OSLO (Reuters) - Nasdaq's Nordic commodities exchange has reached agreement on the sale of assets belonging to a private trader who defaulted on his commitments last week, it said on Friday.
Einar Aas, a Norwegian derivatives trader who made large bets on the power market, left a 114 million euro ($134 million) hole in Nasdaq's Nordic clearing house buffers when his funds ran out.
Within just two working days of the default, members of the exchange, and Nasdaq itself, were forced to replenish the funds in order to continue trading.
While Aas had run out of cash, he still owns real estate and other assets that could be sold.
"Nasdaq would like to inform our members and clients that Mr. Aas and his lawyers have agreed to submit to a consensual arrangement with creditors to liquidate Mr Aas's estate," Nasdaq Clearing Commodities said in a statement on Friday.
Funds recovered via the process will be distributed to default fund participants on a pro rata basis, it added.
"Nasdaq would support liquidation of the assets in a swift and timely manner consistent with realization of maximum value for members and will liaise with members in relation to this matter," the exchange said.
Nasdaq also added it had hired management consulting firm Oliver Wyman to review the clearing unit's risk management practices.
Aas did not respond when contacted by Reuters for comment.
In a statement last week, he said the default would probably lead to personal bankruptcy, and that he did not want to make further public comments on the case.
($1 = 0.8516 euros)