2,060 |  |  | 6,143 |
From time to time the Company enters into credit derivative contracts for which the Company sells credit protection ("written credit derivatives"). As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, all of the Company's open written credit derivatives were credit default swaps on either mortgage/asset-backed indices (ABX and CMBX indices) or corporate bond indices (CDX), collectively referred to as credit indices, or on individual corporate bonds, for which the Company receives periodic payments at fixed rates from credit protection buyers, and is obligated to make payments to the credit protection buyer upon the occurrence of a "credit event" with respect to underlying reference assets. Written credit derivatives held by the Company at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, are summarized below:
Credit Derivatives |  | September 30, 2017 |  | December 31, 2016
(In thousands) |  |  |  |
Fair Value of Written Credit Derivatives, Net |  | $ | (705 | ) |  | $ | (1,551 | )
Fair Value of Purchased Credit Derivatives Offsetting Written Credit Derivatives with Third Parties (1) |  | $ | 756 |  |  | $ | 4,552 |
Notional Value of Written Credit Derivatives (2) |  | $ | 158,397 |  |  | $ | 117,476 |
Notional Value of Purchased Credit Derivatives Offsetting Written Credit Derivatives with Third Parties (1) |  | $ | 90,411 |  |  | $ | 68,357 |
(1) | Offsetting transactions with third parties include purchased credit derivatives which have the same reference obligation.
(2) | The notional value is the maximum amount that a seller of credit protection would be obligated to pay, and a buyer of credit protection would receive upon occurrence of a "credit event." Movements in the value of credit default swap transactions may require the Company or the counterparty to post or receive collateral. Amounts due or owed under credit derivative contracts with an International Swaps and Derivatives Association, or "ISDA," counterparty may be offset against amounts due or owed on other credit derivative contracts with the same ISDA counterparty. As a result, the notional value of written credit derivatives involving a particular underlying reference asset or index has been reduced (but not below zero) by the notional value of any contracts where the Company has purchased credit protection on the same reference asset or index with the same ISDA counterparty.
A credit default swap on a credit index or a corporate bond typically terminates at the stated maturity date in the case of corporate indices or bonds, or, in the case of ABX and CMBX indices, the date that all of the reference assets underlying the index are paid off in full, retired, or otherwise cease to exist. Implied credit spreads may be used to determine the market value of such contracts and are reflective of the cost of buying/selling credit protection. Higher spreads would indicate a greater likelihood that a seller will be obligated to perform (i.e., make payment) under the contract. In situations where the credit quality of the underlying reference assets has deteriorated, the percentage of notional values that would be paid up front to enter into a new such contract ("points up front") is frequently used as an indication of credit risk. Credit protection sellers entering the market in such situations would expect to be paid points up front corresponding to the approximate fair value of the contract. For the Company's written credit derivatives that were outstanding at September 30, 2017, implied credit spreads on such contracts ranged between 5.6 and 1,295.8 basis points. For the Company's written credit derivatives that were outstanding at December 31, 2016, implied credit spreads on such contracts ranged between 68.5 and 636.6 basis points. Excluded from these spread ranges are contracts outstanding for which the individual spread is greater than 2000 basis points. The Company believes that these contracts would be quoted based on estimated points up front. The total fair value of contracts with individual implied credit spreads in excess of 2000 basis points was $(1.3) million and $(2.5) million as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. Estimated points up front on these contracts as of September 30, 2017 ranged between 51.5 and 93.5 points, and as of December 31, 2016 ranged between 45.0 and 72.6 points. Total net up-front payments (paid) or received relating to written credit derivatives outstanding at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 were $(3.0) million and $(3.3) million, respectively.

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