Financial Risk Manager Part 1

The Orange County case is a classic example of how leverage and complex financial instruments can lead to massive losses. The fund, managed by Robert Citron, heavily invested in inverse floating-rate notes, which are complex derivative securities whose value moves inversely to interest rates.

Key points about the Orange County case:

• The portfolio used substantial leverage through reverse repurchase agreements (repos)
• Inverse floaters pay higher interest when rates fall, but lose value when rates rise
• When the Federal Reserve raised interest rates in 1994, the portfolio suffered massive losses
• The county ultimately declared bankruptcy due to $1.6 billion in losses

This case demonstrates the dangers of leverage combined with complex interest rate derivatives that are highly sensitive to market movements.