CFA Level 2 Flashcards - 4
Extendible bond
Bond with an embedded option that gives the bondholder the right to keep the bond for a number of years after maturity, possibly with a different coupon.
Floored floater
Floating-rate bond with a floor provision that prevents the coupon rate from decreasing below a specified minimum rate. It protects the investor against declining interest rates.
Forced conversion
For a convertible bond, when the issuer calls the bond and forces bondholders to convert their bonds into shares, which typically happens when the underlying share price increases above the conversion price.
Key rate durations
Sensitivity of a bond’s price to changes in specific maturities on the benchmark yield curve. Also called partial durations
Market conversion premium per share
For a convertible bond, the difference between the market conversion price and the underlying share price, which allows investors to identify the premium or discount payable when buying a convertible bond rather than the underlying common stock.
Market conversion premium ratio
For a convertible bond, the market conversion premium per share expressed as a percentage of the current market price of the shares.
One-sided durations
Effective durations when interest rates go up or down, which are better at capturing the interest rate sensitivity of bonds with embedded options that do not react symmetrically to positive and negative changes in interest rates of the same magnitude
Option-adjusted spread
(OAS) Constant spread that, when added to all the one-period forward rates on the interest rate tree, makes the arbitrage-free value of the bond equal to its market price.
Protection period
Period during which a bond’s issuer cannot call the bond.
Putable bond
Bond that includes an embedded put option, which gives the bondholder the right to put back the bonds to the issuer prior to maturity, typically when interest rates have risen and higher-yielding bonds are available.
Sinking fund bond
A bond that requires the issuer to set aside funds over time to retire the bond issue, thus reducing credit risk
Straight bond
An underlying option-free bond with a specified issuer, issue date, maturity date, principal amount and repayment structure, coupon rate and payment structure, and currency denomination.
Covered bonds
A senior debt obligation of a financial institution that gives recourse to the originator/issuer and a predetermined underlying collateral pool.
Credit valuation adjustment
The value of the credit risk of a bond in present value terms.
Expected exposure
The projected amount of money an investor could lose if an event of default occurs, before factoring in possible recovery.
Loss given default
The amount that will be lost if a default occurs
Probability of default
The likelihood that a borrower defaults or fails to meet its obligation to make full and timely payments of principal and interest.
Recovery rate
The percentage of the loss recovered.
Bankruptcy
A declaration provided for by a country’s laws that typically involves the establishment of a legal procedure that forces creditors to defer their claims
Basis trade
A trade based on the pricing of credit in the bond market versus the price of the same credit in the CDS market. To execute a basis trade, go long the “underpriced” credit and short the “overpriced” credit. A profit is realized as the implied credit prices converge
CDS spread
A periodic premium paid by the buyer to the seller that serves as a return over a market reference rate required to protect against credit risk.
Cash settlement
A procedure used in certain derivative transactions that specifies that the long and short parties settle the derivative’s difference in value between them by making a cash payment.
Cheapest-to-deliver
The debt instrument that can be purchased and delivered at the lowest cost yet has the same seniority as the reference obligation.
Credit correlation
The correlation of credit (or default) risks of the underlying single-name CDS contained in an index CDS.
Credit curve
The credit spreads for a range of maturities of a company’s debt.
Credit default swap
A derivative contract between two parties in which the buyer makes a series of cash payments to the seller and receives a promise of compensation for credit losses resulting from the default.
Credit derivative
A derivative instrument in which the underlying is a measure of the credit quality of a borrower
Credit event
An event that defines a payout in a credit derivative. Events are usually defined as bankruptcy, failure to pay an obligation, or an involuntary debt restructuring.
Credit protection buyer
One party to a credit default swap; the buyer makes a series of cash payments to the seller and receives a promise of compensation for credit losses resulting from the default.
Credit protection seller
One party to a credit default swap; the seller makes a promise to pay compensation for credit losses resulting from the default.
Credit risk
The risk of loss caused by a counterparty’s or debtor’s failure to make a promised payment. Also called default risk
Curve trade
Buying a CDS of one maturity and selling a CDS on the same reference entity with a different maturity.
Default risk
The risk of loss caused by a counterparty’s or debtor’s failure to make a promised payment.
Depository Trust and Clearinghouse Corporation
A US-headquartered entity providing post-trade clearing, settlement, and information services.
Failure to pay
When a borrower does not make a scheduled payment of principal or interest on any outstanding obligations after a grace period.
Hazard rate
The probability that an event will occur, given that it has not already occurred.
ISDA Master Agreement
A standard or “master” agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. The master agreement establishes the terms for each party involved in the transaction.
Index CDS
A type of credit default swap that involves a combination of borrowers.
Interest rate risk
The risk that interest rates will rise and therefore the market value of current portfolio holdings will fall so that their current yields to maturity then match comparable instruments in the marketplace.
Long/short credit trade
A credit protection seller with respect to one entity combined with a credit protection buyer with respect to another entity.
Monetizing
Unwinding a position to either capture a gain or realize a loss
Naked credit default swap
A position where the owner of the CDS does not have a position in the underlying credit.
Notional amount
The amount of protection being purchased in a CDS
Off-the-run
A series of securities or indexes that were issued/created prior to the most recently issued/created series.
On-the-run
The most recently issued and most actively traded sovereign securities.
Payout amount
The loss given default times the notional
Physical settlement
Involves actual delivery of the debt instrument in exchange for a payment by the credit protection seller of the notional amount of the contract.
Premium leg
The series of payments the credit protection buyer promises to make to the credit protection seller.
Probability of survival
The probability that a bond issuer will meet its contractual obligations on schedule.
Protection leg
The contingent payment that the credit protection seller may have to make to the credit protection buyer.
Reference entity
The borrower (debt issuer) covered by a single-name CDS.
Reference obligation
A particular debt instrument issued by the borrower that is the designated instrument being covered.
Restructuring
Reorganizing the capital structure of a firm
Roll
When an investor moves its investment position from an older series to the most current series.
Settlement
The closing date at which the counterparties of a derivative contract exchange payment for the underlying as required by the contract
Single-name CDS
Credit default swap on one specific borrower.
Succession event
A change of corporate structure of the reference entity, such as through a merger, a divestiture, a spinoff, or any similar action, in which ultimate responsibility for the debt in question is unclear.
Tranche CDS
A type of credit default swap that covers a combination of borrowers but only up to pre-specified levels of losses.
Upfront payment
The difference between the credit spread and the standard rate paid by the protection buyer if the standard rate is insufficient to compensate the protection seller. Also called upfront premium.
Upfront premium
The difference between the credit spread and the standard rate paid by the protection buyer if the standard rate is insufficient to compensate the protection seller.
Advanced set
An arrangement in which the reference interest rate is set at the time the money is deposited
Advanced settled
An arrangement in which a forward rate agreement (FRA) expires and settles at the same time, at the FRA expiration date.
At market contract
When a forward contract is established, the forward price is negotiated so that the market value of the forward contract on the initiation date is zero.
Carry arbitrage model
A no-arbitrage approach in which the underlying instrument is either bought or sold along with an opposite position in a forward contract.
Carry benefits
Benefits that arise from owning certain underlyings; for example, dividends, foreign interest, and bond coupon payments.
Carry costs
Costs that arise from owning certain underlyings. They are generally a function of the physical characteristics of the underlying asset and also the interest forgone on the funds tied up in the asset
Convergence
The tendency for differences in output per capita across countries to diminish over time. In technical analysis, the term describes the case when an indicator moves in the same manner as the security being analyzed.
Cost of carry model
A model that relates the forward price of an asset to the spot price by considering the cost of carry (also referred to as future-spot parity model).
Dividend index point
A measure of the quantity of dividends attributable to a particular index
Equity swap
A swap transaction in which at least one cash flow is tied to the return on an equity portfolio position, often an equity index.
Forward price
Represents the price agreed upon in a forward contract to be exchanged at the contract’s maturity date, T. This price is shown in equations as F0 (T).
Forward rate agreement
An over-the-counter forward contract in which the underlying is an interest rate on a deposit. A forward rate agreement (FRA) calls for one party to make a fixed interest payment and the other to make an interest payment at a rate to be determined at contract expiration.
Forward value
The monetary value of an existing forward contract.
Futures value
The monetary value of an existing futures contract
Reverse carry arbitrage
A strategy involving the short sale of the underlying and an offsetting opposite position in the derivative
Settled in arrears
An arrangement in which the interest payment is made (i.e., settlement occurs) at the maturity of the underlying instrument.
Swap rate
The fixed rate to be paid by the fixed-rate payer specified in a swap contract.
Exercise value
The value of an option if it were exercised. Also sometimes called intrinsic value
Expectations approach
A procedure for obtaining the value of an option derived from discounting at the risk-free rate its expected future payoff based on risk neutral probabilities.
Implied volatility
The standard deviation that causes an option pricing model to give the current option price.
No-arbitrage approach
A procedure for obtaining the value of an option based on the creation of a portfolio that replicates the payoffs of the option and deriving the option value from the value of the replicating portfolio.
Rho
The change in a given derivative instrument for a given small change in the risk-free interest rate, holding everything else constant. Rho measures the sensitivity of the option to the risk-free interest rate
Theta
The change in a derivative instrument for a given small change in calendar time, holding everything else constant. Specifically, the theta calculation assumes nothing changes except calendar time. Theta also reflects the rate at which an option’s time value decays.
Commercial real estate properties
Income-producing real estate properties; properties purchased with the intent to let, lease, or rent (in other words, produce income).