Interest Rate Future
Interest Rate Future
Introduction
An interest rate future is a financial
derivative (a futures contract) with an
interest-bearing
instrument
as
the
underlying asset.
Examples include Treasury-bill futures,
Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Interest rate futures are used to hedge
against the risk that interest rates will move
in an adverse direction, causing a cost to the
company.
CONVERSION FACTOR
The conversion factor will be known on the day trading starts
on futures
The maturity of the bond and period of coupon payment is
rounded to the nearest 3 months
The first coupon is assumed to be paid in 6 months time, if
the rounded
maturity is a multiple of 6 months
If it is not a multiple of 6 months, the first coupon is assumed
to have been paid in 3 months; accrued interest is subtracted
Using the above, the value of a deliverable bond can be
calculated
The conversion factor is the value calculated, divided by the
face value
CHEAPEST-TO-DELIVER (CDT)
BONDS
When many bonds are available for delivery, everybody
who participates in delivery will choose the cheapest
option
CDT bonds are ones in which the difference between the
quoted price of the bond and (the futures settlement
price * the conversion factor) is the smallest
1. Directional trading
2. Arbitrage
3. Calendar spread trading
4. Hedging
5. Fixed-income portfolio
management
1. Directional Trading
It is Speculative
Expect interest rate to move in a certain direction
If interest rates are expected to increase, the value of
a CTD bond will decrease, causing futures prices to fall
it would be best to take a short position in this case
If interest rates are expected to decrease, the value
of the CTD bond will increase, causing futures prices to
increaseit would be best to take a long position
2. Cash-and-carry Arbitrage
If the actual price is lower, one would take a long position in futures
and a short one in CTD bonds
Theoretical future price = Bond future price / Conversion factor
If the bid-ask spread between the short and longterm contract is not reasonable
4. Hedging
Institutions, corporations and investors who plan to borrow or invest at
a future time can hedge the risk of changing interest rates by using
interest rate futures
1.
To hedge borrowing costs Short term
Interest rate future contracts are used when an
organization is planning to borrow within a very
short time period. It can also be used to hedge the
future interest rate under a variable borrowing.
2. To hedge investment yield An Investor is
planning to invest in near future can hedge the
yield on investment by trading in future contract.
3.
To create synthetic swaps Short term
interest rate future can be used to hedge floating
rate loans, as any increase in interest rate will
increase the interest payments.
4.
Directional trade - Directional trade is a speculative
activity. If the speculator believes that the interest rate is
expected to change, they can speculate on this information. This
can be done in two ways. First, using physical securities & by
entering into future markets.
5. Spread trade - Spread trade are undertaken on the basis of
the anticipation that the shape of yield curve may change. The
typical spread contracts are calendar- spread where a trader
takes a position in a near-term contract.