What are Swaps? Financial Derivatives Tutorial
from Patrick Boyle Hosted by Patrick Boyle
In todays video we learn about Swaps.These classes are all based on the book Trading and Pricing Financial Derivatives, available on Amazon at this link. https://amzn.to/2WIoAL0 Check out our website http://www.onfinance.org/Follow Patrick on twitter here: https://twitter.com/PatrickEBoyleWhat is a Swap?A swap is a financial derivative in which two counterparties exchange cash flows of one party's financial instrument for those of the other party's financial instrument. For example, in the case of a swap involving two bonds, the two parties would be exchanging the periodic interest (coupon) payments associated with the bonds. With a swap the two counterparties agree to exchange one stream of cash flows against another stream. These streams are called the legs of the swap. The swap agreement defines the dates when the cash flows are to be paid and the way they are accrued and calculated. Usually at the time when the contract is initiated, at least one of these series of cash flows is determined by an uncertain variable such as a floating interest rate, foreign exchange rate, equity price, or commodity price.The cash flows are calculated over a notional principal amount. Contrary to a future, a forward or an option, the notional amount is usually not exchanged between counterparties. Consequently, swaps can be in cash or collateral. Swaps can be used to hedge certain risks such as interest rate risk, or to speculate on changes in the expected direction of underlying prices.
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