Swap

Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Swap'

Traditionally, the exchange of one security for another to change the maturity (bonds), quality of issues (stocks or bonds), or because investment objectives have changed. Recently, swaps have grown to include currency swaps and interest rate swaps.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Swap'

If firms in separate countries have comparative advantages on interest rates, then a swap could benefit both firms. For example, one firm may have a lower fixed interest rate, while another has access to a lower floating interest rate. These firms could swap to take advantage of the lower rates.

Related Definitions

  • Basis Rate Swap

    A type of swap in which two parties swap variable interest rates based on different money markets. This is usually done to limit interest-rate risk that a company faces as a result of ...
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  • Bond Swap

    A strategy in which an investor sells a bond and at the same time purchases a different bond with the proceeds from the sale.
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  • Credit Default Swap (CDS)

    A swap designed to transfer the credit exposure of fixed income products between parties. Credit default swap, also referred to as a credit derivative contract where the purchaser of the ...
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    • Commodity Swap

      A swap in which exchanged cash flows are dependent on the price of an underlying commodity. A commodity swap is usually used to hedge against the price of a commodity.
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    • Currency Swap

      A swap that involves the exchange of principal and interest in one currency for the same in another currency. It is considered to be a foreign exchange transaction and is not required by ...
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    • Interest Rate Swap

      An agreement between two parties (known as counterparties) where one stream of future interest payments is exchanged for another based on a specified principal amount. Interest rate ...
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    • Non-Deliverable Swap - NDS

      A swap that is similar to a non-deliverable forward, with the only difference being that settlement for both parties is done through a major currency. Non-deliverable swaps are used when ...
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    • Pure Yield Pickup Swap

      A transaction in which bonds with lower returns are swapped for bonds with higher returns. With a pure yield pickup swap the sole purpose of the transaction is to increase yield, the new ...
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    • Total Return Swap

      A swap agreement in which one party makes payments based on a set rate, either fixed or variable, while the other party makes payments based on the return of an underlying asset, which ...
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    • Swap Dealer

      An individual who acts as the counterparty in a swap agreement for a fee called a spread. Swap dealers are the market makers for the swap market. The spread represents the difference ...
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    • Volatility Swap

      A forward contract whose underlying is the volatility of a given product.
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