Notes 3 Flashcards
def of Derivatives
contracts whole value is derived from the price of other assets or another contracts
Forwards contracts
what is it
who uses it
advantage
exemption
- trade takes place directly. (negotiation over the counter)
involve buying something in the future, but the details agreed today.
-intermediaries usually banks.
(they are members of the ISDA) which provide some standardisation in swap agreements via its master swap agreement.
-can be adapted to accommodate most customer requirements
standardised versions of forwards
- cheaper, easier and more efficient to use.
exemption: currency forwards are often more liquid than currency futures.
What are swap contracts
series of forward contacts packaged together
Swaps (small portion of use)
-Interest rate swaps are traded between one party have a competitive advantage in fixed interest rates with another who has an advantage in floating rate contracts. (small portion)
What is the main use of interest rate swaps and forward rate agreements (FRAs) by banks/organisations and other significant use of swap
hedging interest rate exposure from business conducted and risking arising from them.
- synthetic lending by banks, hedge funds, investors. Produce similar cash flows to normal bank lending.
explain synthetic lending by banks
- bank lends for relatively long terms receive fixed rate.
- fund itself short term with floating rates.
- floating rates lower than fixed typically.
- interest rate swaps markets one of the biggest markets in the world.
Financial options what is
one party pays a premium for insurance against a movement higher or lower in the price of a specified asset.
- increasingly using financial option for hedging variable annuity products
- becoming involved in managing the option for exposure for financial institutions.
Swaptions
options on swaps. i.e option to enter a swap at some point in the future on pre specified terms.
lesson from history - guaranteed annuity options
- Equitable Life who had sold customers Guaranteed Annuity options.
- Failed to adaquetly price and provide the cost for these
- Led to collapse of institution
Brief History of derivative markets
- began in Chicago mid 1800s
- grain prices volatile each year
- farmers exposed to general harvest being better than expected - get lower price-
- purchasers at risk of poor harvest - pay higher prices
- contract “to arrive contract” - price agreed in advance for a delivery by a specified date.
- both party reduce risks
- new counterparty risk
- financial derivative used in the 1970s, grown exponentially since then.
- largest market in the world.
- difficult to measure the size, OTC derivatives are private transactions, data not collected.
- measuring size of exchange traded derivative difficult - different nominal sizes.
ISDA Master agreement for OTC
- practicalities of derivatives greatly improved .
- Is the global standard legal document for derivative trades.
- 2 versions: 1992 and 2002 version.
covers more product types and market events.
most updated to 2002.
if not then legal wording added to confirmations in order to cover the differences. - developed by market participants led by the International Swaps and Derivates Association (ISDA)
- reduced the legal + other risks in OTC derivatives
why investors use derivates
- more liquid
- traded with lower costs than the underlying physical assets they reference
- allow investment managers to quickly and efficiently overlay an exposure to the portfolio.
- allow for more efficient portfolio management
- asset transitions - target equity market exposure could be created quickly using futures, whilst a physical equity portfolio being built up in parallel by manager. Futures sold down as equities are purchased.
- currency hedging programmes - an overseas investor want to generate returns in their local currency. issue for lower risk assets, government and corporate bonds.
Currency forwards allow unintended currency exposure to be hedged- - leveraged investments - possible to create a leverage exposure without entering into financial agrememtns and hence with lower costs.
eg fund could have economic exposure to 2/3 times an equity index by entering into total return swaps on the index and holding the capital in high quality cash for margin calls and liquidity .
many more examples in notes
derivative expertise + additional stuff that has to be done
needed before an investment manager can trad derivatives.
- include suitably skilled personnel in front,mid and back office roles.
- risk, legal and compliance personnel.
-IT systems to support this activity. - fund that uses deviates needs to maintain sufficient collateral to meet margin calls. Create additional operational requirements -need to be managed.
Who do derivates tend to suit?
- shorter term positions
-or requiring the use of leverage - significantly lower costs
- more liquid than physical alternative
(provided that liquid and standard cosbtacts are used) - if held for a long time, or rolled over repeatedly, transaction costs increase.
- physical investment may be more attractive (especially if turnover is low)
What are the derivative markets, which one is recommended to be used and why?
exchange traded derivates
OTC derivates
- regulators encourage derivative market participants to use exchanges or to centrally clear transactions.
- to improve transparency
- reduce counterparty risk.
- regulators require banks to hold additional capital in respect of the OTC derivative transactions
