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Basis Point - BPS

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Definition of 'Basis Point - BPS'

A unit that is equal to 1/100th of 1%, and is used to denote the change in a financial instrument. The basis point is commonly used for calculating changes in interest rates, equity indexes and the yield of a fixed-income security.
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Investopedia explains 'Basis Point - BPS'

The relationship between percentage changes and basis points can be summarized as follows: 1% change = 100 basis points, and  0.01% = 1 basis point.

So, a bond whose yield increases from 5% to 5.5% is said to increase by 50 basis points; or interest rates that have risen 1% are said to have increased by 100 basis points.

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