100% Equities StrategyAn investment strategy for an individual portfolio or pooled funds vehicle such as a mutual fund. Only equity securities are considered for investment, whether they be listed stocks, over-the-counter stocks, or private equity shares. A mutual fund...

100% MortgageA mortgage loan in which the borrower receives a loan amount equivalent to the total value of the property to be purchased. In this situation, the borrower does not need to make a down payment to secure the loan.

10-Year Treasury NoteA debt obligation issued by the U.S. Treasury that has a term of more than one year, but not more than 10 years.

25% Rule1. The idea that a local government's long-term debt should not exceed 25% of its annual budget. Any debt beyond this threshold is considered excessive and a potential risk, since the municipality may have trouble paying the cost of debt.2. A...

30-Year TreasuryA U.S. Treasury debt obligation that has a maturity of 30 years. The 30-year Treasury used to be the bellwether U.S. bond but now most consider the 10-year Treasury to be the benchmark. 

90/10 StrategyAn investing strategy that involves deploying 90% of one's investment capital in interest-bearing instruments that have a lower degree of risk, and the balance 10% in high-risk investments. This is a relatively conservative investment strategy that...

ABack to top

A.M. BestOne of the established ratings agencies recognized by the SEC. A.M. Best has traditionally focused exclusively on providing a letter rating for insurance carriers. It has recently branched out into rating financial securities such as bonds. The...

AA+/Aa1The highest rating that some ratings agencies assign to a security or insurance carrier. This rating signifies that there is little to no risk of default and is often assigned to securities that have AMBAC or another type of insurance backing....

AAAThe highest possible rating assigned to the bonds of an issuer by credit rating agencies. An issuer that is rated AAA has an exceptional degree of creditworthiness and can easily meet its financial commitments. Ratings agencies such as Standard &...

Above ParA term used to describe the price of a security when it is trading above its face value. A security usually trades at above par when its income distributions are higher than those of other instruments currently available in the market.If an investor...

Absolute PriorityA rule that stipulates the order of payment - creditors before shareholders - in the event of liquidation. The absolute priority rule is used in bankruptcies to decide what portion of payment will be received by which participants. Debts to...

Acceleration CovenantA clause included in certain debt securities and swap agreements stating that the immediate collection of payment and termination of contract will take place should any number of clauses being violated by the borrower including default or a...

Accidental High YielderA stock that carries an abnormally high dividend yield for the specific firm. An accidental high yielder

is a stock of a company that was not intended to pay an excessive dividend yield;. however, the dividend yield rose when the price of the stock...

Accordion FeatureA type of option that a company can buy that gives it the right to increase its line of credit or similar type of liability with a lender. Companies typically purchase an accordion feature in anticipation of the need for more working capital for...

Accreted ValueThe value, at any given time, of a multi-year instrument that accrues interest but does not pay that interest until maturity. The most well-known applications include zero-coupon bonds or cumulative preferred stock.

Accretion1. Asset growth through addition or expansion. 2. In reference to discount bonds, it describes the accumulation of value until maturity.

Accretion of DiscountThe increase in the value of a discounted instrument as time passes and it approaches maturity. The value of the instrument will accrete (grow) at the interest rate implied by the discounted issuance price, the value at maturity and the term to...

AccretiveThe process of accretion, which is the growth or increase by gradual addition, in finance and general nomenclature. An acquisition is considered accretive if it adds to earnings per share.

Accrual BondA bond that does not pay periodic interest payments. Instead, interest is added to the principal balance of the bond and is either paid at maturity or, at some point, the bond begins to pay both principal and interest based on the accrued principal...

Accrual RateThe rate of interest that is added to the principal of a financial instrument between cash payments of that interest. For example, a six-month bond with interest payable semiannually will accrue daily interest during the six-month term until it is...

Accrued Interest1. A term used to describe an accrual accounting method when interest that is either payable or receivable has been recognized, but not yet paid or received. Accrued interest occurs as a result of the difference in timing of cash flows and the...

Accrued Interest AdjustmentThe extra amount of interest that is paid to the owner of a convertible bond or other fixed income security. The amount paid is equal to the balance of interest that has accrued since the last payment date of the bond.At the time, the investor...

Accrued Market DiscountThe gain in the value of a discount bond expected from holding it for any duration until its maturity.

Accumulation BondA bond issued at an original issue discount (OID). This means that the interest accumulates but is not paid until maturity; there are no semi-annual coupon payments as with most bonds. These bonds are also referred to as "accrual bonds." ...

Act Of God BondA bond issued by an insurance company, linking principal and interest to a company's losses due to natural disasters. Act of God bonds are issued by insurers to protect against unforeseen events.

Active Bond CrowdThe name given to members of the NYSE and their specific bond trading departments that are acknowledged as frequent traders in active bonds.

Active ReturnThe percentage gain or loss of an investment relative to the investment's benchmark. An active

return is the difference between the benchmark and the actual return. It can be positive or negative and is typically used to assess performance. ...

Active TrancheA tranche of a collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) that is currently receiving principal payments that are passed through to its investors. While interest is paid on all tranches of a CMO when it is first issued, principal payments on each...

Adaptive Expectations HypothesisA hypothesis stating that individuals make investment decisions based on the direction of recent historical data, such as past inflation rates, and adjust the data (based on their expectations) to predict future rates.

Add-On Certificate of DepositA certificate of deposit that allows the bearer to deposit additional funds, after the initial purchase date, that will bear the same rate of interest.

Adjustment BondIssued by a corporation during a restructuring phase, an adjustment bond is given to the bondholders of an outstanding bond issue prior to the restructuring. The debt obligation is consolidated and transferred from the outstanding bond issue to the...

Advance Refunding1. A bond issuance used to pay off another outstanding bond. The new bond will often be issued at a lower rate than the older outstanding bond. 2. A bond issuance in which new bonds are sold at a lower rate than outstanding ones. The proceeds are...

After-Acquired ClauseA provision included in legal contracts ensuring that subsequent acquisitions of assets will be included in the debtor's liability to the lender.

After-Tax BasisThe basis for weighing the performance of two investments against each other after taxes have been factored into the equation.

After-Tax ReturnThe return on an investment including all income received and capital gains, calculated by taking expected or paid income taxes into account. Generally reserved for returns on positions that have been closed out or sold, after-tax returns are also...

Agency BondA bond issued by a government agency. These bonds are not fully guaranteed in the same way as U.S. Treasury and municipal bonds.

Agency Cost Of DebtA problem arising from the conflict of interested created by the separation of management from ownership (the stockholders) in a publicly owned company. Corporate governance mechanisms, such as boards of directors and the issuance of debt, are used...

Agency DebenturesDebt issued by a federal agency or a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) for financing purposes. These types of debentures are not backed by collateral, but by the integrity and credit worthiness of the issuer. Officially, agency debentures issued...

Agency SecurityLow-risk debt obligations that are issued by U.S. government-sponsored entities (GSEs) and other federally related bodies. Agency securities are issued by GSEs, including the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), Federal Home Loan Bank and...

AgioA description of the bond premium when the bond market value is greater than the par value. In international markets, agio can also sometimes refer to the fee paid for undertaking a transaction. Because these bonds are often traded on international...

Airport Revenue BondA bond issued by a municipality or airport authority that uses the revenues of the airport facility to back the bond. An airport revenue bond is tax-exempt and is typically issued when a municipality or airport is looking to expand its facilities or...

AllongeA sheet of paper attached to a bill of exchange for the purpose of documenting endorsements. The need for an allonge arises as a result of a lack of space on the bill itself.

Alpha GeneratorAny security that, when added to an existing portfolio of assets, generates excess returns or returns higher than a pre-selected benchmark without additional risk. An alpha generator can be any security; this includes government bonds, foreign...

Alternative InvestmentAn investment that is not one of the three traditional asset types (stocks, bonds and cash). Most alternative investment assets are held by institutional investors or accredited, high-net-worth individuals because of their complex nature, limited...

American Callable BondA bond that can be redeemed by the issuer at any time prior to its maturity. Usually a premium is paid to the bondholder when the bond is called.

American Municipal Bond Assurance CorporationThe first municipal bond insurance company, formed in 1971 as a subsidiary of MGIC Investment Corp. of Milwaukee; now more commonly known as Ambac Financial Group, Inc. The American Municipal Bond Assurance Corporation insures new municipal bond...

Amortizable Bond PremiumA tax term referring to the excess premium paid over and above the face value of a bond. Depending on the type of bond, the premium can be tax deductible and amortized over the life of the bond on a pro-rata basis.A bond premium occurs when the...

Amortized BondA financial certificate that has been reduced in value for records on accounting statements. An amortized bond is one that is treated as an asset, with the discount amount being amortized to interest expense over the life of the bond. If a bond is...

Amortizing SecurityA class of debt security in which a portion of the underlying principal amount is paid in addition to periodic interest payments to the security's holder. The regular payment that the security holder receives is derived from the payments that the...

And InterestA slang phrase used when quoting the price of a fixed-income instrument with accruing interest. When revealing the sale price of a bond, a broker or salesman will often express the value as the clean price "and interest".Also written as...

Angel BondInvestment-grade bonds that pay a lower interest rate because of the issuing company's high credit rating. Angel bonds are the opposite of fallen angels, which are bonds that have been given a "junk" rating, and are therefore much more risky. ...

Announcement Date1. The date at which a company will announce the details regarding an issue of debt or equity. The announcement date is the first day the public will receive information regarding a new security issue.2. The day that coincides with the release of...

Annual ReturnThe return an investment provides over a period of time, expressed as a time-weighted annual percentage. Sources of returns can include dividends, returns of capital and capital appreciation. The rate of annual return is measured against the initial...

Annuity In AdvanceAn amount of money that is regularly paid at the beginning of a term. Rent is the classic example of an annuity in advance because it is a sum of money paid at the beginning of the month to cover the 30 days to follow. An annuity in advance is also...

Annuity LadderAn investment strategy for retirees or near-retirees that entails the purchase of immediate annuities over a period of years to provide guaranteed income while minimizing interest-rate risk. Annuity ladders allow retirees to maintain a portion of...

A-NoteThe highest tranche of an asset backed security or other structured financial product. An A-note is senior to other notes, such as B-notes in bankruptcy or other credit proceedings, and is paid back first with funds from the underlying assets. They...

Any-Interest-Date CallA municipal bond provision which allows the bond issuer to redeem the bond at any date in which interest is set to be paid. An any-interest-date call provision does not necessarily require the bond issuer to pay a premium, but often does require the...

Arbitrage BondA lower-rate debt security issued by a municipality prior to the call date of the municipality's existing higher-rate security.

ArrearageAn amount on a loan, cumulative preferred stock or any credit instrument that is overdue.Also referred to as "arrears".

ArrearsOverdue debt, liability or obligation. An account is said to be "in arrears" if one or more payments have been missed in transactions where regular payments are contractually required, such as mortgage or rent payments and utility or telephone...

Asian Bond Fund (ABF)A type of bond fund launched by the Executives' Meeting of East Asia and Pacific Central Banks (EMEAP) group that allows its members to invest in bonds issued by Asian sovereign  issuers in EMEAP economies. Managed by the Bank for International...

AskThe price a seller is willing to accept for a security, also known as the offer price. Along with the price, the ask quote will generally also stipulate the amount of the security willing to be sold at that price.Sometimes called "the ask". ...

Asset Allocation FundA mutual fund that provides investors with a portfolio of a fixed or variable mix of the three main asset classes - stocks, bonds and cash equivalents - in a variety of securities. Some asset allocation funds maintain a specific proportion of asset...

Asset BaseThe underlying assets giving value to a company, investment or loan. The asset base is not fixed, it will appreciate or depreciate according to market forces. Lenders use physical assets as a guarantee that at least a portion of money lent can be...

Asset ClassA group of securities that exhibit similar characteristics, behave similarly in the marketplace, and are subject to the same laws and regulations. The three main asset classes are equities (stocks), fixed-income (bonds) and cash equivalents (money...

Asset Class BreakdownThe relative percentages of core asset classes such as equities, fixed income and cash, along with real estate and international holdings, found within a mutual fund, exchange-traded fund or other portfolio. Further breakdowns are sometimes made...

Asset MixThe classification of all assets within a fund or portfolio. Assets are assigned to one of the core asset classes: stocks (equities), bonds (fixed income), cash and real estate. Other categories that are sometimes considered asset classes are...

Asset Swapped Convertible Option Transaction (ASCOT)An option on a convertible bond that is used to separate a convertible bond into its two components: 1) a bond and 2) an option to acquire stock. When the bond is stripped of its conversion feature, the holder has a bond featuring fairly...

Asset-Backed Commercial Paper (ABCP)A short-term investment vehicle with a maturity that is typically between 90 and 180 days. The security itself is typically issued by a bank or other financial institution. The notes are backed by physical assets such as trade receivables, and are...

Asset-Backed Security (ABS)A financial security backed by a loan, lease or receivables against assets other than real estate and mortgage-backed securities. For investors, asset-backed securities are an alternative to investing in corporate debt.

Asset-Light DebtA corporate debt that has less than the usual amount of collateral, which is normally 30% or more of the company's value. With asset-light debt, that number is much lower, with many companies' collateralized debt percentage falling far below the...

Assignment Of TradeA transaction used primarily in the mortgage-backed securities (MBS) to be announced (TBA) market, where the obligation to fulfill an existing forward trade is assigned by one of the counterparties to a third party. Assignments of trade are...

Association of International Bond Dealers (AIBD)A professional association of bond dealers. The members consist of over 350 various financial conglomerates and institutions that actively trade bonds. The association makes recommendations pertaining to bond dealing rules to the regulators of...

At ParA term that refers to a bond, preferred stock or other debt obligation that is trading at its face value. The term "at par" is most commonly used with bonds. A bond that trades at par will have a yield equal to its coupon, and investors will expect...

Auction RateThe interest rate that will be paid on a specific security as determined by the Dutch auction process. The auctions take place at periodic intervals, and the interest rate is fixed until the next auction is held. This process is commonly used to...

Auction Rate Security (ARS)A debt security that is sold through a dutch auction. The auction rate security (ARS) is sold at an interest rate that will clear the market at the lowest yield possible. This ensures that all bidders on an ARS receive the same yield on the debt...

Australian Securities And Investments Commission (ASIC)The regulator of Australia's markets and financial services. The ASIC ensures that Australia's financial markets are fair and transparent. The ASIC is an independent Commonwealth Government body established by the Australian Securities and...

Australian Stock Price Riskless Indexed Note (ASPIRIN)A zero-coupon bond with a return linked to the Australian all-ordinaries stock index. The bond has a four-year maturity and is repayable at face value, with a yield derived from the index's percentage increase over a predetermined level.Also known...

Authority BondA debt security issued by an authority, such as a corporate or government agency, for purposes of

financing the operations of a revenue-generating public business. Investors in authority bonds have a claim to the business's revenues, which serve as...

Automated Bond System (ABS)The electronic system on the NYSE that records bids and offers for inactively traded bonds until they are canceled or executed.

Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS)A system that facilitates the transfer of securities from one trading account to another at a different brokerage firm or bank. The National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) developed the ACATS system, replacing the previous manual...

Available-For-Sale SecurityA debt or equity security that is purchased with the intent of selling before it reaches maturity, or selling prior to a lengthy time period in the event the security does not have a maturity. Accounting standards necessitate that companies classify...

Average Annual YieldThe average yield on an investment or a portfolio that results from adding all interest, dividends or other income generated from the investment, divided by the average of the investments for the year. The average annual yield is a particularly...

Average Effective MaturityFor a single bond, it is a measure of maturity that takes into account the possibility that a bond might be called back to the issuer.For a portfolio of bonds, average effective maturity is the weighted average of the maturities of the underlying...

Average LifeAn estimate of the number of terms to maturity, taking the possibility of early payments into account. Average life is calculated using the weighted average time to the receipt of all future cash flows.

Average Price1. A representative measure of a range of prices that is calculated by taking the sum of the values and dividing it by the number of prices being examined. The average price reduces the range into a single value, which can then be compared to any...

AxeThe interest a person or trader shows in buying or selling a bond. A trader may have specific interest in a certain type of bond based on his or her existing positions.

BBack to top

Ba3/BB-Bonds rated Ba3/BB- are generally considered speculative in nature and are not considered to be investment-grade bonds suited for people wishing to avoid the risk of losing their principal. These bonds are commonly referred to as junk bonds, though...

Baby BondFixed income securities issued in small denominations, generally with a maximum face value of $5,000. The small denominations enhance the attraction of baby bonds to the average retail investor. Baby bonds are now issued mainly by municipalities...

Baccalaureate BondA zero-coupon bond issued by certain states to assist families save for college tuition by means of added tax benefits.

Back UpA slang term for the movement in spread, price or yield of a security, which makes it more expensive to issue. Back up is characterized by an increase in bond yields and a decrease in price. The price of a security "backs up" when a company finds...

Bad PaperUnsecured short-term fixed income instrument that is issued either by a corporation, city, state or

country, that has a high probability of defaulting on their promissory notes. Since bad paper is not backed by collateral, it is sold at a discount...

BailoutA situation in which a business, individual or government offers money to a failing business in order to prevent the consequences that arise from a business's downfall. Bailouts can take the form of loans, bonds, stocks or cash. They may or may not...

Bailout BondA debt security issued by the Resolution Funding Corporation to bail out the savings and loan associations during the financial crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The bailout bonds had zero-coupon Treasury bonds backing the principal amounts...

Balanced FundA fund that combines a stock component, a bond component and, sometimes, a money market component, in a single portfolio. Generally, these hybrid funds stick to a relatively fixed mix of stocks and bonds that reflects either a moderate (higher...

Balloon InterestAn increased coupon rate on the longer term maturity instruments within a serial bond issue. In a serial issue, bonds mature at different intervals, creating a string of short- to long-term instruments. Higher interest is earned on the long-term...

Balloon Maturity1. A repayment schedule for a bond issue where a large number of the bonds come due at a one time (normally at the final maturity date). 2. A final loan payment that is considerably higher than prior payments. This is also known as a "balloon...

Bank Bill Swap Bid Rate (BBSY)A benchmark interest rate quoted and dispersed by Reuters Information Service. The BBSY is typically used by financial institutions or corporations engaging in interest rate swaps and related transactions.

Bank Discount BasisA quoting convention used by financial institutions when quoting prices for fixed-income securities sold at a discount, particularly U.S. Government issues. The quote is presented as a percentage of face value, and is determined by discounting the...

Bank Investment Contract (BIC)A security with an interest rate guaranteed by a bank. It provides a specific yield on a portfolio over a specified period.

Banker's Blanket BondA fidelity bond purchased from an insurance broker that protects a bank against losses from a variety of criminal acts carried out by employees. Some states require blanket bond coverage as a condition of operating a bank. Also known as a blanket...

Bankruptcy RiskThe risk that a company will be unable to meet its debt obligations. Often referred to as "default" or "insolvency risk".

BarbellA bond investment strategy that concentrates holdings in both very short-term and extremely long-term maturities. This is also known as the "dumbbell" or "barbelling."

Barron's Confidence IndexA confidence indicator calculated by dividing the average yield on high-grade bonds by the average yield on intermediate-grade bonds. The discrepancy between the yields is indicative of investor confidence. A rising ratio indicates investors are...

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. ...

Basis PricePrice quotation for a security expressed in terms of yield to maturity. This will usually only be quoted on fixed-income securities such as bonds.

Bear FlattenerA yield-rate environment in which short-term interest rates are increasing at a faster rate than long-term interest rates. This causes the yield curve to flatten as short-term and long-term rates start to converge.

Bear SteepenerA widening of the yield curve caused by long-term rates increasing at a faster rate than short-term rates. This causes a larger spread between the two rates as the long-term rate moves further away from the short-term rate.

Bearer BondA fixed-income instrument that is owned by whoever is holding it, rather than having a registered owner.  Coupons representing interest payments are likely to be physically attached to the security and it is the bondholder's responsibility to submit...

Bearer FormA security not registered in the issuing corporation's books but that is payable to its bearer (the person possessing it). Securities can be issued in two forms: registered or bearer. Registered form means the issuing firm keeps records of a...

Bearer InstrumentA bearer instrument, or bearer bond, is a type of fixed-income security where no ownership information is recorded and the security is issued in physical form to the purchaser. The holder is presumed to be the owner, and whoever is in possession of...

Bearer ShareAn equity security that is wholly owned by whoever holds the physical stock certificate. The issuing firm neither registers the owner of the stock, nor does it track transfers of ownership. The company disperses dividends to bearer shares when a...

BeepFinancial industry jargon for "basis point." The term came into popular usage as an easier way of referring to the basis points' "BPS" acronym. It is sometimes also pronounced "bips".

Below ParA term describing a bond whose price is below the face value or principal value, usually $1,000. As bond prices are quoted as a percentage of face value, a price below par would typically be anything less than 100.

Benchmark BondA bond that provides a standard against which the performance of other bonds can be measured. Government bonds are almost always used as benchmark bonds. Also referred to as "benchmark issue" or "bellwether issue".

BequestThe process of giving stocks, bonds, or any other assets to beneficiaries through the provisions of a will.

Best Efforts Mortgage LockWhen the sale of a mortgage in the secondary mortgage market requires that the seller, usually a mortgage originator, make a "best efforts" attempt to deliver the mortgage to the buyer. This type of trade exists to transfer the risk that a loan will...

Biased Expectations TheoryA theory that the future value of interest rates is equal to the summation of market expectations. Proponents of the biased expectation theory argue that the shape of the yield curve is created by ignoring systematic factors and that the term...

Bid BondA debt secured by a bidder for a construction job or similar type of bid-based selection process for

the purpose of providing a guarantee to the project owner that the bidder will take on the job if selected. The existence of a bid bond provides the...

Bid Wanted In Competition (BWIC)A situation where an institutional investor submits its bond bid list to various securities dealers. In a bid-wanted-in-competition situation, the dealers are allowed to make bids on the listed securities. The dealers with the highest bids are then...

Bilbao Stock Exchange (BIL) .BIOne of Spain's four major securities exchanges. Founded July 1890 and opened for trading in 1891, the Bilbao Stock Exchange (in Spanish, the "Bolsa de Bilbao") supports the financial, industrial and economic development of the Basque Country. It has...

Bill AnnouncementAn announcement published by the U.S. Treasury regarding the next bill auction. This announcement outlines the terms of the bill auction. Bill announcements must contain the date and time of the auction, as well as the amount of bills to be...

Bill AuctionA public auction for Treasury bills that is held weekly by the U.S. Treasury. Currently there are 17 authorized primary dealers that are required to bid directly upon each issue. This is the manner in which all U.S. Treasury bills are issued.

Bill Of ExchangeA non-interest-bearing written order used primarily in international trade that binds one party to pay a fixed sum of money to another party at a predetermined future date.

Binomial TreeA graphical representation of possible intrinsic values that an option may take at different nodes or time periods. The value of the option depends on the underlying stock or bond, and the value of the option at any node depends on the probability...

Blanket Honesty BondA kind of fidelity bond that covers an employer for all of the losses that are incurred through the dishonest acts of its employees. No matter how many employees are involved, the maximum amount of the coverage will be applied to any one loss. The...

Blind BrokeringWhen brokerage firms ensure anonymity to both the buyer and the seller in a transaction. In the ordinary course of securities trading, most brokerage transactions are "blind". Exceptions occur for broker/dealers or others acting as both broker and...

Block TradeAn order/trade submitted for sale or purchase of a large quantity of securities. Also known as "Block Order".

Blockage DiscountThe difference between the market value of a security and its sale price when transacted under a block trade. Each blockage discount is negotiated by the involved institutional investors, which incorporates such factors as market liquidity and the...

BlockholderThe owner of a large amount of a company's shares and/or bonds, or block. In terms of shares, these owners are often able to influence the company with the voting rights awarded with their holding.

Blue ListA daily digest of municipal and corporate bond offerings, market commentaries, fixed-income statistics and other bond information. The blue list is used by bond investors to identify investment opportunities in the bond market.

BondA debt investment in which an investor loans money to an entity (corporate or governmental) that

borrows the funds for a defined period of time at a fixed interest rate. Bonds are used by companies, municipalities, states and U.S. and foreign...

Bond Anticipation Note (BAN)A short-term interest-bearing security issued in the anticipation of larger future bond issues.

Bond AttorneyA lawyer who represents the bondholders' interests during a bond offering and who prepares the legal opinion attesting that the issue is legal, valid and binding.

Bond BrokerA broker who executes over-the-counter bond trades between institutional investors (bond traders). Bond brokers act as an intermediary between institutional investors to keep the identities of the other parties anonymous. Brokers communicate with...

Bond Buyer 11An average yield on a particular day of 11 selected general obligation municipal bonds with an average 'AA' rating, maturing in 20 years. It is comprised of 11 of the 20 bonds in the Bond Buyer 20. The Bond Buyer 11 is published by The Bond Buyer...

Bond Buyer 20A representation of municipal bond trends based on a portfolio of 20 general obligation bonds that mature in 20 years. The index is based on a survey of municipal bond traders rather than actual prices or yields. The Bond Buyer 20 is published by...

Bond Buyer IndexAn index published by The Bond Buyer, a daily finance newspaper that covers the municipal bond market. Investors use the Bond Buyer Index to plot interest rate patterns in the municipal market. Traders use the daily Bond Buyer Index to trade...

Bond CircularA standardized legal document that contains an abbreviated version of the relevant terms from the prospectus of a new bond issue. The bond circular is made available to prospective investors and contains basic information including: issuer, amount...

Bond CrowdA slang term used to describe members of the stock exchange that transact bond orders from the floor of the exchange. The label “bond crowd” differentiates them from the members of the exchange who trade stocks. 

Bond DiscountThe amount by which the market price of a bond is lower than its principal amount due at maturity. This amount, called its par value, is often $1,000. As bond prices are quoted as a percent of face value, a price of 98.00 means that the bond is...

Bond Equity Earnings Yield Ratio (BEER)A metric used to evaluate the relationship between bond yields and earnings yields in the stock market. The Bond Equity Earnings Yield Ratio (BEER) has two parts – the top is represented by a benchmark bond yield (such as five- or 10-year...

Bond Equivalent Yield (BEY)A calculation for restating semi-annual, quarterly, or monthly discount-bond or note yields into an annual yield. For a fixed income security with a par value of $1000, the calculation is as follows:

Bond ETFA type of exchange-traded fund (ETF) that exclusively invests in bonds. Bond ETFs are very much like bond mutual funds in that they hold a portfolio of bonds and can differ widely in strategies, ranging from U.S. Treasuries to high yields, from...

Bond Floor1. The lowest value that convertible bonds can fall to, given the present value of the remaining future cash flows and principal repayment. The bond floor is the value at which the convertible option becomes worthless because the underlying stock...

Bond for Bond LendingA lending structure used in the Federal Reserve's security lending facility, whereby borrowers receive a loan of bonds, by using all or a portion of their own portfolio of bonds for collateral. The bond for bond lending structure is different from...

Bond FundA fund invested primarily in bonds and other debt instruments. The exact type of debt the fund invests in will depend on its focus, but investments may include government, corporate, municipal and convertible bonds, along with other...

Bond InsuranceA type of insurance policy that a bond issuer purchases that guarantees the repayment of the principal and all associated interest payments to the bondholders in the event of default. Bond issuers buy insurance to enhance their credit rating to...

Bond LadderA portfolio of fixed-income securities in which each security has a significantly different maturity date. The purpose of purchasing several smaller bonds with different maturity dates rather than one large bond with a single maturity date is to...

Bond LadderingA portfolio management strategy and model for investing in fixed income that involves purchasing multiple bonds, each with different maturity dates, in order to achieve the following goals:- Decrease interest rate risk by holding both short-term and...

Bond MarketThe environment in which the issuance and trading of debt securities occurs. The bond market primarily includes government-issued securities and corporate debt securities, and facilitates the transfer of capital from savers to the issuers or...

Bond Market Association (BMA) SwapA type of swap arrangement in which two parties agree to exchange interest rates on debt obligations, where the floating rate is based on the bond market association's swap index. One of the parties involved will swap a fixed interest rate for a...

Bond OptionAn option contract in which the underlying asset is a bond. Other than the different characteristics of the underlying assets, there is no significant difference between stock and bond options. Just as with other options, a bond option allows...

Bond PowerA separate legal form that authorizes the transfer of ownership of a registered bond from one party to another. The bond power is essentially a substitute for the assignment on the back of the bond. It formally appoints an attorney-in-fact to...

Bond QuoteThe price at which a bond is trading. A bond quote is typically expressed as a percentage of par value, with the percentage converted to a point scale. The price that someone is willing to pay for the bond is always given in relation to 100, or par...

Bond RatingA grade given to bonds that indicates their credit quality. Private independent rating services such as Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch provide these evaluations of a bond issuer's financial strength, or its the ability to pay a bond's...

Bond RatioA financial ratio that expresses the leverage of a bond issuer. The bond ratio formally expresses the ratio of the bond issued to the company's capitalization as a percentage. The ratio is equivalent to the total amount of bonds due after one year...

Bond SwapA strategy in which an investor sells a bond and at the same time purchases a different bond with the proceeds from the sale.

Bond TrusteeA financial institution with trust powers, such as a commercial bank or trust company, that is given fiduciary powers by a bond issuer to enforce the terms of a bond indenture. An indenture is a contract between a bond issuer and a bond holder. A...

Bond ValuationA technique for determining the fair value of a particular bond. Bond valuation includes calculating the present value of the bond's future interest payments, also known as its cash flow, and the bond's value upon maturity, also known as its face...

Bond WashingThe practice of selling a bond just before it pays a coupon payment and then buying it back once the coupon has been paid. Bond washing results in a tax-free capital gains because after the coupon has been paid, the bond will sell for less. 

BondholderThe owner of a government or corporate bond. Being a bondholder is often considered safer than being a shareholder because if a company liquidates, it must pay its bondholders before it pays its shareholders. Being a bondholder entitles one to...

Book-Entry SecuritiesSecurities that are recorded in electronic records called book entries rather than as paper certificates.Also referred to as "book-entry receipt."

Bootstrapping1. A procedure used to calculate the zero-coupon yield curve from market figures. 2. A situation in which an entrepreneur starts a company with little capital. An individual is said to be bootstrapping when he or she attempts to found and build a...

Bowie BondAn asset-backed security which uses the current and future revenue from albums recorded by musician David Bowie as collateral. The 25 albums a Bowie bond uses as their underlying assets were recorded prior to 1990. David Bowie used the proceeds from...

Brady BondsBonds that are issued by the governments of developing countries. Brady bonds are some of the most liquid emerging market securities. They are named after former U.S. Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady, who sponsored the effort to restructure...

Breaking The BuckWhen the net asset value (NAV) of a money market fund falls below $1. Breaking the buck can happen when the money market fund's investment income does not cover operating expenses or investment losses. This normally occurs when interest rates drop...

Broad LiquidityA category of the money supply which includes: all funds in M3, individual holdings in accounts, savings bonds, T-bills with maturity of less than one year, commercial papers, and banker's acceptances.

Brokered DepositA large-denomination bank deposit that is sold by a bank to a brokerage, which then divides it into smaller pieces for sale to its customers. Core deposits - such as deposits to checking accounts, savings accounts and certificates of deposit made by...

Build America Bonds (BABs)Taxable municipal bonds that feature tax credits and/or federal subsidies for bondholders and state and local government bond issuers. Build America Bonds (BABs) were introduced in 2009 as part of President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment...

Bull BondA bond that is likely to increase in value in a bull market, when interest rates are declining. Most bonds tend to increase in value when interest rates decline, but bull bonds refer to types of bonds that do especially well in this environment....

Bull FlattenerA yield-rate environment in which long-term rates are decreasing at a rate faster than short-term rates. This causes the yield curve to flatten as the short-term and long-term rates start to converge.

Bull MarketA financial market of a group of securities in which prices are rising or are expected to rise. The term "bull market" is most often used to refer to the stock market, but can be applied to anything that is traded, such as bonds, currencies and...

Bull SteepenerA change in the yield curve caused by short-term rates falling faster than long-term rates, resulting in a higher spread between the two rates.

Bullet1) A one-time lump-sum repayment of an outstanding loan, typically made by the borrower after very little, if any, amortization of the loan. This can also refer to a loan that requires a disproportionately large portion (or even all) of the loan to...

Bullet BondA noncallable regular coupon paying debt instrument with a single repayment of principal on the maturity date.

Bullet GICA guaranteed investment contract (GIC) is purchased with a single premium and only one payout that is made at maturity.

Bump-Up Certificate of Deposit (Bump-Up CD)A savings certificate entitling the bearer to take advantage of rising interest rates with a one time option to "bumping up" the interest rate paid. The bump-up certificate of deposit (bump-up CD) yields a lower rate than that of a similar...

BundThe German government's federal bond. The bund is issued to the public as a way for the German government to finance its spending.

Bunny BondA type of bond that offers investors the option to reinvest coupon payments into additional bonds with the same coupon and maturity. Also known as "multiplier bond" or "guaranteed coupon reinvestment bond."

Bureau Of Public DebtAn agency of the United States Department of the Treasury that is responsible for borrowing funds for the federal government to use, maintaining accounts of the government's outstanding debts and providing services to other federal government...

BurnoutA period of slowing mortgage prepayment within a mortgage backed security (MBS). This usually occurs after the mortgages start to mature. When some percentage of the underlying loans fail to prepay after an interest rate cycle, this is known as...

Busted BondBonds issued by an issuer who failed to pay the required interest payments or principal amount to the debt holder (or both). The issuer of a busted bond would be considered bankrupt and would have to liquidate his or her assets to repay the bond...

Busted Convertible SecurityA convertible security that is trading well below its conversion value. The result is that the security is valued as regular debt because there is very little chance that it will ever reach the convertible price before maturity.

Buy And HoldA passive investment strategy in which an investor buys stocks and holds them for a long period of time, regardless of fluctuations in the market. An investor who employs a buy-and-hold strategy actively selects stocks, but once in a position, is...

Buying On MarginThe purchase of an asset by paying the margin and borrowing the balance from a bank or broker. Buying on margin refers to the initial or down payment made to the broker for the asset being purchased. The collateral for the funds being borrowed is...

CBack to top

Cabinet CrowdMembers of the NYSE that typically trade in inactive bonds. Also known as the inactive bond crowd or book crowd.

CageA term used to describe the department of a brokerage firm that receives and distributes physical securities.

Call DateThe date on which a bond can be redeemed before maturity. If the issuer feels there is a benefit to refinancing the issue, the bond may be redeemed on the call date at par or at a small premium to par.

Call Premium1. The dollar amount over the par value of a callable fixed-income debt security that is given to holders when the security is called by the issuer. 2. The amount the purchaser of a call option must pay to the writer.

Call PriceThe price at which a bond or a preferred stock can be redeemed by the issuer. This price is set at the time the security is issued. Also referred to as "redemption price".

Call ProtectionA protective provision of a callable security prohibiting the issuer from calling back the security for a period early in its life.

Call ProvisionA provision on a bond or other fixed-income instrument that allows the original issuer to repurchase and retire the bonds. If there is a call provision in place, it will typically come with a time window under which the bond can be called, and a...

Call RiskThe risk, faced by a holder of a callable bond, that a bond issuer will take advantage of the callable bond feature and redeem the issue prior to maturity. This means the bondholder will receive payment on the value of the bond and, in most cases...

Callable BondA bond that can be redeemed by the issuer prior to its maturity. Usually a premium is paid to the bond owner when the bond is called. Also known as a "redeemable bond".

Callable Certificate Of DepositAn FDIC insured certificate of deposit (CD) that contains a call feature similar to other types of callable fixed-income securities. Callable CDs can be redeemed (called away) by the issuing bank prior to their stated maturity, usually within a...

Callable Preferred StockA type of preferred stock that carries the provision that the issuer has the right to call in the stock at a certain price and retire it. Also known as "redeemable preferred stock".

Callable SecurityA security with an embedded call provision that allows the issuer to repurchase or redeem the security by a specified date. Since the holder of a callable security is exposed to the risk of the security being repurchased, the callable security is...

Called AwayA term used to describe the elimination of a contract due to the obligation of delivery. This occurs if

an option is exercised, if a redeemable bond is called before maturity or if a short position held in a security requires delivery.   ...

Canada Premium Bond (CPB)A debt instrument issued by the Bank of Canada that offers a higher interest rate than a Canada Savings Bond (CSB) with the same issuance date.

Canada Savings Bond (CSB)A financial product issued by the Bank of Canada. It offers a competitive rate of interest and guarantees a minimum interest rate.

Canadian Originated Preferred Securities (COPrS)A long-term subordinated debt instrument issued in Canada. COPrS (pronounced "coppers") are a type of derivative equity security invented by Merrill Lynch in the mid-1990s. The first company to offer them was TransCanada PipeLines. COPrS are not the...

Canary CallA step-up bond that cannot be called after completing its first-step period. The issuer of the bond reserves the option to call back the bond until the first step is reached. A canary call may only be exercised on predetermined dates.

Capital AccountThe net result of public and private international investments flowing in and out of a country.

Capital AppreciationA rise in the value of an asset based on a rise in market price. Essentially, the capital that was invested in the security has increased in value, and the capital appreciation portion of the investment includes all of the market value exceeding the...

Capital ControlAny measure taken by a government, central bank or other regulatory body to limit the flow of foreign capital in and out of the domestic economy. This includes taxes, tariffs, outright legislation and volume restrictions, as well as market-based...

Capital FlowsThe movement of money for the purpose of investment, trade or business production. Capital flows occur within corporations in the form of investment capital and capital spending on operations and research & development. On a larger scale...

Capital MarketsA market in which individuals and institutions trade financial securities. Organizations/institutions in the public and private sectors also often sell securities on the capital markets in order to raise funds. Thus, this type of market is composed...

Capital ShareThe class of shares offered by a dual-purpose fund that has opportunity for capital appreciation but does not offer the holder any portion of the fixed income earned within the portfolio.

CashLegal tender or coins that can be used in exchange goods, debt, or services. Sometimes also including the value of assets that can be converted into cash immediately, as reported by a company.

Cash AccountA regular brokerage account in which the customer is required by Regulation T to pay for securities within two days of when a purchase is made.

Cash EquivalentsInvestment securities that are short-term, have high credit quality and are highly liquid.Also referred to as "cash and equivalents".

Cash for Bond LendingA lending structure used in the Federal Reserve's Term Auction Facility (TAF), whereby borrowers receive a cash loan, by using all or a portion of their own portfolio of bonds as collateral. 

Cash InvestmentShort-term obligations, usually ninety days or less, that provide a return in the form of interest payments.

Cash Management Bill (CMB)A short-term security sold by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The maturity on a CMB can range from a few days to six months. The money raised through these issues is used by the Treasury to meet any temporary shortfalls.

Cash-Flow FinancingA form of financing in which the loan is backed by a company's expected cash flows. This differs from an asset-backed loan, where the collateral for the loan is based on the company's assets. The schedules or repayments for cash-flow loans are based...

Cat SpreadA cat spread is a type of derivative traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) that takes the form of an option on a catastrophe futures contract. In other words, a cat spread is basically a call option spread bought by insurance companies on...

Catastrophe Bond (CAT)A high-yield debt instrument that is usually insurance linked and meant to raise money in case of a catastrophe such as a hurricane or earthquake. It has a special condition that states that if the issuer (insurance or reinsurance company) suffers a...

Catastrophe CallA call provision in municipal bonds that allows for the early redemption of the instrument if a catastrophic event occurs and severely damages the project financed by the issue. Possible catastrophes will be listed in the bond's indenture and...

Central BankThe entity responsible for overseeing the monetary system for a nation (or group of nations). Central banks have a wide range of responsibilities, from overseeing monetary policy to implementing specific goals such as currency stability, low...

Certainty EquivalentA guaranteed return that someone would accept, rather than taking a chance on a higher, but uncertain, return. If you've ever thought about leaving your job to start your own business, and potentially make more money, but decided to stay and...

Certificate Of Deposit (CD)A savings certificate entitling the bearer to receive interest. A CD bears a maturity date, a specified fixed interest rate and can be issued in any denomination. CDs are generally issued by commercial banks and are insured by the FDIC. The term...

Certificate Of Government Receipts (COUGRs)U.S. Treasury fixed-income securities that are stripped of their coupon payments and provide payment of face value. These are synthetic securities offered by the A.G. Becker Paribas firm.

Certificate of IndebtednessA short-term fixed income security issued by the United States Treasury that has a coupon.

Certificate of Participation (COP)A type of financing where an investor purchases a share of the lease revenues of a program rather than the bond being secured by those revenues.

Certificateless MunicipalsA type of municipal bond that does not issue a certificate to each owner and is therefore also a type of book-entry security. The absence of a paper certificate simplifies recordkeeping and trading for brokers, municipalities and investors.  

Certificates Of Accrual On Treasury Securities (CATS)Issued by the U.S. Treasury and stripped by a financial intermediary, these products are sold at a significant discount from face value and pay no interest during their lifetime. However, they return full face value and cannot be called away. These...

Change1. For an options or futures contract, the difference between the current price and the previous day's settlement price. 2. For an index or average, the difference between the current value and the previous day's market close. 3. For a stock or bond...

Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst - CAIAA professional designation given out by the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association to establish an educational standard for individuals that specialize in the area of alternative investments (such as hedge funds, venture...

Chastity BondA bond designed to prevent unwanted takeovers by having a maturity that is activated once a takeover is complete.

Cheapest to Deliver (CTD)The least expensive underlying product that can be delivered upon expiry to satisfy the requirements of a derivative contract.

Chicago Board Of Trade (CBOT)A commodity exchange established in 1848 that today trades in both agricultural and financial contracts. The CBOT originally traded only agricultural commodities such as wheat, corn and soybeans. Now, the CBOT offers options and futures contracts on...

Citizen BondA type of certificateless municipal bond used to finance local government projects, that require large, one-time expenditures. Citizen bonds are listed and can be traded on a stock exchange.    Watch: Understanding Bonds ...

Clean PriceThe price of a coupon bond not including any accrued interest. A clean price is the discounted future cash flows, not including any interest accruing on the next coupon payment date. Immediately following each coupon payment, the clean price will...

Clinton BondA debt investment that is said to have no principal, no interest and no maturity value. A Clinton bond is in reference to President Bill Clinton's low-interest-rate policies that had bondholders lose billions of dollars early in his presidency....

Closed-End IndentureA term in a bond contract that guarantees that the collateral used to back the bond issue cannot be used again to back another bond issue. This is the opposite of an open-end indenture in which more than one bond can be backed by a single...

Co-insurance EffectA theory on corporate debt that posits that the likelihood of default decreases when two firms' assets and liabilities are combined through a merger or acquisition compared to the likelihood of default in the individual companies. The co-insurance...

Collateral Trust BondA bond that is secured by a financial asset - such as stock or other bonds - that is deposited and held by a trustee for the holders of the bond.

CollateralizationThe act where a borrower pledges an asset as recourse to the lender in the event that the borrower defaults on the initial loan. Collateralization of assets gives lenders a sufficient level of reassurance against default risk, which allows loans to...

Collateralized Bond Obligation (CBO)An investment-grade bond backed by a pool of junk bonds. Junk bonds are typically not investment grade, but because they pool several types of credit quality bonds together, they offer enough diversification to be "investment grade."

Collateralized Borrowing And Lending Obligation (CBLO)A money market instrument that represents an obligation between a borrower and a lender as to the

terms and conditions of the loan. Collateralized borrowing and lending obligations (CBLOs) are used by those who have been phased out of or heavily...

Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO)An investment-grade security backed by a pool of bonds, loans and other assets. CDOs do not specialize in one type of debt but are often non-mortgage loans or bonds.  

Collateralized Debt Obligation Cubed (CDO-Cubed)A special purpose vehicle (SPV) with securitization payments in the form of tranches. Collateralized debt obligation cubeds (CDO-cubeds) are backed by a pool of collateralized debt obligation squared (CDO-squared) tranches.

Collateralized Debt Obligation Squared (CDO-Squared)A special purpose vehicle (SPV) with securitization payments in the form of tranches. A collateralized debt obligation squared (CDO-squared) is backed by a pool of collateralized debt obligation (CDO) tranches.

Collateralized Loan Obligation (CLO)A special purpose vehicle (SPV) with securitization payments in the form of different tranches. Financial institutions back this security with receivables from loans.

Collateralized Mortgage Obligation (CMO)A type of mortgage-backed security that creates separate pools of pass-through rates for different classes of bondholders with varying maturities, called tranches. The repayments from the pool of pass-through securities are used to retire the bonds...

Combination BondA bond, typically a municipal bond, that has financial backing from two sources: the issuing agency and the revenue from an existing or proposed source that will benefit from the funding.Also known as "double barrel bonds".

Commercial Blanket BondA type of liability coverage for employers who want to protect themselves against losses resulting from dishonest employees. Commercial blanket bonds provide blanket coverage for all of an employer's employees. These bonds contain a maximum amount...

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities - CMBSA type of mortgage-backed security that is secured by the loan on a commercial property. A CMBS can provide liquidity to real estate investors and to commercial lenders. As with other types of MBS, the increased use of CMBS can be attributable to...

Commercial PaperAn unsecured, short-term debt instrument issued by a corporation, typically for the financing of accounts receivable, inventories and meeting short-term liabilities. Maturities on commercial paper rarely range any longer than 270 days. The...

Commercial Paper Funding Program (CPFP)A program instituted in October of 2008 that created the Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF). The Commercial Paper Funding Program (CPFP) was designed to increase the liquidity of the commercial paper market by providing funding to issuers....

Committed FacilityA credit facility whereby terms and conditions are clearly defined by the lending institution and imposed upon the borrowing company.

Commodity Research Bureau Index (CRB)An index that measures the overall direction of commodity sectors. The CRB was designed to isolate and reveal the directional movement of prices in overall commodity trades.

Commodity-Backed BondA commodity-backed bond is a type of debt security which is linked with the price of a commodity. Under the most common arrangement, the interest rate paid on a commodity-backed bond is set to fluctuate based on the market price of the commodity to...

Commodity-Backed BondsA commodity-backed bond is an investment term referring to a type of bond whose value is directly related to the price of a specified commodity. Most bonds have a fixed value determined at the time of purchase. A commodity-backed bond, however, can...

Common StockA security that represents ownership in a corporation. Holders of common stock exercise control by electing a board of directors and voting on corporate policy. Common stockholders are on the bottom of the priority ladder for ownership structure. In...

Companion BondA class of tranche found in a planned amortization class (PAC) bond that is responsible for protecting the PAC tranche from both contraction and extension risk. The companion bond is designed to absorb excess principal payments during times of high...

Companion TrancheA class of tranche found in planned amortization class (PAC) and targeted amortization class (TAC) collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) that absorbs variable prepayment rates. The companion trache is so named because it is designed to provide...

Competitive TenderA method of distributing debt issues. Bids are submitted by primary distributors and those who bid the highest receive the debt issue.

Completion BondA financial contract that insures a given project will be completed even if the producer runs out of money, or any measure of financial or other impediment occurs during the production of the project. Completion bonds are used in many industries...

Compound Accreted Value (CAV)A measure of the theoretical value of a zero-coupon bond at any given point in time. Because there are no interest payments like there are with traditional bonds, the interest of a zero-coupon bond accrues until maturity. Therefore, the CAV can be...

Compulsory Convertible Debenture (CCD)A type of debenture in which the whole value of the debenture must be converted into equity by a specified time. The compulsory convertible debenture's ratio of conversion is decided by the issuer when the debenture is issued. Upon conversion, the...

ConcessionA selling group's compensation in a stock or bond underwriting agreement.

Conditional Call OptionA provision that requires the issuer of a callable bond to replace the bond with a non-callable bond of similar maturity and interest rate in the case that the security is called before maturity is reached. Conditional call options usually only...

Conditional Prepayment Rate (CPR)A loan prepayment rate that is equal to the proportion of the principal of a pool of loans that is assumed to be paid off prematurely in each period. The calculation of this estimate is based on a number of factors such as historical prepayment...

Conduit FinancingA financing arrangement involving a government or other qualified agency using its name in an issuance of fixed income securities for a non-profit organization's large capital project.

Conduit IssuerAn organization, usually a government agency, that issues municipal securities to raise capital for revenue-generating projects where the funds generated are used by a third party (known as the "conduit borrower") to make payments to investors. The...

Conforming LoanA mortgage that is equal to or less than the dollar amount established by the conforming loan limit

set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's Federal regulator, The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) and meets the funding criteria of...

Connie Lee (College Construction Loan Insurance Association (CCLIA)A formerly government-sponsored enterprise created by the Higher Education Amendments of 1986. The sole purpose of this organization was to insure and reinsure debt instruments that were issued by universities, colleges and other educational...

Consent SolicitationA solicitation by one party to the stakeholders of a particular security for the consent of a material change.

Consolidated Mortgage BondA bond that consolidates the issues of multiple properties. If the properties covered by the consolidated mortgage bond are already mortgaged, the bond acts as a new mortgage. If the properties do not have outstanding mortgages then the bond is...

Constant Default Rate (CDR)An annualized rate of default on a group of mortgages, typically within a collateralized product such as a mortgage-backed security (MBS). The constant default rate represents the percentage of outstanding principal balances in the pool that are in...

Constant MaturityUsed by the Federal Reserve Board to quote the yields on various treasury securities, adjusted to an equivalent maturity.

Constant Proportion Debt Obligation (CPDO)A type of synthetic collateralized debt instrument that is backed by a debt security index, such as an iTraxx index. CPDOs were first created by ABN AMRO in 2006, which sought to create a high interest bearing instrument that also contained the...

Constant Proportion Portfolio Insurance (CPPI)A method of portfolio insurance in which the investor sets a floor on the dollar value of his or her portfolio, then structures asset allocation around that decision. The two asset classes used in CPPI are a risky asset (usually equities or mutual...

Constant Yield MethodOne of two ways of calculating the accrued discount of bonds that trade in the secondary market. The constant yield method is an alternative to the ratable accrual method, and although it usually results in a lesser accrual of discount than the...

Construction BondA type of surety bond used by investors in construction projects to protect against an adverse event that causes disruptions, failure to complete the project due to insolvency of the builder(s), or the job's failure to meet contract specifications....

Construction Loan Note (CLN)A short-term obligation in the form of a note, used for the funding of construction projects such as housing developments. In most cases, the note issuers will repay the note obligation by issuing a longer term bond and using the proceeds from the...

Contingent Convertibles (CoCos)A security similar to a traditional convertible bond in that there is a strike price (the cost of the stock when the bond converts into stock). What differs is that there is another price, even higher than the strike price, which the company's stock...

Contingent Credit Default Swap - CCDSA variation on the credit default swap (CDS). In a simple CDS, payment under the swap is triggered by a credit event, such as non-payment of interest. In a contingent credit default swap (CCDS), the trigger requires both a credit event and another...

Contingent ImmunizationA method of fixed income portfolio management, whereby managers are granted significant powers

of control over the selection of products to be added and removed from the portfolio, as long as the products remain profitable. Should these products...

Continuous Net Settlement (CNS)An automated book-entry accounting system. CNS centralizes the settlement of compared transactions and maintains an efficient flow of security and money balances.

Continuously Offered Longer-Term Securities (COLTS)A type of bond that's been sold by the World Bank since 1989 in order to finance its operations. The bonds range in length from three to 30 years and can be fixed rate, variable rate or zero coupon.  ...

Contraction RiskThe risk faced by the holder of a fixed income security when borrowers increase the rate at which they pay back the maturity value of the fixed income security. Contraction risk is a component of prepayment risk that increases as interest rates...

Contraction RiskThe risk faced by the holder of a fixed income security when borrowers increase the rate at which they pay back the maturity value of the fixed income security. Contraction risk is a component of prepayment risk that increases as interest rates...

Contractionary PolicyA type of policy that is used as a macroeconomic tool by the country's central bank or finance ministry to slow down an economy. Contractionary policies are enacted by a government to reduce the money supply and ultimately the spending in a country....

ConversionThe exchange of a convertible type of asset into another type of asset, usually at a predetermined price, on or before a predetermined date. The conversion feature is a financial derivative instrument that is valued separately from the underlying...

Conversion Parity PriceThe price paid for a share of stock purchased by exercising the option on a convertible security. The conversion parity price is the effective price paid by the investor, and is calculated by dividing the market price of the convertible security by...

Conversion PremiumThe amount by which the price of a convertible security exceeds the current market value of the common stock into which it may be converted.

Conversion PriceThe price per share at which a convertible security, such as corporate bonds or preferred shares, can be converted into common stock.

Conversion RatioThe number of common shares received at the time of conversion for each convertible security. It is calculated by using this formula:

Conversion ValueThe financial worth of the securities obtained by exchanging a convertible security for its underlying assets. Convertibles are a category of financial instruments, such as convertible bonds and preferred shares, that can be exchanged for an...

Convertible Adjustable Preferred Stock (CAPS)A preferred, floating rate issue, whose interest rate is tied to Treasury security rates. They can be exchanged for common stock or cash after the next period's dividend rates are announced. The shares received upon conversion are equal in market...

Convertible ArbitrageAn investing strategy that involves the long position on a convertible security and a short position in its converting common stock.

Convertible BondA bond that can be converted into a predetermined amount of the company's equity at certain times during its life, usually at the discretion of the bondholder. Convertibles are sometimes called "CVs".

Convertible Bond ArbitrageAn arbitrage strategy that aims to capitalize on mispricing between a convertible bond and its underlying stock. The strategy is generally market neutral; in other words, the arbitrageur seeks to generate consistent returns with minimal volatility...

Convertible DebentureA type of loan issued by a company that can be converted into stock by the holder and, under certain circumstances, the issuer of the bond. By adding the convertibility option the issuer pays a lower interest rate on the loan compared to if there...

Convertible SecurityAn investment that can be changed into another form. The most common convertible securities are convertible bonds or convertible preferred stock, which can be changed into equity or common stock. A convertible security pays a periodic fixed amount...

Convertible Subordinate NoteA short-term debt security (note), that can be changed into common stock (convertible) and ranks below other loans (subordinate).

ConvertiblesSecurities, usually bonds or preferred shares, that can be converted into common stock. Convertibles are most often associated with convertible bonds, which allow bond holders to convert their creditor position to that of an equity holder at an...

ConvexityA measure of the curvature in the relationship between bond prices and bond yields that demonstrates how the duration of a bond changes as the interest rate changes. Convexity is used as a risk-management tool, and helps to measure and manage the...

Core LiquidityCash and other financial assets that banks possess that can easily be liquidated and paid out as part of operational cash flows. Examples of core liquidity assets would be cash, government bonds and money market funds. Banks typically use forecasts...

Core PlusA fixed-income investment management style that permits managers to add instruments with greater risk and greater potential return - high-yield, global and emerging market debt, for example - to core portfolios of investment-grade bonds.

Corporate ActionAny event that brings material change to a company and affects its stakeholders. This includes shareholders, both common and preferred, as well as bondholders. These events are generally approved by the company's board of directors; shareholders are...

Corporate BondA debt security issued by a corporation and sold to investors. The backing for the bond is usually the payment ability of the company, which is typically money to be earned from future operations. In some cases, the company's physical assets may be...

Corporate Debt RestructuringThe reorganization of a company's outstanding obligations, often achieved by reducing the burden of the debts on the company by decreasing the rates paid and increasing the time the company has to pay the obligation back. This allows a company...

Corporate Inflation-Linked SecuritiesCorporate debt financing securities that offer their holders protection against fluctuations in the rate of inflation as measured by the consumer price index (CPI). The yields of these securities adjust monthly with respect to the current rate of...

Corporate RefinancingThe process through which a company reorganizes its debt obligations by replacing or restructuring existing debts. Refinancing may also involve issuing equity to pay off a percentage of debt. Debt is replaced or refunded by a company with money that...

Cost Of CarryCosts incurred as a result of an investment position. These costs can include financial costs, such as the interest costs on bonds, interest expenses on margin accounts and interest on loans used to purchase a security, and economic costs, such as...

Cost Of DebtThe effective rate that a company pays on its current debt. This can be measured in either before- or after-tax returns; however, because interest expense is deductible, the after-tax cost is seen most often. This is one part of the company's...

Cost Of FundsThe interest rate paid by financial institutions for the funds that they deploy in their business. The cost of funds is one of the most important input costs for a financial institution, since a lower cost will generate better returns when the funds...

CouponThe interest rate stated on a bond when it's issued. The coupon is typically paid semiannually. This is also referred to as the "coupon rate" or "coupon percent rate".

Coupon BondA debt obligation with coupons attached that represent semiannual interest payments. Also known as a "bearer bond".    Watch: Understanding Bonds ...

Coupon Equivalent Rate (CER)A alternative calculation of coupon rate used to compare zero-coupon and coupon fixed-income securities. Formula: ...

Coupon Equivalent Yield (CEY)A method of calculation used to calculate the yield on bonds with maturities of less than one year and which normally sell at a discount and do not pay coupons.Formula

Coupon PassThe purchase of treasury notes or bonds from dealers, by the Federal Reserve.

CovenantA promise in an indenture, or any other formal debt agreement, that certain activities will or will not be carried out.

Covered BondSecurities created from public sector loans or mortgage loans where the security is backed by a separate group of loans. Covered bonds typically carry a 2-10 year maturity rate and enjoy relatively high credit ratings, depending on the quality of...

Cram-Down Deal1. A situation in which a creditor is forced to accept undesirable terms imposed by a court during a bankruptcy or reorganization. 2. A merger or acquisition with unfavorable terms, in which shareholders or debtors of the target company are forced...

Crammed Down1. A situation in which venture capitalists refuse to invest in a new project unless the preceding investors of the company lower the value of their original investment. 2. A bankruptcy procedure that allows a bankruptcy court to initiate a...

Credit AnalysisA type of analysis an investor or bond portfolio manager performs on companies or other debt issuing entities encompassing the entity's ability to meet its debt obligations. The credit analysis seeks to identify the appropriate level of default risk...

Credit CliffA slang term referring to the compounding of a company's credit deterioration caused by provisions such as financial covenants, or events that trigger a change in the company's credit rating. These can put pressure on the company's liquidity or its...

Credit Default ContractSecurity with a risk level and pricing based on the risk of credit default by one or more underlying

security issuers. Credit default contracts include credit default swaps (CDSs), credit default index contracts, credit default options and credit...

Credit Default InsuranceThe use of a financial agreement - usually a credit derivative such as a credit default swap, total return swap, or credit linked note - to mitigate the risk of loss from default by a borrower or bond issuer.

Credit EnhancementA method whereby a company attempts to improve its debt or credit worthiness. Through credit enhancement, the lender is provided with reassurance that the borrower will honor the obligation through additional collateral, insurance, or a third party...

Credit Linked Note (CLN)A security with an embedded credit default swap allowing the issuer to transfer a specific credit risk to credit investors. CLNs are created through a Special Purpose Company (SPC), or trust, which is collateralized with AAA-rated securities....

Credit Loss RatioThe ratio of current credit-related losses to the current par value of a mortgage-backed security (MBS), or the ratio of total credit-related losses to the original par value of an MBS. Different MBSs and different sections within an MBS have...

Credit Market1. The broad market for companies looking to raise funds through debt issuance. The credit market encompasses both investment-grade bonds and junk bonds, as well as short-term commercial paper. 2. The market for debt offerings as seen by investors...

Credit MoneyAny future monetary claim against an individual that can be used to buy goods and services. There are many forms of credit money, such as IOUs, bonds and money market accounts. Virtually any form of financial instrument that cannot be repaid...

Credit QualityOne of the principal criteria for judging the investment quality of a bond or bond mutual fund. As the term implies, credit quality informs investors of a bond or bond portfolio's credit worthiness, or risk of default.Also known as a "bond rating." ...

Credit RatingAn assessment of the credit worthiness of individuals and corporations. It is based upon the history of borrowing and repayment, as well as the availability of assets and extent of liabilities.     Watch: What Is A Credit Score?   ...

Credit RiskThe risk of loss of principal or loss of a financial reward stemming from a borrower's failure to repay a loan or otherwise meet a contractual obligation. Credit risk arises whenever a borrower is expecting to use future cash flows to pay a current...

Credit Spread1. The spread between Treasury securities and non-Treasury securities that are identical in all respects except for quality rating. 2. An options strategy where a high premium option is sold and a low premium option is bought on the same underlying...

Credit Spread OptionA financial derivative contract that transfers credit risk from one party to another. An initial premium is paid by the buyer in exchange for potential cash flows if a given credit spread changes from its current level.  The buyer of a credit spread...

CreditorAn entity (person or institution) that extends credit by giving another entity permission to borrow money if it is paid back at a later date. Creditors can be classified as either "personal" or "real". Those people who loan money to friends...

Cross CallingA method of redeeming bonds using surplus funds provided from an unrelated bond issue. Cross calling occurs when a lender, which repackages its loans into new securities, uses prepayments from low interest rate loans to repay principal on the...

Cross DefaultA provisions in a bond indenture or loan agreement that puts the borrower in default if the borrower defaults on another obligation. Also known as "cross acceleration".

Crossover RefundingA local government's issuance of new municipal bonds (called refunding bonds) in which the proceeds of the refunding bonds are placed in escrow and used to make debt service payments on the refunding bonds until the call date of the original bonds....

Crowding Out EffectAn economic theory explaining an increase in interest rates due to rising government borrowing in the money market.

Cum CouponA bond status that means the buyer of the bond has the right to receive the current coupon payment on the bond. Cum-coupon bonds require the buyer to pay the seller the accrued interest on the bond, and the buyer is then entitled to the next coupon....

Currency BandA currency system that establishes a trading range that a currency's exchange rate can float between. A currency band represents the price floor and ceiling within which the price of a given currency can trade, and is like a hybrid of a fixed...

Current CouponThe to-be-announced (TBA) mortgage security of any issue for the current delivery month that is trading closest to, but not exceeding par value. TBA mortgage securities with the current coupon are used as a benchmark throughout the industry to price...

Current Coupon BondA bond with a coupon rate that is within 0.5% of the current market rate. Current coupon bonds are typically less volatile than other bonds with lower coupons because the coupon rate is closer to that set by the market.    Watch: Understanding Bonds ...

Current FaceThe current par value of a mortgage-backed security (MBS). Current face is determined by multiplying the current pool factor by the mortgage-backed security's original face value. A mortgage-backed security's current face represents the outstanding...

Current MaturityThe interval between the present date and the maturity date of a bond. The current maturity tells how long the bond has left until it matures, and it is an important metric for determining a bond's valuation. The longer the time until maturity, the...

Current YieldAnnual income (interest or dividends) divided by the current price of the security. This measure looks at the current price of a bond instead of its face value and represents the return an investor would expect if he or she purchased the bond and...

Curve Steepener TradeA strategy that uses derivatives to benefit from escalating yield differences that occur as a result of increases in the yield curve between two Treasury bonds of different maturities. This strategy can be effective in certain...

Cushion BondA type of callable bond that sells at a premium because the issued coupon payments are above market interest rates.

CUSIP NumberAn identification number assigned to all stocks and registered bonds. The Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures (CUSIP) oversees the entire CUSIP system.

Custodial ReceiptA receipt representing a security held by a custodian or transfer agent. As such, it represents ownership of the security by the depositor. A security in custodial receipt form is usually non-transferable.

DBack to top

Daily FactorA decimal representing the portion of an annual yield earned in one day. Daily factors are often reported alongside current annualized yield figures, and can be translated back to the current yield by multiplying the number by 365.  ...

Daily Trading LimitThe maximum gain or loss on a derivative contract, such as options and futures contracts, that is allowed in any one trading session. The limits are imposed by the exchanges in order to protect against extreme volatility or manipulation within the...

Dash To TrashWhen investors flock to a class of securities or other assets, bidding up prices to beyond what can be justified by valuation or other fundamental measures. While the dash-to-trash effect can occur within any type of security, the phrase is...

Dated DateThe date at which interest begins to accrue on a fixed-income security. Investors who purchase a fixed-income security between interest payment dates must also pay the seller or issuer any interest that has accrued from the dated date to the...

Day-Count ConventionA system used to determine the number of days between two coupon dates, which is important in calculating accrued interest and present value when the next coupon payment is less than a full coupon period away. Each bond market has its own day-count...

De Minimis Tax RuleA rule that states that capital gains tax must be paid on a bond if the bond was purchased at a discount to the face value in excess of a quarter point per year between the time of acquisition and maturity. The reason for the capital gains tax is...

Dealer BankA commercial bank authorized to buy and sell government debt securities including federal and municipal bonds. This debt is usually issued to fund large government projects such as road and bridge construction. Dealer banks are registered with the...

Dealer-Median Prepayment SpeedThe median value of all Wall Street securities dealers’ prepayment speed estimates for the underlying mortgages used to form mortgage-backed securities. The prepayment speed estimates used by banks and other regulated financial enterprises to value...

Death BondA security backed by life insurance which is derived by pooling together a number of transferable life insurance policies. Similar to mortgage-backed securities, the life insurance policies are pooled together and then repackaged into bonds to...

Death SpiralA type of loan investors give to a company in exchange for convertible debt, which, like convertible bonds, typically has provisions that allow investors to convert the bonds into stock at below-market prices. This can cause the original...

DebentureA type of debt instrument that is not secured by physical asset or collateral. Debentures are backed

only by the general creditworthiness and reputation of the issuer. Both corporations and governments frequently issue this type of bond in order to...

Debenture Redemption ReserveA provision that was added to the Indian Companies Act of 1956 during an amendment in the year 2000. The provision states that any Indian company that issues debentures must create a debenture redemption service to protect investors against the...

DebtAn amount of money borrowed by one party from another. Many corporations/individuals use debt as a method for making large purchases that they could not afford under normal circumstances. A debt arrangement gives the borrowing party permission to...

Debt CeilingThe maximum amount of monies the United States can borrow. The debt ceiling was created under the Second Liberty Bond Act of 1917, putting a "ceiling" on the amount of bonds the United States can issue. As of the end of July, 2011 the debt ceiling...

Debt Exchangeable for Common Stock (DECS)A debt instrument that provides the holder with coupon payments in addition to an embedded short put option and a long call on the issuing company's stock.

Debt FinancingWhen a firm raises money for working capital or capital expenditures by selling bonds, bills, or notes to individual and/or institutional investors. In return for lending the money, the individuals or institutions become creditors and receive a...

Debt For Bond SwapA debt swap involving the exchange of a new bond issue for similar outstanding debt or vice versa. Debt for bond swap transactions are usually executed to take advantage of an interest rate change and/or for tax write-off purposes.

Debt FundAn investment pool, such as a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund, in which core holdings are fixed income investments. A debt fund may invest in short-term or long-term bonds, securitized products, money market instruments or floating rate...

Debt InstrumentA paper or electronic obligation that enables the issuing party to raise funds by promising to repay a lender in accordance with terms of a contract. Types of debt instruments include notes, bonds, certificates, mortgages, leases or other agreements...

Debt LimitationA bond covenant that limits or restricts any additional debt that may be incurred by the issuer. Debt limitations look to protect the current lenders by maintaining the firm's degree of leverage.

Debt RestructuringA method used by companies with outstanding debt obligations to alter the terms of the debt agreements in order to achieve some advantage.

Debt SecurityAny debt instrument that can be bought or sold between two parties and has basic terms defined, such as notional amount (amount borrowed), interest rate and maturity/renewal date. Debt securities include government bonds, corporate bonds, CDs...

Debt Tender OfferWhen a firm retires all or a portion of its debt securities by making an offer to its debtholders to repurchase a predetermined number of bonds at a specified price and during a set period of time. Firms may use a debt tender offer as a mechanism...

Debt/Equity SwapA refinancing deal in which a debt holder gets an equity position in exchange for cancellation of the debt.

DebtorA company or individual who owes money. If the debt is in the form of a loan from a financial institution, the debtor is referred to as a borrower. If the debt is in the form of securities, such as bonds, the debtor is referred to as an issuer. ...

DecouplingThe occurrence of returns on asset classes diverging from their normal pattern of correlation.

Dedicated PortfolioA passive form of portfolio management that involves the matching of future cash inflows with future liabilities. The process of dedicating a portfolio may be used as an alternative to multiperiod immunization, which reduces the level of interest...

Deep-Discount Bond1. A bond that sells at a significant discount from par value.2. A bond that is selling at a discount from par value and has a coupon rate significantly less than the prevailing rates of fixed-income securities with a similar risk profile.

Default1. The failure to promptly pay interest or principal when due. Default occurs when a debtor is unable to meet the legal obligation of debt repayment. Borrowers may default when they are unable to make the required payment or are unwilling to honor...

Default ModelA type of model used by financial institutions to determine the likelihood of a default on credit obligations by a corporation or sovereign entity. These statistical models often use regression analysis (analyzing changes to certain market variables...

Default PremiumThe additional amount a borrower must pay to compensate the lender for assuming default risk.

Default ProbabilityThe degree of likelihood that the borrower of a loan or debt will not be able to make the necessary scheduled repayments. Should the borrower be unable to pay, they are then said to be in default of the debt, at which point the lenders of the debt...

Default RiskThe event in which companies or individuals will be unable to make the required payments on their debt obligations. Lenders and investors are exposed to default risk in virtually all forms of credit extensions. To mitigate the impact of default...

DefeasanceA provision that voids a bond or loan when the borrower sets aside cash or bonds sufficient enough to service the borrower's debt.Also referred to as "defease."

Defeased SecuritiesSecurities that have been secured by another asset, such as cash or a cash equivalent, by the debt-issuing firm. Firms that have created defeased securities, which are typically bonds, will have sufficient cash set aside for retirement of the debt...

Defensive Investment StrategyA method of portfolio allocation and management aimed at minimizing the risk of losing principal. Defensive investors place a high percentage of their investable assets in bonds, cash equivalents, and stocks that are less volatile than average.

Deferment PeriodThe period after the issue of callable security during which it cannot be called by the issuer.

Deferred EquityA type of security, such as preferred shares or convertible bonds, that can be exchanged in the future at a predetermined price for another type of instrument, such as shares of common stock. These securities are known as deferred equity because of...

Deferred Interest BondA debt instrument that pays no interest until a date specified in the future.

Defined PortfolioAn investment trust that invests in a predefined portfolio of bonds and/or stocks that have been professionally selected by the company. Similar to some classes of mutual funds, these trusts are closed-ended and are not actively managed. The...

Definitive SecuritiesSecurities that are issued in the form of a paper certificate as opposed to book-entry securities which are electronic entries into a computer. Examples of definitive securities include bearer and registered bonds.

DeleverageA company's attempt to decrease its financial leverage. The best way for a company to delever is to immediately pay off any existing debt on its balance sheet. If it is unable to do this, the company will be in significant risk of defaulting. ...

Deleveraged FloaterA fixed-income investment with a floating rate tied to a specific index with less than a one for one payback ratio.

DenominationA classification for the stated or face value of financial instruments, including currency notes and coins, as well as bonds and other fixed-income investments. Denomination may also refer to the base currency in a transaction, or the currency in...

Deposit BrokerAn individual or firm that facilitates the placement of investors' deposits with insured depository institutions. Deposit brokers offer investors an assortment of fixed-term investment products, which earn low-risk returns.

DerivativeA security whose price is dependent upon or derived from one or more underlying assets. The derivative itself is merely a contract between two or more parties. Its value is determined by fluctuations in the underlying asset. The most common...

Detachable WarrantA derivative that is attached to a security and gives the holder the right to purchase an underlying security at a specific price within a certain time frame. A detachable warrant is often combined with various forms of debt offerings and can be...

Digested SecurityA digested security is a financial instrument which an investor has bought and intends to hold for a long period of time. The security is thus effectively taken out of trading. If a large number of investors choose to digest a particular security...

Dilution ProtectionA provision that seeks to protect existing shareholders or investors in a company from a decrease in their ownership position. The dilution protection feature kicks in if the actions of the company will decrease the stakeholders' percentage claim on...

Dim Sum BondA bond denominated in Chinese yuan and issued in Hong Kong. Dim sum bonds are attractive to foreign investors who desire exposure to yuan-denominated assets, but are restricted by China's capital controls from investing in domestic Chinese debt. The...

Dirty PriceA bond pricing quote referring to the price of a coupon bond that includes the present value of all future cash flows, including interest accruing on the next coupon payment. The dirty price is how the bond is quoted in most European markets, and is...

DiscountThe condition of the price of a bond that is lower than par. The discount equals the difference between the price paid for a security and the security's par value.

Discount BondA bond that is issued for less than its par (or face) value, or a bond currently trading for less than its par value in the secondary market.  The "discount" in a discount bond doesn't necessarily mean that investors get a better yield than the...

Discount HousePrimarily operating in the United Kingdom, a firm that buys, sells, discounts and/or negotiates bills of exchange or promissory notes. This is generally performed on a large scale with transactions that also include government bonds and treasury...

Discount Margin (DM)The return earned in addition to the index underlying the floating rate security.

Discount NoteA short-term debt obligation issued at a discount to par. Discount notes are similar to zero-coupon bonds and Treasury bills and are typically issued by government-sponsored agencies or highly rated corporate borrowers. Discount notes do not make...

Discount YieldDiscount yield is a measure of a bond's percentage return. Discount yield is most frequently used to calculate the yield on short-term bonds and treasury bills sold at a discount. This yield calculation uses a 30-day month and 360-day year to...

DiscountingThe process of determining the present value of a payment or a stream of payments that is to be received in the future. Given the time value of money, a dollar is worth more today than it would be worth tomorrow given its capacity to earn interest....

Distressed SecuritiesA financial instrument in a company that is near or is currently going through bankruptcy. This usually results from a company's inability to meet its financial obligations. As a result, these financial instruments have suffered a substantial...

Diversity ScoreA measure, created by Moody's Investors Service, to estimate the diversification in a portfolio, specifically in the context of a collateralized debt obligation (CDO). The calculation methodology for a diversification score takes into account the...

Dollar Bond1. A U.S. denominated bond that trades outside of the United States. Along with the principal, any coupon payments from the bond are paid in U.S. funds.2. A bond with a price that is quoted in dollars, rather than based on its yield to maturity. ...

Dollar Bond Index-Linked Securities (Dollar BILS)A zero-coupon floating rate debt instrument with an interest rate that is determined by the return performance of a specified index over a given time period. The interest rate for dollar BILS is determined at maturity, once the change in the value...

Dollar DrainWhen a country imports more goods and services from another country than it exports back to the same country. The net effect of spending more money importing than is received from exporting causes a net reduction in the importing country's reserves...

Dollar DurationDollar duration measures the dollar change in a bond's value to a change in the market interest rate. The dollar duration is generally used by professional bond fund managers as a way of approximating the portfolio's interest rate risk. Dollar...

Dollar PricePercentage of par, or face value, that a bond is quoted at. The other way bonds are often quoted is in terms of their yield.

Dollar RollA type of repurchase transaction in the mortgage pass-through securities market in which the buy

side trade counterparty of a "to be announced" (TBA) trade agrees to a sell off the same TBA trade in the current month and to a buy back the same trade...

Doomsday CallA call provision added to fixed income securities that allows for early redemption by the issuer if certain conditions are favorable.

Double BarreledA municipal general obligation bond in which the cash flows are pledged by two distinct and different entities. One entity will make interest payments, and the other, the principal payments. These are municipal general obligation (GO) bonds as...

Double ExemptThe status accorded to municipal bonds for which interest is not subject to taxation at either the federal or state level. In general, most states do not tax residents on interest income arising from tax-exempt bonds issued by that state, its...

Doubling OptionA sinking fund provision that gives a bond issuer the right to redeem twice the amount of debt when repurchasing callable bonds. A doubling option allows the issuer to retire additional bonds at the sinking fund's call price.

Dow Jones CDX IndexesA series of indices that track North American and emerging market credit derivative indexes. The purpose of the combined indexes is to track the performance of the various segments of credit derivatives so that the overall return can be benchmarked...

Downstream GuaranteeA guarantee placed on a loan on behalf of the borrowing party by the borrowing party's parent company or stockholder. By guaranteeing the loan for its subsidiary company, the parent company provides assurance to the subsidiary company's lenders that...

Dragon BondA fixed income security issued by a firm in an Asian nation, other than Japan, which is denominated in a foreign currency, usually U.S. dollars. The purpose of a dragon bond is to attract funds from a larger market of foreign investors. A...

DropThe difference in price between the front month and back month in a mortgage-backed security (MBS) dollar roll trade. A dollar roll is a popular type of trade in the MBS pass-through TBA market. According to forward securities pricing theory, the...

Droplock SecurityA security that is issued with a variable or floating interest rate, but that converts to a  fixed-rate security if its reference rate reaches or falls below a predetermined level. The conversion from a floating-rate to a fixed-rate security can be...

Dual Currency BondA debt instrument in which the coupon and principal payments are made in two different currencies. The currency in which the bond is issued, which is called the base currency, will be the currency in which interest payments are made. The principal...

Dual Currency IssueA bond that pays interest in one currency but pays the principal in a different currency. The amount of the principal repayment is set at initiation and paid at maturity. This principal amount usually allows for some appreciation in the exchange...

DumbbellAn investment strategy, used mainly for bonds, where holdings are heavily concentrated in both very short and long term maturities.

DurationA measure of the sensitivity of the price (the value of principal) of a fixed-income investment to a

change in interest rates. Duration is expressed as a number of years. Rising interest rates mean falling bond prices, while declining interest rates...

DwarfA slang term used to describe a pool of mortgage backed securities (MBSs) that have been issued by Fannie Mae and have a maturity of 15 years. 

EBack to top

Early AmortizationA type of credit enhancement used in certain asset backed securities (ABS). Early amortization is an accelerated payment of bond principal in an asset-backed security, usually triggered when there is a sudden increase in delinquencies in the...

EarmarkingFunds (or capital) that are set aside to pay for a specific project or event. In some cases, the term is also synonymous with the word "flagged", or "marked", especially when used in certain congressional settings.

Earning AssetsAn income-producing investment that is owned by a business, institution or individual. Earning assets include stocks, bonds, income from rental property, certificates of deposit (CDs) and other interest or dividend earning accounts or instruments....

Earnings YieldThe earnings per share for the most recent 12-month period divided by the current market price per share. The earnings yield (which is the inverse of the P/E ratio) shows the percentage of each dollar invested in the stock that was earned by the...

Effective DurationA duration calculation for bonds with embedded options. Effective duration takes into account that expected cash flows will fluctuate as interest rates change.

Effective Interest MethodThe practice of accounting for the discount at which a bond is sold as an interest expense to be amortized over the life of the bond. Using this method, additional interest expense is calculated using the prevailing market interest rate at the time...

Effective YieldThe yield of a bond, assuming that you reinvest the coupon (interest payments) once you have received payment.

Egan-Jones Rating Company (EJR)A well-known rating agency that evaluates bonds of all kinds. Egan-Jones Rating Company (EJR) rates corporate debt of all kinds, from high-grade issues to high-yield debt. EJR is funded entirely by investors and not issuers, which prevents possible...

Election PeriodThe period of time during which an investor who owns an extendable or retractable bond must indicate to the issuer whether or not he or she will exercise his or her option.

Embedded OptionAn option that is an inseparable part of another instrument. Compare this to a normal (or bare) option, which trades separately from the underlying security.

Emerging Markets Bond Index (EMBI)A benchmark index for measuring the total return performance of international government bonds issued by emerging market countries that are considered sovereign (issued in something other than local currency) and that meet specific liquidity and...

Empirical DurationThe calculation of a bond's duration based on historical data. Empirical duration is estimated statistically using historical market-based bond prices and historical market-based Treasury yields. When the historical yields change, the historical...

Ending Market Value - EMVThe value of an investment at the end of the investment period. Ending market value (EMV) is calculated by taking the beginning market value and adding the interest earned over the course of the investment. Ending Market Value = Beginning Market...

Equipment Trust CertificateA debt instrument that allows a company to take possession of an asset and pay for it over time. The debt issue is secured by the equipment or physical assets, as the title for the equipment is held in trust for the holders of the issue. When the...

Equity1. A stock or any other security representing an ownership interest. 2. On a company's balance sheet, the amount of the funds contributed by the owners (the stockholders) plus the retained earnings (or losses). Also referred to as "shareholders'...

Equity Commitment Note (ECN)A type of mandatory convertible bond issued by a bank or other lending institution that qualifies as regulated capital. A equity commitment note is redeemed when the sale or issue of securities is made at a future date by the issuing bank or lending...

Equity DerivativeA derivative instrument with underlying assets based on equity securities. An equity derivative's value will fluctuate with changes in its underlying asset's equity, which is usually measured by share price.

Equity Premium Puzzle (EPP)An phenomenon that describes the anomalously higher historical real returns of stocks over government bonds. The equity premium, which is defined as equity returns less bond returns, has been about 6% on average for the past century. It is supposed...

Equity Risk PremiumThe excess return that an individual stock or the overall stock market provides over a risk-free rate. This excess return compensates investors for taking on the relatively higher risk of the equity market. The size of the premium will vary as the...

Equity-Indexed Universal Life InsuranceA permanent life insurance policy that allows policyholders to tie accumulation values to a stock market index. Indexed universal life insurance policies typically contain a minimum guaranteed fixed interest rate component along with the indexed...

Erasure GuaranteeA guarantee made by accredited institutions assuring the legitimacy and accuracy of changes made to bonds and securities.

Escrowed To MaturityThe condition of a bond that has been repaid in advance by means of an escrow account, which holds the funds needed to pay the periodic coupon payments and the principal.

Estimated Long-Term ReturnA unit investment trust's estimated return over the life of the portfolio, calculated according to formulas proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The return is calculated as the annual percentage return based on the yields of all...

Euro ETFAn exchange-traded fund that invests in the euro currency, either directly or through the holding of euro-denominated short-term debt instruments. Euro ETFs are often set up as currency trusts or grantor trusts, meaning that stakeholders have a...

EurobondA bond issued in a currency other than the currency of the country or market in which it is issued.

EuroclearOne of two principal clearing houses for securities traded in the Euromarket. Euroclear specializes

in verifying information supplied by two brokers in a securities transaction and the settlement of securities. Euroclear is market owned and...

EurocreditA type of loan whose denominated currency is not the lending bank's national currency.

Eurodollar BondA U.S.-dollar denominated bond issued by an overseas company and held in a foreign institution outside both the U.S. and the issuer's home nation. Eurodollar bonds are an important source of capital for multinational companies and foreign...

EuromarketThe market that includes all of the European Union member countries - many of which use the same currency, the euro. All tariffs between Euromarket member countries have been abolished, and import duties from all non-member countries have been fixed...

European Callable BondA bond that can be redeemed by the issuer at a predetermined date prior to maturity, such as the last coupon date. European callable bonds behave similarly to a vanilla bond after the call date, with a comparable coupon and time to maturity. These...

Euroyen BondA Eurobond that is denominated in Japanese yen and issued by a non-Japanese company outside of Japan. Despite what the name suggests, Euroyen bonds can be found in bond markets around the world, not just in European markets.

Event Of DefaultAn action or circumstance that causes a lender to demand full repayment of an outstanding balance sooner than it was originally due. In many agreements, the lender will include a contract provision covering events of default to protect itself in...

Event-Linked BondA type of bond whose interest and principal payments are determined based on the non-occurrence of certain events, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, which are outlined in the prospectus of the bond issue. Event-linked bonds helps insurance and...

Evergreen Funding1. A British term that describes a revolving credit arrangement in which the borrower periodically renews the debt financing rather than having the debt reach maturity.2. The gradual infusion of capital into a new or recapitalized enterprise. This...

Ex CouponA bond or preferred stock that does not include the interest payment or dividend when purchased or sold. A bond that is ex coupon is sold or bought with the knowledge that the investor will not receive the next coupon payment from the bond. The lack...

Excess SpreadRemaining net interest payments from the underlying assets of an asset-backed security, after all payables and expenses are covered.

Exchange Traded Notes (ETN)A type of unsecured, unsubordinated debt security that was first issued by Barclays Bank PLC. This type of debt security differs from other types of bonds and notes because ETN returns are based upon the performance of a market index minus...

Exchange Traded Products (ETP)A type of security that is derivatively-priced and which trades intra-day on a national securities exchange. Exchange Traded Products are derivatively-priced, where the value is derived from another investment instruments such as a commodity...

Ex-LegalMunicipal bonds that are delivered without a legal opinion from a bond law firm.

Expansionary PolicyA macroeconomic policy that seeks to expand the money supply to encourage economic growth or

combat inflation (price increases). One form of expansionary policy is fiscal policy, which comes in the form of tax cuts, rebates and increased government...

Expectations TheoryA theory proposing that long-term interest rates can act as a predictor of future short-term interest rates.

Extendable BondA bond issue with a maturity that can be extended to a longer period at the option of the issuer.

Extraordinary RedemptionA provision which gives a bond issuer the right to call the bonds due to a one-time occurrence, as specified in the offering statement. The circumstances could range from natural disasters and cancelled projects to almost anything else. Also known...

FBack to top

Face ValueThe nominal value or dollar value of a security stated by the issuer. For stocks, it is the original cost of the stock shown on the certificate. For bonds, it is the amount paid to the holder at maturity (generally $1,000). Also known as "par value"...

Face-Amount Certificate CompanyA type of investment firm that issues debt securities to its investors. These securities are called face-amount certificates and are backed by security interest on assets such as real property or other securities. This is similar in nature to...

Fairway BondA type of bond that accrues interest if the embedded index or interest-rate option underlying the bond remains within a specified range. The fairway in golf is like the index or interest rate range. The outlook is positive if the ball lands on the...

Fallen Angel1. A bond that was once investment grade but has since been reduced to junk bond status. 2. A stock that has fallen substantially from its all time highs.

Farmer Mac - Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation - (FAMC)A publicly traded, shareholder-owned corporation that was federally chartered by an act of Congress in 1988. Farmer Mac's mission is to establish a secondary market for agricultural real estate and rural housing mortgage loans, as well as to...

FDIC Insured AccountAn account that meets the requirements to be covered or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). An FDIC Insured Account has to be in a bank that is a participant of the FDIC program. The different accounts that can be FDIC...

Federal AgenciesSpecial government organizations set up for a specific purpose such as the management of resources, financial oversight of industries or national security issues. These organizations are typically created by legislative action, but may initially be...

Federally Guaranteed ObligationsA federally guaranteed obligation is debt that is backed by the full power of the United States government. This type of debt is considered risk-free because it is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.

FillThe action of completing or satisfying an order for a security or commodity. It is the basic act in transacting stocks, bonds or any other type of security.

Financial AssetAn asset that derives value because of a contractual claim. Stocks, bonds, bank deposits, and the like are all examples of financial assets.

Financial GuaranteeAn non-cancellable indemnity bond that is backed by an insurer in order to guarantee investors that principal and interest payments will be made. Many insurance companies specialize in financial guarantees and similar products that are used by debt...

Financial MarketBroad term describing any marketplace where buyers and sellers participate in the trade of assets such as equities, bonds, currencies and derivatives. Financial markets are typically defined by having transparent pricing, basic regulations on...

Fine PaperHigh-quality securities that are assumed to be risk free, or commercial paper that is issued by solid blue-chip companies that have minimal risk of default. Fine paper will trade at a small spread over government issued fixed-income securities to...

Finite ReinsuranceA type of reinsurance that transfers over only a finite or limited amount of risk. Risk is reduced through accounting or financial methods, along with the actual transfer of economic risk. By transferring less risk to the reinsurer, the insurer...

Fiscal AgentAn organization, such as a bank or trust company, that takes responsibility for the fiscal duties of an unrelated party.

Fitch RatingsAn international credit rating agency based out of New York City and London. The company's ratings are used as a guide to investors as to which investments are most likely going to yield a return. It is based on factors such as how small an economic...

Five Against Bond Spread (FAB)A spread in the futures markets created by taking offsetting positions in futures contracts for five-year treasury bonds and long-term (15-30 year) treasury bonds.

Five Against Note Spread (FAN)A spread in the futures markets created by taking offsetting positions in futures contracts for five-year treasury notes and ten-year treasury bonds.

Fixed AnnuityAn insurance contract in which the insurance company makes fixed dollar payments to the annuitant for the term of the contract, usually until the annuitant dies. The insurance company guarantees both earnings and principal.

Fixed DebentureA note that carries a fixed (as opposed to floating) charge against the issuer’s property or assets for repayment. The charge will remain on the company’s records until the debenture is repaid. Corporations can issue fixed debentures to finance...

Fixed IncomeA type of investing or budgeting style for which real return rates or periodic income is received at regular intervals at reasonably predictable levels. Fixed-income budgeters and investors are often one and the same - typically retired individuals...

Fixed Income Clearing Corporation - FICCAn agency that deals with the confirmation, settlement and delivery of fixed-income assets in the U.S. The agency ensures the systematic and efficient settlement of  U.S. Government securities and mortgage-backed security transactions in the market. ...

Fixed Interest RateA loan or mortgage with an interest rate that will remain at a predetermined rate for the entire term of the loan. Also known as a "fixed-rate mortgage".

Fixed TermDescribes an investment vehicle, usually some kind of debt instrument, that has a fixed time period

of investment. With a fixed-term investment, the investor parts with his or her money for a specified period of time and is repaid his or her...

Fixed-Income ArbitrageAn investment strategy that attempts to profit from arbitrage opportunities in interest rate securities. When using a fixed-income arbitrage strategy, the investor assumes opposing positions in the market to take advantage of small...

Fixed-Income SecurityAn investment that provides a return in the form of fixed periodic payments and the eventual return of principal at maturity. Unlike a variable-income security, where payments change based on some underlying measure such as short-term interest...

Fixed-Income Style BoxCreated by Morningstar, a fixed-income style box is designed to visually represent the investment characteristics of bonds and bond mutual funds. This is a valuable tool for investors to use to determine the risk-return structures of their bonds/...

Fixed-Interest SecurityA debt instrument such as a bond, debenture or gilt-edged bond that investors use to loan money to a company in exchange for interest payments. A fixed-interest security pays a specified rate of interest that does not change over the life of the...

Fixed-Rate Capital SecuritiesA security issued by a corporation that has a $25 par value (although some are issued with a $1,000 par value) and offers investors a combination of the features of corporate bonds and preferred stock. These securities provide the benefits of...

Flat1. A price that is neither rising nor declining.2. In forex, the condition of being neither long nor short in a particular currency. Also referred to as 'being square'.3. A bond that is trading without accrued interest. ...

Flat BondA debt instrument that is sold or traded without accrued interest, the fraction of the bond's coupon payment that the holder earns between periods of bond payments. There are three possible reasons that a bond would not have any accrued interest: No...

Flat Yield CurveA yield curve in which there is little difference between short-term and long-term rates for bonds of the same credit quality. This type of yield curve is often seen during transitions between normal and inverted curves.

Flip-Flop NoteA type of fixed-income security that allows its holder to choose a payment stream from two different sources of debt. Flip-flop notes provide investors with two options of return, allowing them to choose the underlying debt with the higher yield for...

FloaterA bond or other type of debt whose coupon rate changes with market conditions (short-term interest rates). Also known as "floating-rate debt".

Floating Interest RateAn interest rate that is allowed to move up and down with the rest of the market or along with an index. This contrasts with a fixed interest rate, in which the interest rate of a debt obligation stays constant for the duration of the agreement.A...

Floating LienA legal claim placed on a set of assets rather than on a single asset. A floating lien is used when the smaller components of the general asset can change over time, such as in the case of the outstanding balances in a company's accounts receivable....

Floating-Rate Note (FRN)A note with a variable interest rate. The adjustments to the interest rate are usually made every six months and are tied to a certain money-market index.Also known as a "floater".

Flower BondFixed income products that were originally purchased by investors at a discount for the purpose of paying federal estate taxes upon their maturity.

ForbearanceA postponement of loan payments, granted by a lender or creditor, for a temporary period of time. This is done to give the borrower time to make up for overdue payments.

Force MajeureA French term literally translated as "greater force", this clause is included in contracts to remove liability for natural and unavoidable catastrophes that interrupt the expected course of events and restrict participants from fulfilling...

Forced ConversionThe occurrence of an issuer of a convertible security exercising the right to call the issue, forcing investors to convert their securities into the predetermined number of shares.

Foreign BondA bond that is issued in a domestic market by a foreign entity, in the domestic market's currency.

Foreign Currency Convertible Bond (FCCB)A type of convertible bond issued in a currency different than the issuer's domestic currency. In other words, the money being raised by the issuing company is in the form of a foreign currency. A convertible bond is a mix between a debt and equity...

Foreign Currency Fixed Deposit (FCFD)A fixed investment instrument in which a specific sum of money with an agreed upon time and interest rate is deposited into a bank. Although fixed deposits have virtually no risk, foreign currency fixed deposits introduce an element of risk because...

ForfaitingThe purchasing of an exporter's receivables (the amount importers owe the exporter) at a discount by paying cash. The forfaiter, the purchaser of the receivables, becomes the entity to whom the importer is obliged to pay its debt.

Freedom SharesOriginal issue discount bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury from May of 1967 to October of 1970. Freedom shares had a final maturity of 30 years from their issue date and were originally offered in combination with Series E bonds to promote public...

Full Faith And CreditA phrase used to describe the unconditional guarantee or commitment by one entity to back the interest and principal of another entity's debt. This full faith and credit commitment is typically employed by a government to help lower the borrowing...

Fully Convertible Debenture (FCD)A type of debt security where the whole value of the debenture is convertible into equity shares at the issuer's notice. The ratio of conversion is decided by the issuer when the debenture is issued. Upon conversion, the investors enjoy the same...

Fully Diluted SharesThe total number of shares that would be outstanding if all possible sources of conversion, such as convertible bonds and stock options, were exercised. Companies often release specific financial figures in terms of fully diluted shares outstanding...

Fully Taxable Equivalent YieldThe yield on a municipal bond, when the effect of reduced taxes are taken into account. The fully taxable equivalent yield shows what yield a fully taxable bond would have to give, in order to be equivalent to a tax free municipal bond. The yield is...

Fund FlowThe net of all cash inflows and outflows in and out of various financial assets. Fund flow is usually measured on a monthly or quarterly basis. The performance of an asset or fund is not taken into account, only share redemptions (outflows) and...

Funded DebtA company's debt, such as bonds, long-term notes payables or debentures that will mature in more than one year or one business cycle. This type of debt is classified as funded debt because it is funded by interest payments made by the borrowing firm...

Funding AgreementIlliquid insurance contracts that provide guaranteed principal repayment and interest payments for a predetermined period of time.

Funding OperationsThe process a government uses to swap out floating stock or short-term bonds for long-term bonds. Because floating stock does not guarantee payout or a fixed rate of interest, swapping it for funded debt (long-term bonds that carry a fixed rate of...

FungiblesGoods, securities or instruments that are equivalent and, therefore, interchangeable. In other words, they are goods that consist of many identical parts which can be easily replaced by other, identical goods. If the goods are sold by weight or...

Future Capital MaintenanceA term used to account for future expenses that a company expects to incur in order to maintain its fixed assets. This includes the funds necessary to renew, repair or replace an asset in order for it to continue to function as needed. ...

GBack to top

G7 BondA term used to refer to government bonds issued by a nation in the Group of Seven (G7). A G7 bond is considered relatively less risky than bonds issued by nations outside the G7. The G7 nations are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United...

General Obligation Bond (GO)A municipal bond backed by the credit and "taxing power" of the issuing jurisdiction rather than the revenue from a given project.

Gen-SakiA secondary market in Japan, also known as a repo market for its similarity to repurchase agreements. It is a medium for government bonds, in the Japanese market only, to be reissued and resold at the new rate. Gen-Saki is available to both...

Gilt FundA mutual fund that invests in several different types of medium and long-term government securities in addition to top quality corporate debt. Gilts originated in Britain.

Gilt-Edged BondA bond that is issued by a blue chip company. These bonds are considered to be high grade, with little risk of interest payment interruption or default.

Gilt-Edged SecuritiesHigh-grade bonds that are issued by a government or firm. This type of security originally boasted gilded edges, thus the name. In the case of a firm, a gilt-edged security is a stock or bond issued by a company that has a strong record of...

Gilt-Edged SwitchingThe selling and repurchasing of certain high-grade stocks or bonds to capture profits. Gilt-edged switching involves gilt-edged security, which can be high-grade stock or bond issued by a financially stable company such as the Blue Chip companies or...

GiltsRisk-free bonds issued by the British government. They are the equivalent of U.S. Treasury securities.

Glide PathRefers to a formula that defines the asset allocation mix of a target date fund, based on the number of years to the target date. The glide path creates an asset allocation that becomes more conservative (i.e., includes more fixed-income assets and...

Gnomes15-year, fixed-rate, pass-through securities offered by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or Freddie Mac's, cash program. The securities offered under this program have a maturity of 15 years. A pass-through security pools debt obligations...

Go-AroundA strategy used by the Federal Reserve to receive the highest return on securities. The Federal Reserve solicits bids/offers from the primary dealers to receive the best deal whether it be for buying, selling, reversals or repurchase agreements. ...

Gold FundA mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that invests primarily in gold-producing companies or gold bullion. The price of shares within a gold fund should correlate very closely to the spot price of gold itself, assuming the fund holds the...

Government BondA debt security issued by a government to support government spending, most often issued in the country's domestic currency. Government debt is money owed by any level of government and is backed by the full faith of the government. Federal...

Government PaperDebt securities that are issued or guaranteed by a sovereign government. Government paper of a nation is usually perceived as the least risky debt securities in that country, and will offer investors the lowest yields compared with debt of a similar...

Government Securities Clearing Corporation (GSCC)A division of the U.S. Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (FICC). The GSCC was first established in 1986 to provide clearing and settlement of U.S. government securities. The GSCC handles both new issues and reselling of government securities. ...

Government SecurityA government debt obligation (local or national) backed by the credit and taxing power of a country with very little risk of default.

Grandfathered BondA classification for bonds in the European Union that excludes the payments made on these bonds from retention taxes. For a bond to fall into this classification it has to have been issued before March 1, 2001, or had its prospectus certified before...

Green BondA tax-exempt bond which is issued by federally qualified organizations and/or municipalities for the development of brownfield sites. Brownfield sites are areas of land that are under utilized, have abandoned buildings, or are under developed. They...

Gross InterestThe annual rate of interest to be paid on an investment, security or deposit account before taxes or other charges are deducted. Gross interest is the interest bondholders receive from their investment, which will be subject to further taxes. This...

Gross Revenue PledgeA stipulation in a municipal bond indenture that requires the issuer (the municipality selling the bonds to fund a given development project) first to use revenues to pay down the issue's debt-servicing costs, delegating operating costs as second...

Growth And Income FundA mutual fund or ETF that has a dual strategy of capital appreciation (growth) and current income generation through dividends or interest payments. A growth and income fund may invest only in equities or in a combination of stocks, bonds, REITS and...

Guarantee FeesFees charged by mortgage-backed securities (MBS) providers, such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, to lenders for bundling, servicing, selling and reporting MBS to investors. The main component of the guarantee fee is charged to protect against...

Guaranteed BondA type of bond in which the interest and principal on the bond are guaranteed to be paid by a firm other than the issuer of the bond.

Guaranteed Income Bond - GIBA guaranteed income bond (GIB) is an investment tool that provides income in the form of interest over a specified time period, usually between 6 months and 10 years. These bonds are issued by life insurance companies in the United Kingdom and are...

Guaranteed Mortgage Certificate (GMC)A bond backed by a pool of mortgages. These bonds are issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). These bonds pay out both interest and principal on a semiannual basis.

HBack to top

Halted IssueA planned security offering that does not go forward as planned. A halted issue can relate to an initial public offering (IPO) that will no longer occur, or to a bond issue that has been canceled, along with any other form of security offering that...

Hamburg Stock Exchange (HAM) .HThis now-defunct exchange was located in Hamburg, Germany. It traded stocks, bonds and other securities and was a financial pillar of the city. It offered investment plans such as FONDS-X that impacted both open and closed-end funds.

Hard Call ProtectionThe period in the life of a callable bond in which the issuing company is not permitted to redeem the bond.

Hard LoanA foreign loan that must be paid in the currency of a nation that has stability and a reputation abroad for economic strength (a hard currency).

Harmless WarrantA warrant that requires the holder to surrender a similar bond when purchasing a new fixed-income instrument. For the warrant to be exercisable, the two bonds must have similar terms, such as maturity, yield and principal.Also known as a "wedding...

Held To Maturity SecurityAccounting standards necessitate that companies classify any investments in debt or equity securities when they are purchased. The investments can be classified as held to maturity, held for trading or available for sale. A held to maturity security...

Held-For-Trading SecurityDebt and equity investments that are purchased with the intent of selling them within a short period of time (usually less than one year). Accounting standards necessitate that companies classify any investments in debt or equity securities when...

Held-to-Maturity SecuritiesDebt securities that a firm has the ability and intent to hold until maturity.

HeteroskedasticityIn statistics, when the standard deviations of a variable, monitored over a specific amount of time,

are non-constant. Heteroskedasticity often arises in two forms, conditional and unconditional. Conditional heteroskedasticity identifies...

Highly Leveraged Transaction (HLT)A bank loan to a highly leveraged company. HLTs can be thought of as similar to junk bonds as they both face default risk, but HLTs are more secure and have stronger debt covenants due to their structure.HLT guidelines are set out by the U.S. Office...

High-Yield BondA high paying bond with a lower credit rating than investment-grade corporate bonds, Treasury bonds and municipal bonds. Because of the higher risk of default, these bonds pay a higher yield than investment grade bonds.Based on the two main credit...

High-Yield Bond SpreadThe percentage difference in current yields of various classes of high-yield bonds (often junk bonds) compared against investment-grade corporate bonds, Treasury bonds or another benchmark bond measure. Spreads are often expressed as a difference in...

Home MortgageA loan given by a bank, mortgage company or other financial institution for the purchase of a primary or investment residence. In a home mortgage, the owner of the property (the borrower) transfers the title to the lender on the condition that the...

Honesty BondA bond posted by an organization or professional insuring the honesty and integrity of the bond issuer and/or its employees. An honesty bond insures the policy holder against theft, fraud and other dishonest acts by employees.  Also known as a...

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx)A publicly-traded holding company created in 2000 through the merger of The Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Hong Kong Futures Exchange and the Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company. The merger was designed to increase China's competitiveness in the...

Hong Kong Interbank Offer Rate (HIBOR)An interest rate stated in Hong Kong dollars on the lending and borrowing between banks in the Hong Kong interbank market. The terms of the deposits vary from overnight to one year. The U.K. version, the London Interbank Offer Rate (LIBOR), is...

Hospital Revenue BondA type of municipal bond to support the construction of new hospitals or new equipment and upgrades for existing hospitals. The revenue created by the hospitals is then used to pay back bondholders. Generally, bondholders are paid only after the...

Hotelling's TheoryThis theory proposes that owners of non-renewable resources will only produce a supply of their product if it will yield more than instruments available to them in the markets - specifically bonds and other interest-bearing securities. This theory...

Housing And Economic Recovery Act (HERA)This act was created to address the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) allowed the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to guarantee up to $300 billion in new 30-year fixed rate mortgages for subprime...

Housing Authority BondsA short-term or long-term bond issued by state or local governments to help finance the construction or rehabilitation of affordable rental housing. Under certain programs, the proceeds from Housing Authority bonds may also be used to help...

Housing BondsDebt securities issued by state or local governments to raise money for affordable housing development. Housing bonds sometimes require voter approval and are repaid out of the government's general tax fund or from an increase in the sales tax rate...

Housing Policy Council (HPC)A subsidiary of the Financial Services Roundtable, formed in 2003, in recognition of the fact that many roundtable members are directly involved in providing mortgage credit to American consumers. The Housing Policy Council (HPC) is a strong...

Humped Yield CurveA relatively rare type of yield curve that results when the interest rates on medium-term fixed income securities are higher than the rates of both long and short-term instruments. Humped yield curves are also known as bell-shaped curves.

Hybrid FundA category of mutual fund that is characterized by portfolio that is made up of a mix of stocks and bonds, which can vary proportionally over time or remain fixed. Morningstar separates hybrid funds into domestic hybrid and international hybrid...

Hybrid SecurityA security that combines two or more different financial instruments. Hybrid securities generally combine both debt and equity characteristics. The most common example is a convertible bond that has features of an ordinary bond, but is heavily...

HypothecationWhen a person pledges a mortgage as collateral for a loan, it refers to the right that a banker has to liquidate goods if you fail to service a loan.  The term also applies to securities in a margin account used as collateral for money loaned from a...

IBack to top

If-Converted MethodA method used to calculate the share impact of convertible securities if they were converted into new shares. Only in-the-money convertible securities (securities where the stock price is above the exercise price) are considered in the...

IlliquidThe state of a security or other asset that cannot easily be sold or exchanged for cash without a substantial loss in value. Illiquid assets also cannot be sold quickly because of a lack of ready and willing investors or speculators to purchase the...

Immediate Payment AnnuityAn annuity contract that is purchased with one payment and has a specified payment plan which starts immediately.

ImmunizationA strategy that matches the durations of assets and liabilities thereby minimizing the impact of interest rates on the net worth. Also known as "multiperiod immunization".

Implementation LagThe time lag between when a macroeconomic shock or other adverse condition is recognized by central banks and the government, and when a corrective action is put into place. The response lag may be short or long, depending on whether policy makers...

Implied Repo RateThe rate of return that can be earned by simultaneously selling a bond futures or forward contract and then buying an actual bond of equal amount in the cash market using borrowed money. The bond is held until it is delivered into the futures or...

Imputed InterestA term used to describe interest that is considered to be paid, even through no interest payment has been made.

Inactive Bond CrowdA group of exchange members who buys and sells bonds, that are infrequently traded. Limit orders placed by the inactive bond crowd, may take a longer period of time to fill, due to the absence of frequent trading.The opposite of inactive bond crowd...

Inbound Cash FlowAny currency that a company or individual receives through conducting a transaction with another party. Inbound cash flow can include sales revenue generated through business operations, refunds received from suppliers, financing transactions...

Incipient DefaultWhen a borrower appears to be heading toward defaulting on its debt. An incipient default is the foreshadowing of a person or company's inability to service a debt obligation.

Income AnnuityAnnuities designed to start paying income as soon as the policy is initiated. The income annuity is annuitized immediately, although the underlying income units may be in either fixed or variable investments. As such, the income payments may...

Income BondA type of debt security in which only the face value of the bond is promised to be paid to the investor, with any coupon payments being paid only if the issuing company has enough earnings to pay for the coupon payment.

Income FundA type of mutual fund that emphasizes current income, either on a monthly or quarterly basis, as opposed to capital appreciation. Such funds hold a variety of government, municipal and corporate debt obligations, preferred stock, money market...

Income Participating Security (IPS)A security that comprises a common share and a high-yield bond packaged together to distribute an issuer's cash flow to investors in a tax-efficient manner. An income participating security generally trades on an exchange, and its two components can...

Income RiskThe risk that the income stream paid by a fund will decrease in response to a drop in interest rates. This risk is most prevalent in money market and other short-term income fund strategies, rather than longer term strategies that lock in interest...

IndentureA contract between an issuer of bonds and the bondholder stating the time period before repayment, amount of interest paid, if the bond is convertible (and if so, at what price or what ratio), if the bond is callable and the amount of money that is...

Index Amortizing Note (IAN)A type of structured note whose payment schedule is determined by the behavior of interest rates.

Indexed Certificate Of Deposit (Indexed CD)A savings certificate entitling the bearer to receive an interest rate that is indexed to inflation. The indexed certificate of deposit (indexed CD) yields a rate of return that is linked to a stock market index, such as the S&P 500 or the NASDAQ...

Index-Linked BondA bond in which payment of income on the principal is related to a specific price index - often the Consumer Price Index. This feature provides protection to investors by shielding them from changes in the underlying index. The bond's cash flows are...

Industrial Development Revenue Bonds (IDRBs)Municipal debt securities issued by a government agency on behalf of a private sector company and intended to build or acquire factories or other heavy equipment and tools.

Inflation DerivativesA subclass of derivative that is used by individuals to mitigate the effects of potentially large levels of inflation. The most common type of inflation derivatives are swaps, in which a counterparty's cash flows are linked to a price index and the...

Inflation-Indexed SecurityA security that guarantees a return higher than the rate of inflation if it is held to maturity.

Inflation-Linked Certificates of DepositFederally insured debt securities that are similar to regular certificates of deposit (CDs), but provide investors with inflationary protection via annually variable interest rates that increase or decrease with changes in the consumer price index...

Inflation-Linked Savings Bonds (I Bonds)U.S. government-issued debt securities similar to regular savings bonds, except they offer an investor inflationary protection, as their yields are tied to the inflation rate.

Inflation-Protected Security (IPS)A type of fixed-income investment that guarantees a real rate of return. The real rate of return is the nominal return, less the inflation rate, thus protecting investors from inflation.

Installment DebtDebt issued with the condition of regularly occurring intervals for payment by the debtor, until the principal and interest are paid in full.

Instrument1) A tradeable asset or negotiable item such as a security, commodity, derivative or index, or any item that underlies a derivative. An instrument is a means by which something of value is transferred, held or accomplished. 2) An economic...

Insurance BondAn investment instrument that is offered by life insurance companies. The investment is provided in the form of a single premium life insurance policy. These bonds are often used as investments in the U.K. and other countries. Also known as an...

Insured BondA bond with interest and principle payments insured by a third party. Insured bonds are usually found as a feature of municipal bonds; they are purchased, underwritten and repackaged by a financial guarantee company who then sells the issue to...

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)A cooperative development bank founded in 1959 to accelerate the economic and social development of its Latin American and Caribbean member countries. The Inter-American Development Bank is owned by a total of 47 member countries including the...

Intercorporate InvestmentSecurities that are purchased by corporations rather than individual investors. Intercorporate investments allow a company to achieve higher growth rates compared to keeping all of its funds in cash. These investments can also be used for strategic...

Interest1. The charge for the privilege of borrowing money, typically expressed as an annual percentage rate. 2. The amount of ownership a stockholder has in a company, usually expressed as a percentage. Interest is commonly calculated using one of two...

Interest Only (IO) StripsThe interest portion of mortgage, Treasury or bond payments, which is separated and sold individually from the principal portion of those same payments. The periodic payments of several bonds can be "stripped" to form synthetic zero-coupon...

Interest RateThe amount charged, expressed as a percentage of principal, by a lender to a borrower for the use of assets. Interest rates are typically noted on an annual basis, known as the annual percentage rate (APR). The assets borrowed could include, cash...

Interest Rate Call OptionAn interest rate derivative in which the holder has the right to receive an interest payment based on a variable interest rate, and then subsequently pays an interest payment based on a fixed interest rate. If the option is exercised, the investor...

Interest Rate CollarAn investment strategy that uses derivatives to hedge an investor's exposure to interest rate

fluctuations. The investor purchases an interest rate ceiling for a premium, which is offset by selling an interest rate floor. This strategy protects the...

Interest Rate FutureA futures contract with an underlying instrument that pays interest. An interest rate future is a contract between the buyer and seller agreeing to the future delivery of any interest-bearing asset. The interest rate future allows the buyer and...

Interest Rate RiskThe risk that an investment's value will change due to a change in the absolute level of interest rates, in the spread between two rates, in the shape of the yield curve or in any other interest rate relationship. Such changes usually affect...

Interest Rate SensitivityA measure of how much the price of a fixed-income asset will fluctuate as a result of changes in the interest rate environment. Securities that are more sensitive will have greater price fluctuations than those with less sensitivity. This type of...

Interest-On-InterestThe interest that is earned upon the re-investment of interest payments. Interest-on-interest is primarily used in the context of coupon paying bonds, where all coupon payments are assumed to be re-invested at some interest rate and held until the...

Intermarket AnalysisThe analysis of more than one related asset class or financial market to determine the strength or weakness of the financial markets or asset classes being considered. Instead of looking at financial markets or asset classes on an individual...

Intermarket Sector SpreadThe yield spread between two fixed-income securities in different sectors with the same maturity.

Intermarket Spread SwapA swap transaction meant to capitalize on a yield discrepancy between bond market sectors.

Intermediate/Medium-Term DebtA type of fixed income security with a maturity, or date of principle repayment, that is set to occur in the next 3-10 years. Bonds and other fixed income products tend to be classified by maturity date, as it is the most important variable in the...

International Bank Of Reconstruction And Development (IBRD)A component of the United Nation's World Bank Group that was established in 1945 with the original mandate of providing funding towards the post-World War II rebuilding efforts. In the modern era, the IBRD's main objective is to provide loans and...

International BondDebt investments that are issued in a country by a non-domestic entity. International bonds are issued in countries outside of the United States, in their native country's currency. They pay interest at specific intervals, and pay the principal...

InternoteCorporate debt securities that are designed to allow ease of purchase by individual investors. Internotes reflect the issued debt of the underlying entity which allows retail investors to gain access to bank, corporate or government bonds....

Interpolated Yield Curve (I Curve)A yield curve derived by using on-the-run treasuries. Because on-the-run treasuries are limited to specific maturities, the yield of maturities that lies between the on-the-run treasuries must be interpolated. This can be accomplished by a number of...

InterpolationA method of estimating an unknown price or yield of a security. This is achieved by using other related known values that are located in sequence with the unknown value.

Interpretive LetterA letter issued by banking regulators that interprets the banking law for a specific issue or party.

Interpretive letters become effective immediately upon issuance. These letters are similar to IRS letter rulings that interpret the application of...

Intramarket Sector SpreadThe yield spread between two fixed-income securities with the same maturity within the same sector.

Inverse FloaterA bond or other type of debt whose coupon rate has an inverse relationship to a benchmark rate. An inverse floater adjusts its coupon payment as the interest rate changes. When the interest rate goes up the coupon payment rate will go down because...

Inverted SpreadA situation in which the yield difference between a longer term financial instrument and a shorter term instrument is negative. This is calculated by subtracting the longer term by the shorter term. In effect, the shorter term instrument is yielding...

Inverted Yield CurveAn interest rate environment in which long-term debt instruments have a lower yield than short-term debt instruments of the same credit quality. This type of yield curve is the rarest of the three main curve types and is considered to be a predictor...

Investment GradeA rating that indicates that a municipal or corporate bond has a relatively low risk of default. Bond rating firms, such as Standard & Poor's, use different designations consisting of upper- and lower-case letters 'A' and 'B' to identify a...

Investment IdeasSpecific views, plans or ideas on ways to invest money effectively. Investment ideas typically involve the expertise and advice of an investment advisor who recommends different investment tools based on individual circumstances. ...

Investment PyramidA portfolio strategy that allocates assets according to the relative safety and soundness of investments. The bottom of the pyramid is comprised of low-risk investments, the mid-portion is composed of growth investments and the top is speculative...

Investment StyleThe overarching strategy or theory used by either a retail investor or an institutional money manager to set asset allocation and choose individual securities for investment. The investment style of a fund helps set expectations for long-term...

Investment VehicleA product used by investors with the intention of having positive returns. Investment vehicles can be low-risk, such as certificates of deposit (CDs) or bonds, or can carry a greater degree of risk such as with stocks, options and futures. Other...

Irish Stock Exchange (ISE)A stock exchange located in Ireland. The Irish Stock Exchange (ISE) has existed since 1793 and was first recognized by legislation in 1799, following the Irish Parliament's passing of the Stock Exchange (Dublin) Act. The Irish Stock Exchange merged...

Irredeemable Convertible Unsecured Loan Stock (ICULS)A type of security that can be used to purchase underlying common shares. It is similar to a warrant except that it is subject to the conversion ratio. In essence, an ICULS provides the benefits of a bond until it is converted to an equity.  ...

Issue1. The process of offering securities as an attempt to raise funds. Companies may issue bonds or shares to investors as a method of financing the business. 2. A series of stocks or bonds that have been offered to the public. A bond or stock issue...

IssuerA legal entity that develops, registers and sells securities for the purpose of financing its

operations. Issuers may be domestic or foreign governments, corporations or investment trusts. Issuers are legally responsible for the obligations of the...

JBack to top

Japanese Government Bond (JGB)A bond issued by the government of Japan. The government pays interest on the bond until the maturity date. At the maturity date, the full price of the bond is returned to the bondholder. Japanese government bonds play a key role in the financial...

Joint And Survivor AnnuityAn insurance product that continues regular payments as long as one of the annuitants is alive. A joint and survivor annuity must have two or more annuitants, and is often purchased by married couples who want to guarantee that a surviving spouse...

Joint BondA bond that is guaranteed by a party other than the issuer. Also called a "joint-and-several bond."

Jumbo CDA certificate of deposit (CD) with a minimum denomination of $100,000. Jumbo CDs have higher denominations than regular certificate of deposits, and allow investors to deposit a certain amount of money and receive interest. These investments are...

Jumbo PoolA pass-through Ginnie Mae II mortgage-backed security that is collateralized by multiple-issuer pools. These pools combine loans with similar characteristics and are generally larger than single-issuer pools. The mortgages contained in jumbo pools...

Junior IssueGenerally speaking, any issue that ranks lower in claim to another issue in terms of dividends, interest, principal, etc.

Junk BondA bond rated 'BB' or lower because of its high default risk. Also known as a "high-yield bond" or "speculative bond".

KBack to top

Kangaroo BondA type of foreign bond that is issued in the Australian market by non-Australian firms and is denominated in Australian currency. The bond is subject to Australian laws and regulations.Also known as a "matilda bond."

Keepwell AgreementA contract between a parent company and its subsidiary to maintain solvency and financial backing throughout the term set in the agreement.

Keogh PlanA tax deferred pension plan available to self-employed individuals or unincorporated businesses for retirement purposes. A Keogh plan can be set up as either a defined-benefit or defined-contribution plan, although most plans are defined...

Key Rate DurationHolding all other maturities constant, this measures the sensitivity of a security or the value of a portfolio to a 1% change in yield for a given maturity.The calculation is as follows:Where:P- = Security's price after a 1% decrease in yield P+ =...

Kicker1. A right, exercisable warrant, or other feature that is added to a debt instrument to make it more desirable to potential investors by giving the debt holder the potential option to purchase shares in the issuer. The kicker may or may not actually...

Kiddie TaxA special tax law created in 1986 imposed on individuals under 17 years old whose earned income is more than an annually determined threshold. Any extra income earned above of the threshold is taxed at the guardian's rate. ...

Kiwi BondRetail stock offered directly to the public and available only to New Zealand residents. Application forms and investment statements are available from the new Zealand Debt Management Office (NZDMO) Registry, as well as some registered banks, NZX...

Korea Stock Exchange (KSC) .KSThe Stock Market Division of Korea Exchange, formerly an independent South Korean exchange, was established in 1956. Some of its milestones include the launching of the Stock Index Futures Market in 1996 and the Stock Index Options Market in 1997...

Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLS) .KLThe former name for what became the Bursa Malaysia in 2004, the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange was established in 1976. Its precursors were the Singapore Stockbrokers' Association, which was established in 1930 and went through several name changes...

LBack to top

Lehman Aggregate Bond IndexAn index used by bond funds as a benchmark to measure their relative performance. The index includes government securities, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and corporate securities to simulate the universe of bonds in the market....

Lehman Brothers Asset-Backed Securities IndexA fixed-income index that focuses on asset-backed securities. The Lehman Brothers Asset-Backed Securities Index serves as the performance benchmark for many ABS funds. The index includes pass-through, controlled-amortization and bullet-structured...

Lehman Brothers Government/Corporate Bond IndexAn unmanaged market-weighted index, comprised of government and investment grade corporate debt instruments with maturities of one year or greater. The Lehman Brothers Government/Corporate Bond Index is a total return benchmark index for many bond...

Lehman Brothers Mortgage-Backed Securities IndexAn index made up of mortgage-backed securities that is used for benchmarking purposes. The Lehman Brothers MBS Index consists of fixed-rate securities, such as mortgage pools created by the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), Federal...

Lehman Investment Opportunity Note (LION)A type of zero-coupon Treasury bond issued by the U.S. government through Lehman Brothers. Lehman Investment Opportunity Notes (LIONs), were created as a new breed of security that separated principal and interest and were issued at a discount....

Letter Of CreditA letter from a bank guaranteeing that a buyer's payment to a seller will be received on time and for the correct amount. In the event that the buyer is unable to make payment on the purchase, the bank will be required to cover the full or remaining...

Level 1 AssetsAssets that have readily observable prices, and therefore a reliable fair market value. Level 1 assets include listed stocks, bonds, funds, or any assets that have a regular “mark to market” mechanism for pricing. Publicly traded companies must...

Level 2 AssetsAssets that do not have regular market pricing, but whose fair value can be readily determined based on other data values or market prices. Sometimes called “mark to model” assets, Level 2 asset values can be closely approximated using simple models...

Leveraged Buyout (LBO)The acquisition of another company using a significant amount of borrowed money (bonds or loans) to meet the cost of acquisition. Often, the assets of the company being acquired are used as collateral for the loans in addition to the assets of...

Lewis RanieriFormer bond trader and former vice chairman of Salomon Brothers who is credited with introducing securitization to the financial world. Initially, mortgage-backed securities (MBS) were only acknowledged by a handful of states as legitimate...

Liberty BondA type of bond issued by the U.S. government during World War I. Liberty bonds were introduced as a means of financing the war effort in Europe. Bonds that were sold under the same name were reissued after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks...

LIBOR CurveA graphical representation of various maturities of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is the short-term floating rate at which large banks with high credit ratings lend to each other. The LIBOR curve is usually depicted for short-term...

Limited Recourse DebtA debt in which the creditor has limited claims on the loan in the event of default. Limited recourse debt sits in between secured bonds and unsecured bonds in terms of the backing behind the loan. Often a limited recourse debt contract is...

Liquid AssetAn asset that can be converted into cash quickly and with minimal impact to the price received. Liquid assets are generally regarded in the same light as cash because their prices are relatively stable when they are sold on the open market. ...

Liquid Yield Option Note (LYON)A zero coupon bond that is callable (by issuer), putable (by investor), and convertible. LYONs are synthetic products that are financially engineered by Merrill Lynch.

Liquidation1. When a business or firm is terminated or bankrupt, its assets are sold and the proceeds pay creditors. Any leftovers are distributed to shareholders. 2. Any transaction that offsets or closes out a long or short position.

Liquidation PreferenceA term used in venture capital contracts to specify which investors get paid first and how much they get paid in the event of a liquidation event such as the sale of the company. Liquidation preference helps protect venture capitalists from losing...

Liquidity Preference TheoryThe idea that investors demand a premium for securities with longer maturities, which entail greater risk, because they would prefer to hold cash, which entails less risk. The more liquid an investment, the easier it is to sell quickly for its full...

Liquidity PremiumA premium that investors will demand when any given security can not be easily converted into cash, and converted at the fair market value. When the liquidity premium is high, then the asset is said to be illiquid, which will cause prices to fall...

Liquidity TrapA situation in which prevailing interest rates are low and savings rates are high, making monetary policy ineffective. In a liquidity trap, consumers choose to avoid bonds and keep their funds in savings because of the prevailing belief that...

Loan Participation Note (LPN)A fixed-income security that permits investors to buy portions of an outstanding loan or package of loans. LPN holders participate, on a pro rata basis, in collecting interest and principal payments. Banks or other financial institutions often enter...

Loan ServicingThe administration aspect of a loan from the time the proceeds are dispersed until the loan is paid off. This includes sending monthly payment statements and collecting monthly payments, maintaining records of payments and balances, collecting and...

Loan SyndicationThe process of involving several different lenders in providing various portions of a loan.

Lobster TrapA strategy used by a target firm to prevent a hostile takeover. In a lobster trap, the company passes a provision preventing anyone with more than 10% ownership from converting convertible securities into voting stock.

Long BondA bond that matures in more than 10 years. When people refer to "the long bond," this typically is the 30-year U.S. treasury.

Long Inverse Floating Exempt Receipts (LIFER)A floating rate debt security traded among qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) and originated by German financial firm Deutsche Bank. The receipts pay a yield equal to a fixed base interest rate minus the floating rate of a benchmark (such as...

Long-Dated AssetA class of income-generating assets where the revenue stream is generated over a long period of time. Residential mortgages and 20-year bonds are examples of long-dated assets.

Longevity DerivativesA class of securities that provides a hedge against parties that are exposed to longevity risks through their businesses, such as pension plan managers and insurers. These types of derivatives are designed to have increasingly high payouts as a...

Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM)A large hedge fund led by Nobel Prize-winning economists and renowned Wall Street traders that nearly collapsed the global financial system in 1998 as a result of high-risk arbitrage trading strategies. The fund formed in 1993 and was founded...

Long-Term DebtLoans and financial obligations lasting over one year. In the U.K., long-term debts are known as "long-term loans."

Long-Term InvestmentsAn account on the asset side of a company's balance sheet that represents the investments that a company intends to hold for more than a year. They may include stocks, bonds, real estate and cash.

Loss Given Default (LGD)The amount of funds that is lost by a bank or other financial institution when a borrower defaults on a loan. Academics suggest that there are several methods for calculating the loss given default, but the most frequently used method compares...

Lottery BondA bond issued in the U.S. and U.K. with a rate of return dependent upon a lottery style payout.

MBack to top

Macaroni DefenseAn approach taken by a company that does not want to be taken over. The company issues a large number of bonds with the condition they must be redeemed at a high price if the company is taken over.

Macaulay DurationThe weighted average term to maturity of the cash flows from a bond. The weight of each cash flow is determined by dividing the present value of the cash flow by the price, and is a measure of bond price volatility with respect to interest...

Maintenance BondA type of surety bond purchased by a contractor that protects the owner of a completed construction project for a specified time period against defects and faults in materials, workmanship and design that could arise later if the project was done...

Make Whole Call (Provision)A type of call provision on a bond allowing the borrower to pay off remaining debt early. The borrower has to make a lump sum payment derived from a formula based on the net present value (NPV) of future coupon payments that will not be paid because...

Managed Forex Accounts - Forex - InvestopediaA type of forex account in which a money manager trades the account on a client's behalf for a fee. Managed forex accounts are similar to hiring an investment advisor to manage a traditional investment account of equities and bonds. Returns and...

Mandatory ConvertibleA type of convertible bond that has a required conversion or redemption feature. Either on or before a contractual conversion date, the holder must convert the mandatory convertible into the underlying common stock. These securities provide...

Mandatory Mortgage LockThe sale of a mortgage in the secondary mortgage market with terms that require the seller of the mortgage to make delivery to the buyer by a certain date or pair-out of the trade. The requirement to make delivery of the mortgage or pair-out of the...

Mandatory Redemption ScheduleSpecified dates when a bond issuer is required to redeem all or a portion of the outstanding issues of a bond prior to its maturity. The issuer might be required to redeem all or a portion of the bonds according to the call or prepayment provisions...

Maple BondA bond denominated in Canadian dollars that is sold in Canada by foreign financial institutions and companies. Similar to other foreign bonds, such as the bulldog bond, samurai bond and matilda bond, the maple bond gives domestic investors (in this...

Market BasketA subset of products or securities that is designed to mimic the performance of an overall market. Market baskets contain a fixed selection of items, which are used to track such things as inflation, prices or performance levels.

Market DiscountThe difference between the face value of a bond issued at par and the current below-par market price, plus any original issue discount. Market discounts occur when interest rates rise, thus causing bond prices in the secondary market to fall.

Market ExposureThe amount of funds invested in a particular type of security and/or market sector or industry and usually expressed as a percentage of total portfolio holdings. Thus, it is the amount an investor has at risk or the amount he/she can lose. Also...

Marketable SecurityAny equity or debt instrument that it readily salable and can be converted into cash, or exchanged with ease. Stocks, bonds, short-term commercial paper and certificates of deposit are all considered marketable securities because there is a public...

MarketweightA credit rating system for fixed-income instruments. The marketweight ranking system gives a subjective estimate of the accuracy of the current credit spread and determines whether an investment is attractive. The system includes three ranks:...

Master NotesHigh-quality debt instruments offered by the Federal Farm Credit Bank (FFCB) with a minimum face value of $25 million.

Matador BondA term used to identify a foreign bond issued in Spain by a company that is not domiciled in Spain. Matador bonds were bonds denominated in pesetas, and were usually corporate bonds. The market for matador bonds grew rapidly between 1987 and 1999...

Matching StrategyA strategy of creating investment portfolios that meet the individual needs of investors through tiered investment durations.

Match-Rate FundsWhen the interest rate on a loan matches (or is extremely close to) the interest rate on the source of the funds loaned out. An example of this would be if a bank accepted a $100,000 deposit and agreed to pay 5% interest on it for five years, then...

Matilda BondAn bond denominated in the Australian dollar and issued on the Australian market by a foreign entity. Also known as a "kangaroo bond."

Matrix TradingA fixed-income trading strategy that looks for discrepancies in the yield curve, which an investor can capitalize upon by instituting a bond swap. Discrepancies come about when current yields on a particular class of bond (corporate, municipal...

Maturity1. The length of time until the principal amount of a bond must be repaid. 2. The end of the life of a security.

Maturity DateThe date on which the principal amount of a note, draft, acceptance bond or other debt instrument becomes due and is repaid to the investor and interest payments stop. It is also the termination or due date on which an installment loan must be paid...

MBIA Insurance CorporationA division of publicly-traded MBIA, Inc, and a primary worldwide issuer of financial guarantee insurance. Used to back municipal bonds and structured finance products, MBIA insurance is used as an avenue to credit enhancement, as MBIA's insurance...

MBS Pool NumberA number or alphanumeric character assigned to a mortgage-backed security (MBS) by the issuer as an identifier of that security. Pool numbers are typically six digits in length. Different issuers such as Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae use...

Medium TermAn asset holding period or investment horizon that is intermediate in nature. The exact period of time that is considered medium term depends on the investor's personal preferences, as well as on the asset class under consideration. In the...

Medium Term Note (MTN)1. A note that usually matures in five to 10 years. 2. A corporate note continuously offered by a company to investors through a dealer. Investors can choose from differing maturities, ranging from nine months to 30 years.

Mello-RoosIn the U.S., a form of financing that can be used by cities, counties and special districts (such as school districts) to finance major improvements and services within the particular district. Special taxes and bonds used for Mello-Roos financing...

Member Payment Dependent NoteA note that is issued by Lending Club. The income from these notes is used to make loans to club members. Member Payment Dependent Notes, issued in 2008, had an initial maturity of just three years and four business days and accrued interest from...

Merger SecuritiesA non-cash asset paid to the shareholders of a corporation that is being acquired or is the target of a

merger. Theses securities generally consist of bonds, options, preferred stock and warrants, among others.

Merton ModelA model, named after the financial scholar Robert C. Merton, that was developed in the 1970s and is used today to evaluate the credit risk of a corporation's debt. Brokerage firm analysts and some investors employ the model in order to determine a...

Mexican Stock Exchange (MEX) .MXMexico's only securities market, the Mexican Stock Exchange (in Spanish, la Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, or BMV) has its headquarters in Mexico City. Established in 1886 as the Mexican Mercantile Exchange, it adopted its current name in 1975 and is...

Mezzanine DebtWhen a hybrid debt issue is subordinated to another debt issue from the same issuer. Mezzanine debt has embedded equity instruments (usually warrants) attached, which increase the value of the subordinated debt and allow for greater flexibility when...

Michael MilkenAs an executive at investment bank Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. during the 1980s who used high-yield junk bonds for corporate financing and mergers and acquisitions. Michael Milken amassed an enormous personal fortune, but in 1989 he was indicted by...

MidgetsA slang term referring to a Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) bond, which has a 15 year maturity. The midget is secured by mortgages backed by federal agencies. GNMA is also known as "Ginnie Mae".

Minimum YieldThe lesser of a bond's yield-to-call and yield-to-maturity. The minimum yield is used by investors who want to determine a conservative estimate for the value of a particular bond. A bond's yield-to-call and yield-to-maturity will change according...

Modified DurationA formula that expresses the measurable change in the value of a security in response to a change in interest rates. Calculated as:Where:n = number of coupon periods per yearYTM = the bond's yield to maturity

Modified Pass-Through CertificateA fixed-income security that passes through an undivided interest in a pool of mortgages. Modified pass-through certificates are backed by federal loans of identical maturity and coupon date. Principal and interest payments are made to investors...

Monetary BaseThe total amount of a currency that is either circulated in the hands of the public or in the  commercial bank deposits held in the central bank's reserves. This measure of the money supply typically only includes the most liquid...

Money At CallA short-term loan that does not have a set repayment schedule, but is payable immediately and in full upon demand. Money-at-call loans give banks a way to earn interest while retaining liquidity. Investors might use money at call to cover a margin...

Money MarketA segment of the financial market in which financial instruments with high liquidity and very short maturities are traded. The money market is used by participants as a means for borrowing and lending in the short term, from several days to just...

Money On The SidelinesThe cash that is held either in savings or in low-risk, low-yield investment vehicles, such as certificates of deposits (CDs), instead of being placed in investments that have the potential for greater rewards, such as the stock market. Money on the...

Monoline Insurance CompanyAn insurance company that provides guarantees to issuers, often in the form of credit wraps, that enhance the credit of the issuer. These insurance companies first began providing wraps for municipal bond issues, but now provide credit...

Monthly Income Preferred Securities (MIPS)Shares that are an interest in a limited partnership existing solely for the purpose of issuing preferred securities and lending the proceeds of the sales to its parent company. MIPS usually have a $25 par value, NYSE listing and cumulative monthly...

Montreal ExchangeA Canadian derivatives exchange that facilitates the trading of stock options, interest rate futures and options, as well as index options and futures. Located in Montreal, Quebec, it is the country's main financial derivative market, while the...

Moody'sAn independent, unaffiliated research company that rates fixed income securities. Moody's assigns ratings on the basis of risk and the borrower's ability to make interest payments. Moody's backs its ratings with exhaustive financial research and...

Moody's Bond SurveyA weekly publication that reports changes in corporate bond quality ratings for publicly traded companies, lists new debt registrations and provides market commentary. Also known as "Moody's Credit Survey".

Moral Obligation BondA type of revenue bond issued by a municipality or similar government body. A moral obligation bond not only gives investors the tax exemption benefits inherent in a municipal bond, but also provides an additional moral pledge of commitment against...

Mortgage AllocationsA process used in the settlement of mortgage-backed security to-be-announced (TBA) trades. This process requires that the sell side of a TBA trade inform the its buy-side counterpart of the exact securities that will be delivered into the trade...

Mortgage BondA bond secured by a mortgage on one or more assets. These bonds are typically backed by real estate holdings and/or real property such as equipment. In a default situation, mortgage bondholders have a claim to the underlying property and could sell...

Mortgage Cash Flow Obligation (MCFO)A type of pay-through unsecured general obligation bond that has several classes. Mortgage cash flow obligations (MCFOs) use cash flow from a pool of mortgages that generate revenue to repay investors their principal plus interest. Payments are...

Mortgage CompanyA company engaged in the business of originating and/or funding mortgages for residential or commercial property. A mortgage company is often just the originator of a mortgage; they market themselves to potential borrowers and seek funding from one...

Mortgage Excess ServicingThe percentage of the monthly cash flow that remains after the cash flow has been divided into a coupon and principal payment for the mortgage backed securities (MBS) holder. This servicing fee typically goes to the servicer of the loan, and is...

Mortgage FalloutA term used to describe the percentage of loans that do not close in a mortgage originator's pipeline. Mortgage originators adjust the fallout assumptions used in their hedge ratios as interest rates change relative to the loans they have in their...

Mortgage PipelineMortgage loans that have been locked in with a mortgage originator by borrowers, mortgage brokers

or other lenders. A loan will stay in an originator's pipeline from the time it is locked until it falls out, is sold into the secondary mortgage...

Mortgage PoolA group of mortgages held in trust as collateral for the issuance of a mortgage-backed security. Some mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae are known as "pools" themselves. These are the simplest form of...

Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB)A funding source for home mortgages. Mortgage revenue bonds help low- and middle-income first-time home buyers by offering long-term mortgages at below-market rates. A state can issue mortgage revenue bonds (a form of tax-free municipal bond) to...

Mortgage Subsidy BondOne of the few types of municipal bonds ever issued that may be subject to taxation, provided that the funds raised were used for home mortgages. Mortgage subsidy bonds were issued by cities and other municipalities, and may be either taxable or...

Multi-Asset ClassA combination of asset classes (such as cash, equity or bonds) used as an investment. A multi-asset class investment would contain more than one asset class, thus creating a group or portfolio of assets. The weights and types of classes will vary...

Multi-Callable BondA bond that allows the issuer to call or redeem it on particular future dates that are specified at the time of issuance. Since the issuer benefits by gaining flexibility with regard to the bond's maturity, the coupon on the bond may be higher than...

Multiple Capital StructureThe classification of a company's stock and bond offerings into different classes. Each class will have different characteristics in order to meet the needs of a wider range of investors than would be possible by issuing just one class of stock. The...

Municipal Assistance Corporation - MACA corporation created by the state of New York to aid New York City in an extreme financial crisis. The city had exhausted all lending organizations and was no longer able to have any debt issuances underwritten. MAC was authorized to sell bonds...

Municipal BondA debt security issued by a state, municipality or county to finance its capital expenditures. Municipal bonds are exempt from federal taxes and from most state and local taxes, especially if you live in the state in which the bond is issued. Also...

Municipal Bond ArbitrageA strategy that consists of building a portfolio of tax-exempt municipal bonds and simultaneously hedging the duration risk of the portfolio through the short sale of equivalent taxable corporate bonds of the same maturity, generally interest rate...

Municipal Bond FundA mutual fund that invests in municipal bonds, or "munis." Municipal bonds are debt securities issued by a state, municipality, county, or special purpose district (public schools, airports, etc.) to finance capital expenditures. They are exempt...

Municipal ConvertibleA zero-coupon municipal bond that can be converted into an interest-bearing bond under certain circumstances. The municipal convertible is a zero-coupon bond, and is sold at a discount from its face value. The bondholder does not have to worry about...

Municipal Inflation-Linked SecuritiesInvestment vehicles issued by various levels of governments containing variable coupon payments that increase and decrease with changes in the consumer price index (CPI).

Municipal Investment TrustA type of unit investment trust (UIT) that invests solely in municipal securities. Municipal investment

trusts allow individuals to invest in a diversified pool of municipal bonds, which passes through tax-free income. Municipal investment trusts...

Municipal NoteDebt issued by state and local governments to finance capital expenditures such as construction projects. Municipal notes are appealing to investors because they mature in one year or less, offer fixed income and are often exempt from income tax at...

Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB)A regulating body that creates rules and policies for investment firms and banks in the issuing and sale of municipal bonds, notes and other municipal securities by states, cities and counties. Activities regulated by the MSRB...

Municipals-Over-Bonds Spread (MOB)The difference in yields between a municipal bond and a Treasury bond with the same time to maturity. The MOB is sometimes used for determining tax strategies.

MunifactsA newswire service for municipal bonds that provides information on new municipal bond issues in the primary market and secondary market.

Mutual Exclusion DoctrineAn agreement between federal and state and local taxing authorities mandating mutual exclusion in taxation of interest. The interest paid on any security issued by the federal government is not taxable at the state or local level. Conversely, any...

Mutual FundAn investment vehicle that is made up of a pool of funds collected from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments and similar assets. Mutual funds are operated by money managers, who...

Mutual Investment CertificateA certificate issued by a local or municipal authority for the purpose of funding a public works project. This type of obligation is financed by an tax assessment made upon the residents that will benefit from the facility. Mutual investment...

NBack to top

Naked WarrantA warrant that is issued without a host bond. A naked warrant allows the holder to buy or sell a particular financial instrument, such as a bond or shares, but unlike a normal warrant, it is not sold with an accompanying bond. Naked warrants are...

National BankIn the United States, a commercial bank chartered by the comptroller of the currency of the U.S. Treasury. A national bank functions as a member bank of the Federal Reserve in the capacity of investing member of its district Federal Reserve Bank....

National Quotation Bureau (NQB)A privately-owned company that was established in 1913 to provide investors with information on stocks and bonds traded over the counter (OTC). The company now mainly offers electronic services, including data access, on its website. NQB changed its...

Nationally Recognized Statistical Ratings Organization (NRSRO)The formal term to describe credit rating agencies that provide credit ratings that are used by the U.S. government in several regulatory areas. Ratings provided by Nationally Recognized Statistical Ratings Organizations (NRSRO) are used frequently...

Negative ArbitrageThe opportunity lost when municipal bond issuers assume proceeds from debt offerings and then invest that money for a period of time (ideally in a safe investment vehicle) until the money is used to fund a project, or to repay investors. The lost...

Negative ButterflyA non-parallel yield curve shift in which long- and short-term yields decrease by a greater degree than intermediate rates. This yield curve shift effectively humps the curve, adding to the curvature of the yield curve.

Negative ConvexityWhen the shape of a bond's yield curve is concave. A bond’s convexity is the rate of change of its duration, and is measured as the second derivative of price with respect to yield.Most mortgage bonds are negatively convex.  ...

Negative CovenantA bond covenant preventing certain activities, unless agreed to by the bondholders. Negative covenants are written directly into the agreement creating the bond issue, are legally binding on the issuer, and exist to protect the best interests of the...

Negative Pledge ClauseA negative covenant in an indenture stating that the corporation will not pledge any of its assets if doing so gives the lenders less security. Also be referred to as a "covenant of equal coverage".

Negative WatchA status that the credit-rating agencies (Standard and Poor's, Moody's and Fitch) give a company while they are deciding whether to lower that company's credit rating. Once a company has been placed on negative watch, it has a 50% chance of its...

Negotiated SaleA method of offering municipal bonds or similar financial instruments in which the issuing entity and a selected underwriter negotiate the terms of the issue, as opposed to having multiple underwriting groups competitively bidding on the issue to...

Net BorrowerAn entity that borrows more than it saves or lends out.  A net borrower could be a company, country, government, group or individual. Borrowing can take the form of debt by acquiring goods and/or services under the stipulation of future...

Net Debt Per CapitaA measurement of the value of a government's debt expressed in terms of the amount attributable to each citizen under the government's jurisdiction.  It is commonly computed using the following formula:

Net Debt To Assessed ValuationIn a municipal bond issue, a ratio measuring the value of the municipality's net debt compared to the specified value of the real property being purchased as assessed for tax purposes.

Net Debt To Estimated ValuationA ratio comparing the net value of a municipal bond issue to the estimated market value of the property secured by the debt. This ratio can differ significantly from a municipal bond's net debt to assessed valuation if real-estate prices for the...

Net Interest Cost - NICA mathematical formula that an issuer of bonds uses to compute the overall interest expense that is associated with their bonds, which they will have to pay. The formula for net interest cost (NIC) is based on the average coupon rate weighted to...

Net Investment IncomeIncome received from investment assets (before taxes) such as bonds, stocks, mutual funds, loans and other investments (less related expenses). The individual tax rate on net investment income depends on whether it is interest income, dividend...

Net Liquid AssetsA measure that examines a company's net liquid financial assets. The net liquid assets show how much of a company's liquid assets would be left if all current liabilities were paid off.Calculated as:

Net Revenue PledgeA provision in a municipal bond issue that requires the issuing municipality to use net revenues

(revenues left after expenses) from the project being financed to pay first the debt service costs of the issue.

Net Tangible AssetsCalculated as the total assets of a company, minus any intangible assets such as goodwill, patents and trademarks, less all liabilities and the par value of preferred stock. Also known as "net asset value" or "book value".  ...

Net WorthThe amount by which assets exceed liabilities. This term can be applied to companies and individuals. 

Net-Worth CertificateAn instrument used by the FDIC starting in 1982 as part of an effort to save failing banks and thrifts by providing capital. When deposit-rate restrictions that had existed for decades were lifted, banks and thrifts found themselves having to pay...

Nine-Bond RuleThe NYSE requirement that all orders for nine bonds or less be sent to the floor for one hour, in which time a market is sought. The rule doesn't apply if the customer directs the broker to go to the OTC market. Also known as "Rule 396". ...

Nominal Interest RateNominal interest rates refer to referes to the rate of interest prior to taking inflation into account. Depending on its application, an inflation and risk premium must be added to the real interest rate in order to obtain the nominal rate.

Nominal Rate Of ReturnThe amount of money generated by an investment before expenses such as taxes, investment fees and inflation are factored in. For example, detailed data on a mutual might show a fund's nominal rate of return as 10%, but also show its return after...

Nominal YieldThe interest rate stated on the face of a bond, which represents the percentage of interest to be paid by the issuer on the face value of the bond.

Nominal Yield SpreadThe spread, expressed in percent or basis points, that when added to the yield at one point on the Treasury yield curve equals the discount factor that will make a security's cash flows equal to its current market price.

NoncallableA financial security that cannot be redeemed early by the issuer. The issuer of a noncallable bond subjects itself to interest rate risk because, at issuance, it locks in the interest rate it will pay until the security matures. If interest rates...

Non-Competitive TenderOne of the two bid processes for buying debt issuances. Non-competitive tender is for small investors, while competitive tender is for large institutional investors. The price that a non-competitive bidder receives is the average bid price of all...

Non-Equity OptionA term for option contracts whose underlying securities are instruments other than equities.

Nonfinancial AssetAn asset with a physical value such as real estate, equipment, machinery, gold or oil. For example, gold is considered a nonfinancial asset because it has inherent value based on its use in jewelry, electronics, dentistry, ornamentation and...

Non-Marketable SecurityAny type of security that is difficult to buy or a sell because it does not trade on a normal market or exchange. These types of securities trade over the counter (OTC) or in a private transaction. Finding a party with which to transact business is...

Non-Notification LoanA full-recourse loan that is securitized by accounts receivable (AR). Customers making accounts-receivable payments are not notified that their account/payment is being used as collateral for a loan. They continue making payments to the company that...

Nonperforming AssetA debt obligation where the borrower has not paid any previously agreed upon interest and principal repayments to the designated lender for an extended period of time. The nonperforming asset is therefore not yielding any income to the lender in the...

Non-Qualifying InvestmentAn investment that does not qualify for any level of tax-deferred or tax-exempt status. Investments of this sort are made with after-tax money. They are purchased and held in tax-deferred accounts, plans or trusts. Returns from these investments are...

Nontraditional MortgagesA broad term describing mortgages that do not take the traditional form. A traditional mortgage would require a relatively high initial down payment of about 25% and 25-year payment schedule with an interest rate that is compounded on a monthly...

Normal Yield CurveA yield curve in which short-term debt instruments have a lower yield than long-term debt instruments of the same credit quality. This gives the yield curve an upward slope. This is the most often seen yield curve shape.Sometimes referred to as...

North American Loan Credit Default Swap Index - LCDXA specialized index of loan-only credit default swaps (CDS) covering 100 individual companies that have unsecured debt trading in the broad secondary markets. The LCDX is traded over the counter and is managed by a consortium of large investment...

NoteA financial security that generally has a longer term than a bill, but a shorter term than a bond. However, the duration of a note can vary significantly, and may not always fall neatly into this categorization. Notes are similar to bonds in that...

Note Against Bond Spread (NOB)A spread within futures contracts created by offsetting positions in 30-year treasury bond futures with positions in 10-year treasury note contracts.

Note AuctionA formal bidding process that is scheduled on a regular basis by the U.S. Treasury. Currently there are 17 authorized securities dealers (primary dealers) that are obligated to bid on each issue. All Treasury notes are originally issued in this...

NumismaticsThe study of the physical embodiment of various payment media (i.e. currencies). The study of numismatics as it applies to coins, is often in the research of the production and use of the coins to determine their rarity. Numismatics has many...

OBack to top

ObligationThe legal responsibility to meet the terms of a contract. If the obligation is not met there is often recourse for the other party to the contract.

Obligation BondA municipal bond used to secure a mortgage on property or other physical assets that can be liquidated. The face value of the bond is greater than the value of the property itself.

ObligorA person or entity who is legally, or contractually, obliged to provide some benefit or payment to another. In the financial context, the term obligor refers to a bond issuer, who is contractually bound to make all principal repayments and interest...

Offer1. When one party expresses interest to buy or sell an asset from another party. The offering price is often the highest the buyer will pay to purchase an asset, and the lowest that the seller will accept.2. The act of making an asset available for...

OfferingThe issue or sale of a security by a company. It is often used in reference to an initial public offering (IPO) when a company's stock is made available for purchase by the public but it can also be used in the context of a bond issue.

Office Of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO)The federal regulatory body that oversees the government-sponsored entities (GSEs), Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. It was established as an independent entity within the Department of Housing and Urban Development by the Federal Housing Enterprises...

Off-The-Run TreasuriesAll Treasury bonds and notes issued before the most recently issued bond or note of a particular maturity. These are the opposite of "on-the-run treasuries".

Off-The-Run Treasury Yield CurveThe U.S. Treasury yield curve derived using off-the-run treasuries. Off-the-run treasuries refer to U.S. government bonds of a given maturity that are not the most recently issued. While they are not as recent as on-the-run treasuries, off-the-run...

One-Cancels-the-Other Order (OCO)An order stipulating that if one part of the order is executed, then the other part is automatically canceled.

Online TradingThe act of placing buy/sell orders for financial securities and/or currencies with the use of a brokerage's internet-based proprietary trading platforms. The use of online trading increased dramatically in the mid- to late-'90s with the introduction...

On-The-Run TreasuriesThe most recently issued U.S. Treasury bond or note of a particular maturity. These are the opposite of "off-the-run treasuries".

On-The-Run Treasury Yield CurveThe U.S. Treasury yield curve derived using on-the-run treasuries. The on-the-run Treasury curve is the primary benchmark used in pricing-fixed income securities.

Open Mouth OperationsOpen mouthed operations are speculative measures taken by the Federal Reserve to influence interest rates and inflation through the sale or purchase of U.S Treasury bonds. Open mouth operations can be thought of as the central bank announcements...

Open-End IndentureA clause in a revenue-bond agreement that permits the issuance of additional revenue bonds in the future, provided that the revenue of the previous year was sufficient enough to cover the costs of the new issue.

Option Adjusted Spread (OAS)Mainly used for fixed-income products, OAS measures the yield spread that is not directly attributable to the security's characteristics.

Ordinary AnnuityA series of equal payments made at the end of each period over a fixed amount of time. While the payments in an annuity can be made as frequently as every week, in practice, ordinary annuity payments are made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or...

Ordinary IncomeIncome received that is taxed at the highest rates, or ordinary income rates. Ordinary income is composed mainly of wages, salaries, commissions and interest income (as from bonds).    Ordinary Income can only be offset with standard tax deductions...

Original FaceThe par value of a mortgage-backed security at the time it is issued. Unlike most other types of bonds, mortgage-backed securities return both principal and interest to the holder in periodic payments (usually monthly). Over time, the outstanding...

Original Issue Discount (OID)The discount from par value at the time that a bond or other debt instrument is issued. It is the difference between the stated redemption price at maturity and the issue price.

Outbound Cash FlowAny money a company or individual must pay out when conducting a transaction with another party. Outbound cash flows can include cash paid to suppliers, wages given to employees and taxes paid on income.

Overcollateralization (OC)The process of posting more collateral than is needed to obtain or secure financing. Overcollateralization is often used as a method of credit enhancement by lowering the creditor's exposure to default risk.

Overlapping DebtThe debt of a political entity, such as a state where its tax base overlaps the tax base of another political entity, such as a city within the state.

Over-The-Counter (OTC)A security traded in some context other than on a formal exchange such as the NYSE, TSX, AMEX, etc. The phrase "over-the-counter" can be used to refer to stocks that trade via a dealer network as opposed to on a centralized exchange. It also refers...

PBack to top

Paper DealerA firm that specializes in buying commercial paper from companies and then selling/marketing it to investors.

Paper TradeSimulated trading that investors use to practice mimicking trades (buys and sells) without actually entering into any monetary transactions.

Par1. The face value of a bond. Generally $1,000 for corporate issues, with higher denominations such as $10,000 for many government issues. 2. A dollar amount assigned to a security when first issued.

Par Value1. The face value of a bond. 2. A dollar amount that is assigned to a security when representing the value contributed for each share in cash or goods.

Par Yield CurveA graph of the yields on hypothetical Treasury securities with prices at par. On the par yield curve, the coupon rate will equal the yield-to-maturity of the security, which is why the Treasury bond will trade at par.

Pari-passuA Latin phrase meaning “equal footing” that describes situations where two or more assets, securities, creditors or obligations are equally managed without any display of preference. An example of pari-passu, occurs during bankruptcy...

Parity BondTwo or more bond issues with equal rights to one another. In other words, a parity bond is an issued bond with equal rights to a claim as other bonds already issued. For example, unsecured bonds have equal rights in that coupons can be claimed...

Partial RedemptionAn investment-transaction classification that refers to the withdrawal of a portion of a security's value

by the owner. Rather than withdrawing the entire amount of his or her security's value from the account, an investor may prefer to keep a...

Partially Convertible Debenture (PCD)A type of convertible debenture, part of which will be redeemed by the issuing company after a specified period of time and part of which is convertible into equity or preference shares at the end of the specified period. The ratio of conversion for...

Pass-Through CertificateFixed-income securities that represent an undivided interest in a pool of federally insured mortgages put together by the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae).

Pass-Through RateThe rate on a securitized asset pool - such as a mortgage-backed security (MBS) - that is "passed-through" to investors once management fees and guarantee fees have been paid to the securitizing corporation. The pass-through rate (also known as the...

Pass-Through SecurityA pool of fixed-income securities backed by a package of assets. A servicing intermediary collects the monthly payments from issuers, and, after deducting a fee, remits or passes them through to the holders of the pass-through security. Also known...

Pay To BearerAny check or draft that can be transferred to the holder by delivery without having to be endorsed. As the name implies, "pay to bearer" refers to any negotiable instrument that is simply paid to the bearer without requiring proof of identity....

Payable On Death (POD)An arrangement between a bank or credit union and a client that designates beneficiaries to receive all the client's assets. The immediate transfer of assets is triggered by the death of the client.  Also referred to as a "totten trust." ...

PayeeThe party in an exchange who receives payment. A payee is paid in cash, check or other transfer medium by a payer, with the payer receiving a good or service in return. The name of the payee is included in the bill of exchange.

Payment-In-Kind BondsA type of bond that pays interest in additional bonds rather than in cash. The bond issuer incurs additional debt to create the new bonds for the interest payments. Payment-in-kind bonds are considered a type of deferred coupon bond since there are...

Performance BondA bond issued to one party of a contract as a guarantee against the failure of the other party to meet obligations specified in the contract.   

Performance Index Paper (PIP)A short-term paper on which the rate is denominated and paid in a base currency. However, the rate movement is based on the exchange rate with an alternate currency.    Watch: What Is A Pip?  ...

Permanent PortfolioA portfolio construction theory devised by free-market investment analyst Harry Browne in the 1980s. Browne constructed what he called the permanent portfolio, which he believed would be a safe and profitable portfolio in any economic climate. Using...

Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund (PWMTF)Established in 1974 by the Wyoming Legislature, the Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund (PWMTF) is that state's oldest and largest permanent fund, with assets of $4.2 billion as of June 30, 2009. It is funded by a portion of severance taxes on...

Perpetual BondA bond with no maturity date. Perpetual bonds are not redeemable but pay a steady stream of interest forever. Some of the only notable perpetual bonds in existence are those that were issued by the British Treasury to pay off smaller issues used to...

Perpetual Preferred StockA type of preferred stock that has no maturity date. The issuers of perpetual preferred stock will always have redemption privileges on such shares. Issued perpetual preferred stock will continue paying dividends indefinitely.    Watch: What Are...

PerpetuityA constant stream of identical cash flows with no end.  The formula for determining the present value of a perpetuity is as follows:  

PfandbriefeA type of bond issued by German mortgage banks that is collateralized by long-term assets used. These types of bonds represent the largest segment of the German private debt market and are considered to be the safest debt instruments in the private...

Phantom IncomeIncome paid to a taxpayer during the tax year that is not constructively received at the taxpayer's end. Phantom income is not terribly common, but does manifest itself in such investments as limited partnerships, where the earnings are taxed but...

Physical DeliveryTerm in an options or futures contract which requires the actual underlying asset to be delivered upon the specified delivery date, rather than being traded out with offsetting contracts.

PickupA gain in yield made by selling one bond and buying another. Also referred to as "yield pickup."

PIMCOPIMCO is a global investment management firm that primarily focuses on portfolio management, account management and business management. PIMCO specializes in fixed income securities and manages the internationally known Total Return Fund.

Placement RatioA ratio that calculates the amount of bonds sold during the week as a percentage of the amount of municipal bonds that are issued during the corresponding week. Only issues of $1,000,000 par value or more are used in the calculation.Also known as...

Plain VanillaThe most basic or standard version of a financial instrument, usually options, bonds, futures and swaps. Plain vanilla is the opposite of an exotic instrument, which alters the components of a traditional financial instrument, resulting in a more...

Planned Amortization Class (PAC) TrancheA class of tranche in a planned amortization class (PAC) bond that receives a primary payment schedule. As long as the actual prepayment rate is between a designated range of prepayment speeds, the life of the PAC tranche will remain relatively...

Pledged AssetAn asset that is transferred to a lender for the purpose of securing debt. The lender of the debt maintains possession of the pledged asset, but does not have ownership unless default occurs.

Points1. A 1% change in the face value of a bond or a debenture.2. In futures contracts, a price change of one one-hundredth, or 1% of one cent.3. A $1 price change in the value of common stock.4. In real estate mortgages, the initial fee charged by the...

Pool FactorThe percentage of the original principal that is left to be distributed in a mortgage-backed security, as represented by a numerical factor that will be attached on periodic market quotes  and other presentations of the MBS’s price. Calculated as:  ...

PortfolioA grouping of financial assets such as stocks, bonds and cash equivalents, as well as their mutual, exchange-traded and closed-fund counterparts. Portfolios are held directly by investors and/or managed by financial professionals. ...

Portfolio WeightThe percentage composition of a particular holding in a portfolio. Portfolio weights can be simply calculated using different approaches: the most basic type of weight is determined by dividing the dollar value of a security by the total dollar...

Positive ButterflyA non-parallel yield curve shift in which short- and long-term rates shift upward by a greater magnitude than medium term rates. This yield curve shift effectively humps the curve, adding to its curvature.

Predators' BallAn annual convention held by Drexel Burnham Lambert for the purpose of matching high-risk companies searching for financing with investors who wanted the high rewards that can come with higher risk. After the first convention in 1979, these...

Preferred CreditorAn individual or organization that has priority in being paid the money it is owed if the debtor declares bankruptcy. Because bankrupt entities do not have enough money to fulfill all of their financial obligations, some investors that are owed...

Preferred Equity Redemption Stock (PERC)Preferred stock with special provisions limiting the value of its convertible shares and the mandatory redemption value at maturity.

Preferred Habitat TheoryA term structure theory suggesting that different bond investors prefer one maturity length over another and are only willing to buy bonds outside of their maturity preference if a risk premium for the maturity range is available. The theory also...

Preferred Redeemable Increased Dividend Equity Security (PRIDES)First introduced by Merrill Lynch, PRIDES are synthetic securities consisting of a forward contract to purchase the issuer's underlying security and an interest bearing deposit. Interest payments are made at regular intervals, and conversion into...

Pre-Funded BondBonds issued by a government agency that purchases U.S. government securities to pledge as collateral for the bond issue. Pre-funded bonds are issued by municipalities that wish to attain a higher credit rating for their debt. Since state-issued...

Premium Adjustable Convertible Security (PEACS)A debt instrument that combines a coupon paying bond with the option to convert the bond into common stock at a set price. These are frequently described as hybrid securities because they combine features of debt and equity, converting to ordinary...

Premium Bond1) A bond that is trading above its par value. A bond will trade at a premium when it offers a coupon rate that is higher than prevailing interest rates. This is because investors want a higher yield, and will pay more for it.2) A specific type of...

Premium Put ConvertibleA convertible bond with an additional put feature that allows it to be redeemed at a premium sometime during its life.

Prepaid Tuition ProgramOne of the two major types of 529 plans. Prepaid tuition plans allow donors to provide all or part of the amount of tuition for college education. The amount paid is guaranteed to grow at the same rate as college tuition, regardless of its rate of...

Pre-Refunding BondA type of bond issued to fund another callable bond, where the issuer actually decides to exercise its right to buy its bonds back before the scheduled maturity date. The proceeds from the issue of the lower yield and/or longer maturing...

Present Value Interest Factor Of Annuity (PVIFA)A factor which can be used to calculate the present value of a series of annuities. The initial deposit, earning interest at the periodic rate (r), perfectly finances a series of (N) consecutive dollar withdrawals. PVIFA is also a variable used when...

Price TalkThe discussion of the appropriate price for an upcoming security issue. The investment community will determine a reasonable range of prices within which the new security should be sold.

Price Value of a Basis Point (PVBP)A measure used to describe how a basis point change in yield affects the price of a bond.Also knows as the "value of a basis point" (VBP) or "basis point value" (BPV).

Price-Based OptionA derivative financial instrument in which the underlying asset is a debt security. Typically, these options give their holders the right to purchase or sell an underlying debt security (usually a bond) or to receive cash payment based on the...

Primary DealerA pre-approved bank, broker/dealer or other financial institution that is able to make business deals with the U.S. Federal Reserve, such as underwriting new government debt. These dealers must meet certain liquidity and quality requirements as well...

Primary DistributionThe original sale of a new security issue (bonds or stocks) from a company to investors/shareholders. Proceeds from a primary distribution are sent directly to the issuing company. All bond offerings are considered primary distributions. Also...

Primary InstrumentA financial investment whose price is based directly on its market value. Examples of primary instruments include stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, bills and anything else that has its own value. By contrast, the price of derivative...

Primary MarketA market that issues new securities on an exchange. Companies, governments and other groups obtain financing through debt or equity based securities. Primary markets are facilitated by underwriting groups, which consist of investment banks that will...

Prime BankTerm used to describe the top 50 banks (or thereabouts) in the world. Prime banks trade instruments such as world paper, International Monetary Fund bonds and Federal Reserve notes.

Prime RateThe interest rate that commercial banks charge their most credit-worthy customers. Generally a bank's best customers consist of large corporations. The prime interest rate, or prime lending rate, is largely determined by the federal funds rate...

Prime Underwriting FacilityA kind of revolving underwriting facility. Prime underwriting facilities peg the lender's yield to the bank's prime rate. Most prime underwriting facilities are short-term notes of some sort.

Principal1. The amount borrowed or the amount still owed on a loan, separate from interest. 2. The original amount invested, separate from earnings.3. The face value of a bond.4. The owner of a private company.5. The main party to a transaction, acting as...

Principal Exchange Rate Linked Security (PERL)A type of debt security that pays interest semiannually and has a yield that is linked to foreign exchange rates. PERLs are denominated in U.S. dollars, but their repayment is determined by the exchange rate between the dollar and a specific foreign...

Principal Only Strips (PO)A type of fixed-income security where the holder is only entitled to receive regular cash flows that are

derived from incoming principal repayments on an underlying loan pool. The loan is often a pool of mortgages in the form of a mortgage-backed...

Principal-Protected Note (PPN)A fixed-income security that guarantees a minimum return equal to the investor's initial investment (the principal amount). Also known as "principal-protected products" and "principal-protected securities."

Prior Preferred StockA type of preferred stock with a higher claim on assets and dividends than other issues of preferred stock. If a firm did not generate enough money to fulfill all of its dividend schedule requirements, those holding prior preferred stocks have first...

Private Activity Bond (PAB)Tax-exempt bonds issued by or on behalf of local or state government for the purpose of providing special financing benefits for qualified projects. The financing is most often for projects of a private user, and the government generally does not...

Private ConduitA governmental or private entity that pools mortgages and other loans. The entity will then issue pass- or pay-through securities in its own name, as a private conduit to investors. Many private conduits are now backed by mortgages, credit card...

Private EquityEquity capital that is not quoted on a public exchange. Private equity consists of investors and funds that make investments directly into private companies or conduct buyouts of public companies that result in a delisting of public equity. Capital...

Private Purpose BondA type of municipal bond that is issued to finance a project for which at least 10% of the benefit will go to a private sector entity. Municipal bonds are usually associated with tax-free income. However, the Tax Reform Act of 1986 requires...

Project Completion RestrictionA type of clause, seen most often in municipal bond indentures, which requires the issuing party to sell debt securities (often in the form of revenue bonds) to finance the full completion of a particular project.

Project NotesA short-term debt obligation issued to finance a project or endeavor past a specified milestone, or to fund multiple small projects on a short-term basis. Project notes are often used by municipalities to fund urban renewal programs and are...

Promissory NoteA written, dated and signed two-party instrument containing an unconditional promise by the maker to pay a definite sum of money to a payee on demand or at a specified future date.

PromoterAn individual or company that, for a fee, helps raise money for some type of investment activity. Most often, promoters raise money for a company through offering investment vehicles other than traditional stocks and bonds, such as limited...

Provisional Call FeatureA feature of a convertible issue that allows the issuer to call the issue during the non-call period if the stock reaches a certain price.

Public Income Notes (PINES)An unsecured, unsubordinated debenture issued by a public company. PINES trade on a stock exchange but also bear interest.

Public Purpose BondThis type of bond is used by municipalities to finance public works facilities and improvements. However, the vast majority of the benefit provided by the project being financed by a public purpose bond must be directed at the public at large, and...

Public Securities Association (PSA)The predecessor association to the Bond Market Association, which represents the largest securities markets in the world, the bond markets. The Public Securities Association was incorporated in 1976, and underwent a name change to the Bond Market...

Purchase FundA feature of some bond indentures and preferred stock that requires the issuer to make an effort to purchase a specified amount of securities if they fall below a stipulated price (usually par value).

Pure Discount InstrumentA type of security that pays no income until maturity; upon expiration, the holder receives the face value of the instrument. The instrument is originally sold for less than its face value (at a discount).

Put BondA bond that allows the holder to force the issuer to repurchase the security at specified dates before maturity. The repurchase price is set at the time of issue, and is usually par value.

Put ProvisionA condition that allows a bondholder to resell a bond back to the issuer at a price - which is generally par - on certain stipulated dates prior to maturity. The put provision is an added degree of security for the bondholder, since it establishes a...

QBack to top

Qualified Savings BondRefers to a series EE savings bond which has been issued after December 1989 and purchased by an individual at least 24 years of age.

Qualifying InvestmentAn investment purchased with pretax income. Money invested in a qualifying investment trust, annuity or plan is exempt from income taxes until it is withdrawn. These sorts of investments are tax-deferred, because the money invested in them is taxed...

Quarterly Income Preferred Securities (QUIPS)Shares that are an interest in a limited partnership that exists solely for the purpose of issuing preferred securities and lending the proceeds of the sales to its parent company. They usually have a $25 par value, NYSE listing and cumulative...

RBack to top

RallyA period of sustained increases in the prices of stocks, bonds or indexes. This type of price movement can happen during either a bull or a bear market, when it is known as either a bull market rally or a bear market rally, respectively. However, a...

Ratable Accrual MethodA method for determining when and how much income was earned over a period of time.  The ratable accrual method can be used to compute the interest income for tax purposes. This is opposed to the payment method, and could be used to find the accrued...

Rate Anticipation SwapA type of swap in which bonds are swapped according to their current duration and predicted interest rate movements.

Rate Level RiskA type of interest rate risk which asserts that the characteristics of interest rate fluctuation are variable (as opposed to constant) over a period of time. Although interest rates are expected to fluctuate over the period of an investment, the...

Rate Of ReturnThe gain or loss on an investment over a specified period, expressed as a percentage increase over

the initial investment cost. Gains on investments are considered to be any income received from the security plus realized capital gains. ...

Rate TriggerA sizeable decline in interest rates that may trigger or cause companies to call in bonds that otherwise pay high coupon or interest rates. Because these bonds are being called before their initial expiration date, theoretically, bondholders can...

Rating1. An evaluation of a corporate or municipal bond's relative safety from an investment standpoint. Basically, it scrutinizes the issuer's ability to repay principal and make interest payments. 2. An analyst's recommendation on whether to buy, sell...

Ratings ServiceA company, such as Moody's or Standard & Poor's, that rates various debt and preferred stock issues for safety of payment of principal, interest, or dividends.

Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (REMIC)A special purpose vehicle (SPV) that is used to pool mortgage loans and issue mortgage-backed securities (MBS). Real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMIC) hold commercial and residential mortgages in trust, and issue interests in these...

Realized YieldThe actual amount of return earned on a security investment over a period of time. This period of time is typically the holding period which may differ from the expected yield at maturity. The realized yield also includes the returns that have been...

RebalancingThe process of realigning the weightings of one's portfolio of assets. Rebalancing involves periodically buying or selling assets in your portfolio to maintain your original desired level of asset allocation.

RecapitalizationRestructuring a company's debt and equity mixture, most often with the aim of making a company's capital structure more stable. Essentially, the process involves the exchange of one form of financing for another, such as removing preferred shares...

RecourseA legal agreement by which the lender has the rights to pledged collateral in the event that the borrower is unable to satisfy debt obligation. Recourse refers to the legal right to collect.

RediscountThe act of discounting a short-term negotiable debt instrument for a second time. Banks may rediscount these short-term debt securities to assist the movement of a market that has a high demand for loans. When there is low liquidity in the market...

Refinancing Risk1. The risk that an early unscheduled repayment of principal on mortgage-backed securities(MBS) will occur when the underlying mortgages are refinanced by borrowers. All MBS buyers assume some level of prepayments in their initial yield...

Refunded BondBonds that have their principle cash amount already held aside by the original issuer of the debt. A subset of the municipal and corporate bond classes, the funds required to pay off refunded bonds are held in escrow until the maturity date, usually...

RefundingRetiring an outstanding bond issue at maturity by using money from the sale of a new offering.

Refunding Escrow Deposits (REDs)A type of forward financial contract that creates an obligation for its investors to purchase a particular bond issue at a specified yield at some date in the future. The money from investors is held in escrow and is used to purchase...

Regional Stock ExchangeA place outside of a country's primary financial center where equity in publicly-held companies is traded. Companies that cannot meet the strict listing requirements of national exchanges may qualify to trade on regional exchanges. Companies can...

Registered BondA bond whose owner is registered with the bond's issuer. The owner's name and contact information is recorded and kept on file with the company, allowing it to pay the bond's coupon payment to the appropriate person. If the bond is in physical form...

Registered RepresentativeA person who works for a brokerage company that is licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and acts as an account executive for clients trading investment products such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Also known as an "account...

Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)A legal trust registered with the Canada Revenue Agency and used to save for retirement. RRSP contributions are tax deductible and taxes are deferred until the money is withdrawn. An RRSP can contain stocks, bonds, mutual funds, GICs, contracts and...

RegistrarAn institution or organization that is responsible for keeping records of bondholders and shareholders. If you are the owner of a bond or a share in a company you will be registered as a owner by one of these institutions. 

Regulation 9A regulation that permits national banks to open and operate trust departments in-house and function as fiduciaries. Regulation 9 allows national banks to manage and administrate investment-related activities. They can register stocks, bonds and...

Reinvestment RateThe amount of interest that can be earned when money is taken out of one fixed-income investment and put into another. The reinvestment rate is the amount of interest the investor could earn if s/he purchased a new bond, if the same investor is...

REIT ETFExchange-traded funds that invest the majority of assets in equity REIT securities and related derivatives. REIT ETFs are passively managed around an index of publicly traded real estate owners; indexes may vary from provider to provider but two...

Re-Offer PriceA price at which the underwriting syndicate of a debt issue resells the bonds to public investors. The syndicate will purchase the bonds for a specified amount from the issuing firm and re-offer the bonds to the public, usually at a different price. ...

Report of Condition and IncomeA quarterly financial statement that banks, bank holding companies and Edge Act corporations must file with the FDIC under Section 1817(a)(1) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. These reports contain statements on a bank's income, assets (cash due...

Repurchase Agreement (Repo)A form of short-term borrowing for dealers in government securities. The dealer sells the government securities to investors, usually on an overnight basis, and buys them back the following day. For the party selling the security (and agreeing to...

Required YieldThe return a bond must offer in order to be a worthwhile investment. Required yield is set by the market and sets the precedent for how current bond issues will be priced.

Reset MarginThe difference between the interest rate of a security and the index on which the security's interest rate is based. The reset margin will be positive, as it is always added to the underlying index. This feature is most common with a floating-rate...

Residential Mortgage-Backed Security - RMBSA type of security whose cash flows come from residential debt such as mortgages, home-equity loans and subprime mortgages. This is a type of mortgage-backed securities that focuses on residential instead of commercial debt. ...

Residual Interest Bonds (RIBS)A type of inverse floating-rate bond created by dividing the income from a municipal bond into two portions. The municipal bondholder will create two new securities: a primary direct floating-rate bond and a residual inverse floating-rate bond. The...

Resolution Funding Corporation (REFCORP)A mixed-ownership government corporation established by Congress in 1989 in conjunction with the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC). The two corporations were established to rescue savings and loan (S&L) institutions that failed during the savings...

Retail NoteA medium-term, subordinated, unsecured debt obligation usually issued by a multinational corporation. Retail notes can be purchased directly from the issuer at par in $1,000 increments with no accrued interest or added markups. They will usually pay...

Retirement of Securities1. The cancellation of stocks or bonds because the issuer has bought them back. 2. The removal of an asset from securities markets because its maturity date has been reached.

Retractable BondA bond that features an option for the holder to force the issuer to redeem the bond before maturity at par value. An investor may choose to shorten the maturity on a bond because of market conditions or if he or she requires the principal sooner...

RevdexA bond index that estimates the approximate yield that an investor will receive if he or she invests in revenue bonds maturing in 30 years. This index is comprised of a broad range of 25 revenue bond issues with investment grade ratings. The index...

Revenue Anticipation Note (RAN)A short-term debt security issued on the premise that future revenues will be sufficient to meet repayment obligations.

Revenue BondA municipal bond supported by the revenue from a specific project, such as a toll bridge, highway, or local stadium.

Reverse Convertible Bond (RCB)A bond that can be converted to cash, debt or equity at the discretion of the issuer at a set date. The bond contains an embedded derivative that allows the issuer to put the bond to bondholders at a set date prior to the bond's maturity for...

Reverse Convertible Note (RCN)A synthetic instrument that shares characteristics with both bonds and stocks. A reverse convertible note (RCN) typically provides high coupon payments and final payoffs that depend on the performance of an underlying stock.

Reverse FloaterA floating-rate note in which the coupon rises when the underlying reference rate falls. The floating rate resets with each coupon payment and may have a cap and/or floor. The underlying reference rate is often the London Interbank Offered Rate...

Reverse Repurchase AgreementThe purchase of securities with the agreement to sell them at a higher price at a specific future date. For the party selling the security (and agreeing to repurchase it in the future) it is a repo; for the party on the other end of the transaction...

Reverse SwapAn exchange of cash flow streams that undoes the effects of an existing swap. Reverse swaps are

used, instead of simply canceling the original swap, because they allow investors to avoid negative tax or accounting implications. Reverse swaps...

RevertibleRefers to a special kind of convertible corporate bond that automatically converts itself into shares of the company's stock in the event that the underlying stock drops below a certain price. This stands in contrast to traditional convertible...

Revolving Underwriting Facility (RUF)A form of revolving credit in which a group of underwriters agrees to provide loans in the event that a borrower is unable to sell in the Eurocurrency market. These loans are generally provided through the purchase of short-term Euronotes.

Riding the Yield CurveA trading strategy that is based upon the yield curve and used for interest rate futures. Investors hope to achieve capital gains by employing this strategy.

RingfencingWhen a regulated public utility business financially separates itself from a parent company that engages in non-regulated business. This is done mainly to protect consumers of essential services such as power, water and basic telecommunications from...

Risk AverseA description of an investor who, when faced with two investments with a similar expected return (but different risks), will prefer the one with the lower risk.

Risk PremiumThe return in excess of the risk-free rate of return that an investment is expected to yield. An asset's risk premium is a form of compensation for investors who tolerate the extra risk - compared to that of a risk-free asset - in a given...

Risk-Free AssetAn asset which has a certain future return. Treasuries (especially T-bills) are considered to be risk-free because they are backed by the U.S. government.

Risk-Free Rate Puzzle (RFRP)An anomaly in the difference between the lower historic real returns of government bonds compared to equities. This puzzle is the inverse of the equity premium puzzle, and looks at the disparity from the perspective from the lower returning...

Risk-Free ReturnThe theoretical rate of return attributed to an investment with zero risk. The risk-free rate represents the interest on an investor's money that he or she would expect from an absolutely risk-free investment over a specified period of time. ...

Roll-Down ReturnA form of return that arises when the value of a bond converges to par as maturity is approached. The size of the roll-down return varies greatly between long and short-dated bonds. Roll-down is smaller for long-dated bonds that are trading away...

SBack to top

Safe AssetAssets which, in and of themselves, do not carry a high likelihood of lawsuit risk. Mere ownership of this type of asset does not expose the asset owner to a significant risk of litigation.Assets such as stocks, mutual funds, bonds, bank accounts...

Salomon BrothersSalomon Brothers, founded in 1910, was once one of the largest Wall Street bulge bracket financial service companies. In 1981, it was acquired by Phibro Corporation and became known as Phibro-Salomon. In 1997, the bank merged with Smith Barney, a...

Salomon Brothers World Equity Index (SBWEI)An index that measures the performance of fixed-income and equity securities from domestic and international markets that consist of companies with a float of at least $100 million.

Samurai BondA yen-denominated bond issued in Tokyo by a non-Japanese company and subject to Japanese regulations. Other types of yen-denominated bonds are Euroyens issued in countries other than Japan.

Santiago Stock Exchange (SSE) .SNLocated in Santiago, the SGO is the premier stock exchange of Chile. It trades stocks, bonds, investment funds, derivatives and gold and silver Chilean coins. It also has an electronic trading platform called Telepregon, which trades U.S. dollars....

Savings And Loan Crisis (S&L)One of the largest financial scandals in U.S. history, the Savings and Loan Crisis emerged in the late 1970s and came to a head in the 1980s, finally ending in the early 1990s. In the volatile interest rate climate of the '70s, large numbers of...

Savings Bond PlanA program that allows employees to purchase U.S. savings bonds, such as the Series EE and Series I bonds, through payroll deductions. Money is set aside from each paycheck, and when enough money has accumulated, the company purchases a savings bond...

ScripophilyThe hobby of collecting antique bonds, stocks and other financial instruments based on their esthetics and prominence in the financial world.

SeasoningThe length of time a debt security has been publicly traded. Seasoning determines if a premium should be made for the security in the secondary market. The debt security can be "unseasoned" if has been traded for less than a year, or "seasoned" if...

SEC FeeA nominal fee that was created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to be an additional transaction cost attached to the selling of exchange-listed equities. This fee is usually listed as a separate fee, independent of any associated brokerage...

SEC Form 10-DA filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), also known as the Asset-Backed Issuer Distribution Report. It is used by certain asset-backed security issuers to notify regulators and investors of interest, dividend, and capital...

SEC Form 25A notification given to the SEC by a national securities exchange telling of the removal from listing on that exchange and registration of matured, redeemed or retired corporate securities. SEC Form 25 is required by Rule 12d2-2 of the Securities...

SEC Form 8A12BEFThis form concerns the registration of listed debt securities (bonds) pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. SEC Form 8A12BEF is to become effective automatically upon filing.

SEC Form 8A12BTA form concerned with the registration of listed debt securities (bonds) pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. SEC Form 8A12BT is to become effective simultaneously with the effective of a concurrent Securities Act...

SEC Form 8-A12GA filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), also known as the Registration for Listing of a Security on a National Exchange Form, required when a company issues certain stock or bond securities, including warrants and convertible...

SEC Form T-6This form must be filed with the SEC to determine whether a foreign person is eligible to act as an institutional trustee. This SEC Form T-6 requires the name and address of the proposed trustee, the company's jurisdiction and address and the name...

SEC Form TA-1A form used to apply for or amend registration as a transfer agent. Depending on the type of organization applying, SEC form TA-1 is submitted to one of four regulatory agencies: Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal...

SEC POS AM FilingA filing that is made by companies which have filed for registration with the SEC. SEC Filing POS AM is a filing which has post-effective amendments to provide updated prospectus information.

SEC YieldA standard yield calculation developed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that allows for fairer comparisons of bond funds. It is based on the most recent 30-day period covered by the fund's filings with the SEC. The yield figure...

Second Lien DebtDebts that are subordinate to the rights of other, more senior debts issued against the same collateral, or a portion of the same collateral. If a borrower defaults, second lien debts stand behind higher lien debts in terms of rights to collect...

Secondary Mortgage MarketThe market where mortgage loans and servicing rights are bought and sold between mortgage originators, mortgage aggregators (securitizers) and investors. The secondary mortgage market is extremely large and liquid.

Section 1041A section of the Internal Revenue Code that mandates that any transfer of property from one spouse to another is income tax-free. No deductible loss or taxable gain can be declared. This section applies to transfers during marriage as well as in the...

Section 988A financial transaction involving a capital loss or gain on an investment held in a foreign currency. A Section 988 transaction relates to IRS Section 988, which was applied to all tax years after December 31, 1986. Per IRS rules, most gains from...

SecularAn adjective used to describe a long-term time frame, usually at least 10 years. It is important for investors to identify secular trends in markets, not just short-term trends, if they want to succeed. Examples of secular trends include an aging...

Secured BondA type of bond that is secured by the issuer's pledge of a specific asset, which is a form of collateral on the loan. In the event of a default, the bond issuer passes title of the asset or the money that has been set aside onto the bondholders....

Secured DebtDebt backed or secured by collateral to reduce the risk associated with lending. An example would be a mortgage, your house is considered collateral towards the debt. If you default on repayment, the bank seizes your house, sells it and uses the...

Secured NoteA bilateral lending agreement, the note represents a contractual obligation to lend and borrow money at a specified interest rate.

Securities Industry And Financial Markets Association (SIFMA)An association that represents firms of all sizes in all financial markets in the U.S. and worldwide. SIFMA is committed to enhancing the public's trust and confidence in the markets, delivering an efficient, enhanced member network of access and...

Securities SubsidiaryA company that is controlled by a large bank or financial holding company. These firms are in the business of underwriting commercial paper and other securities that will then be sold to investors. In certain regions, security subsidiaries can...

SecurityAn instrument representing ownership (stocks), a debt agreement (bonds) or the rights to ownership (derivatives).

SelloffThe rapid selling of securities, such as stocks, bonds and commodities. The increase in supply leads to a decline in the value of the security.

Sell-OffThe rapid selling of securities, such as stocks, bonds and commodities. The increase in supply leads to a decline in the value of the security.

SemiannualA semiannual event happens twice a year, typically every six months. Semiannual is an adjective that can describe something that occurs, or is payable, reported or published twice each year, as in a semiannual periodical. For example, most bonds pay...

Semi-Annual Bond Basis (SABB)A conversion metric to compare rates on bonds with varying characteristics. Since bonds come with all types of coupon rates and payment frequencies, it's important to be able to find some common measure to compare different types of bonds...

Senior Bank LoanA debt financing obligation issued by a bank or similar financial institution to a company or individual that holds legal claim to the borrower's assets above all other debt obligations. The loan is considered senior to all other claims against the...

Senior Convertible NoteA debt security that contains an option where the note will be converted into a predefined amount of the issuer's shares. A senior convertible note has priority over all other debt securities issued by the same organization.Since the bondholder...

Senior DebtA bond or other form of debt that takes priority over other debt securities sold by the issuer.

Senior IssueAn issue of bonds, preferred stock or other securities that represents the first priority lien on the issuer's assets or earnings. Senior issues have a higher priority claim on a firm's dividends, interest payments, or in case of a bankruptcy, the...

Senior SecurityA security (usually debt) that, in the event the issuer goes bankrupt, must be repaid before other creditors receive any payment.

SensitivityThe magnitude of a financial instrument's reaction to changes in underlying factors. Financial instruments, such as stocks and bonds, are constantly impacted by many factors. Sensitivity accounts for all factors that impact a given instrument in a...

Sequential Pay CMOA type of collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) in which there are several tranches. Each tranche's holder receives interest payments as long as the tranche's principal amount has not been completely paid off. The senior tranche receives all...

Serial BondA bond issue in which a portion of the outstanding bonds matures at regular intervals until eventually all of the bonds have matured. As they mature gradually over a period of years, these bonds are used to finance a project providing regular, level...

Serial Bond With BalloonA combination of a serial bond issue and a term bond issue. Essentially, the serial bond with balloon has bonds that mature at different intervals throughout the issue's life, and then a large percentage of the bonds (the term bonds) mature in the...

Series 52An exam offered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and overseen by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB). The Series 52 qualifies a financial professional to become a licensed municipal securities representative....

Series 62An exam administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for financial professionals seeking to become limited registered representatives for corporate equities and corporate debt securities. It tests an individual's knowledge of...

Series 72An exam administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for individuals seeking to become government securities limited representatives for registered broker/dealers. Series 72 license holders can sell government bonds and...

Series 82An exam administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for individuals seeking to become private securities offering representatives. A person who passes the Series 82 can only offer private placement offering on original...

Series E BondAccrual bonds that were issued at 75% of the face amount. Interest is paid at redemption as part of the redemption value. Series E Bond interest is reportable for Federal income tax purposes for the year in which the Series E Bonds are redeemed...

Series EE BondA non-marketable, interest-bearing U.S. government savings bond that is guaranteed to at least double in value over the initial term of the bond, typically 20 years. Most Series EE bonds have a total interest-paying life that extends beyond the...

Series HH BondA 20-year non-marketable U.S. government savings bond that pays semi-annual interest based on a coupon rate. This coupon is locked in at a fixed rate for the first 10 years, after which it is reset by the U.S. Treasury for the rest of the bond's...

Series I BondA non-marketable, interest-bearing U.S. government savings bond that is a combination of two separate rates: 1) Fixed Interest Rate 2) Variable Inflation Rate (adjusted semiannually)

Service CertificatesBond-like certificates that promised payments at maturity date to World War I (WWI) veterans. Service certificates were granted to WWI veterans under the Adjusted Service Certificate Law in 1924, which promised "bonus" payments to eligible soldiers...

Servicing FeeA percentage of each mortgage payment made by a borrower to a mortgage servicer as compensation for keeping a record of payments, collecting and making escrow payments, passing principal and interest payments along to the note holder, etc. Servicing...

Servicing StripA security created by the stream of cash flows that result from the servicing fee on a mortgage. Servicing strips trade in a secondary market much like mortgage-backed securities do; the seller of the servicing strip has the ability to service the...

Settlement Date1. The date by which an executed security trade must be settled. That is, the date by which a buyer must pay for the securities delivered by the seller. 2. The payment date of benefits from a life insurance policy. ...

Shadow Rating1. The name given to a bond rating performed on an issuing party by a credited institution, but without any public announcement of the results. 2. A rating given by S&P to Israel Bonds, which are not permitted to be traded on the secondary market. ...

Shanghai Stock ExchangeThe largest stock exchange in mainland China, the Shanghai Stock Exchange is a nonprofit organization run by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC).  Stocks, funds and bonds are all traded on the exchange, which has listing requirements...

Shogun BondA type of foreign-currency denominated bond that is issued in Japan by foreign entities. Organizations such as the World Bank have issued such debt instruments in the past .Also known as a "geisha bond".

Short CouponA payment made on a bond within a shorter time interval than is normal for the bond. Most often, a short coupon is a bond's first coupon. A short coupon is used if the issuer wishes to make payments on certain dates, for example, June 30 and...

Short-Term InvestmentsAn account in the current assets section of a company's balance sheet. This account contains any investments that a company has made that will expire within one year. For the most part, these accounts contain stocks and bonds that can be liquidated...

Side CollateralA pledge that partially collateralizes a loan. The pledge can be a physical asset, financial asset or personal guarantee. While physical or financial assets can be assigned an underlying price or value, personal guarantees depend solely on the...

Sight Letter of CreditA letter of credit that is payable once it is presented along with the necessary documents.

Sinkable BondA bond issue that is backed by a fund, called a sinking fund, that sets aside money on a regular basis to ensure investors that principal and interest payments will be made as promised. Sinkable bonds reduce the risk for investors and therefore...

SinkerA bond with payments that are provided by the issuer's sinking fund. A sinker's bond payments are paid from a pool of money that the issuer has set aside to repurchase a portion of the bonds it has issued each year. By repurchasing some bonds before...

Sinking FundA means of repaying funds that were borrowed through a bond issue. The issuer makes periodic payments to a trustee who retires part of the issue by purchasing the bonds in the open market.

Sinking Fund CallA provision allowing a bond issuer the opportunity to buy outstanding bonds from bondholders for a set rate, using money (a sinking fund) from the issuer's earnings saved specifically for security buybacks. Because it adds doubt for investors over...

Soft Call ProvisionA feature added to convertible fixed-income and debt securities. The provision dictates that a premium will be paid by the issuer if early redemption occurs.

Soft Loan1. A loan with a below-market rate of interest. 2. Loans made by multinational development banks and the World Bank to developing countries. Typically, soft loans have extended grace periods in which only interest or service charges are due. They...

Sovereign BondA debt security issued by a national government within a given country and denominated in a foreign

currency. The foreign currency used will most likely be a hard currency, and may represent significantly more risk to the bondholder.

Sovereign Credit RatingThe credit rating of a country or sovereign entity. Sovereign credit ratings give investors insight into the level of risk associated with investing in a particular country and also include political risks. At the request of the country, a credit...

Sovereign DebtBonds issued by a national government in a foreign currency, in order to finance the issuing country's growth. Sovereign debt is generally a riskier investment when it comes from a developing country, and a safer investment when it comes from a...

Special Assessment BondA special type of municipal bond used to fund a development project. Interest owed to lenders is paid by taxes levied on the community benefiting from the particular bond-funded project.

Special Tax BondA type of bond that is repaid by revenues derived from taxation of a particular activity or asset. These bonds are repaid with either excise taxes, special assessment taxes or ad valorem taxes.          ...

Speculative RiskA category of risk that, when undertaken, results in an uncertain degree of gain or loss. All speculative risks are made as conscious choices and are not just a result of uncontrollable circumstances. Speculative risk is the opposite of pure risk. ...

SpeculatorA person who trades derivatives, commodities, bonds, equities or currencies with a higher-than-average risk in return for a higher-than-average profit potential. Speculators take large risks, especially with respect to anticipating future price...

Spice TraderA slang term used to describe an investor who tends to trade in high-risk investment vehicles or markets. Spice traders prefer to invest in riskier endeavors and seek higher risk premiums for the risk that they take on.

Spot Rate Treasury CurveA yield curve constructed using Treasury spot rates rather than yields. The spot rate Treasury curve can be used as a benchmark for pricing bonds. This type of rate curve can be built from on-the-run treasuries, off-the-run treasuries or a...

Spread OptionA type of option that derives its value from the difference between the prices of two or more assets. Spread options can be written on all types of financial products including equities, bonds and currencies. This type of position can be purchased...

Spread To WorstThe difference in overall returns between two different classes of securities, or returns from the same class, but different representative securities. The spread to worst measures the difference from the worst performing security to the best, and...

Stable Value FundAn investment vehicle found in both company retirement plans and, quite recently, IRA accounts. Stable value funds are comprised of mostly 'synthetic GICs' (known also as wrapped bonds) because of their inherent stability. These bonds can be short...

Standard & Poor's (S&P)A financial services company that rates stocks and corporate and municipal bonds according to risk profiles.

Standard Poor's Underlying Rating (SPURs)A measurement tool prepared by Standard and Poor's for a more in depth rating of Municipal Bonds.

Standby Note Issuance Facility (SNIF)A type of credit facility, often a bank, that accepts an arrangement that finances projects via secondary obligations. SNIFs will guarantee payment to the lender if the borrower defaults. In this way, SNIFs ultimately act as a form of insurance for...

Static SpreadThe constant yield spread which when added to the point on the spot rate Treasury curve where a cash flow from a bond is received will make the price of the bond equal to the present value of its cash flows. In other words, each cash flow is...

Step-Up BondA bond that pays an initial coupon rate for the first period, and then a higher coupon rate for the following periods.

Stock Participation Accreting Redemption Quarterly-Pay Securities (SPARQS)A callable note that pays interest to the holder, and upon maturity is exchanged for shares in the underlying company. These investment products are issued and underwritten by Morgan Stanley and provide investors with both interest payments and...

Stockholm Stock Exchange (STO) .STThe main securities market in Sweden, the Stockholm Stock Exchange was founded in 1863. In 1997, it joined the NOREX alliance, a group that also includes the stock exchanges of Oslo, Copenhagen and Iceland, as part of an effort for the Nordic...

Straight BondA bond that pays interest at regular intervals, and at maturity pays back the principal that was originally invested. Straight bonds are debt instruments because they are essentially loaning money (creating debt) to an entity. The entity...

Strip1. For bonds, the process of removing coupons from a bond and then selling the separate parts as a zero coupon bond and interest paying coupons. Also known as a stripped bond or zero coupon bond. 2. In options, a strategy created by being long in...

Strip BondA bond where both the principal and regular coupon payments--which have been removed--are sold separately. Also known as a "zero-coupon bond."

Stripped YieldThe implied sovereign yield of a bond, or the theoretical yield of the non-collateralized portion of a bond.

Structured Investment Vehicle (SIV)A pool of investment assets that attempts to profit from credit spreads between short-term debt and long-term structured finance products such as asset-backed securities (ABS). Funding for SIVs comes from the issuance of commercial paper that is...

Structured NoteA debt obligation that also contains an embedded derivative component with characteristics that adjust the security's risk/return profile. The return performance of a structured note will track that of the underlying debt obligation and the...

Structured Repackaged Asset-Backed Trust Security (STRATS)A derivative product similar to an exchange-traded fund (ETF) or American Depository Receipt (ADR), where the originator buys an asset, sets up a trust and then issues securities to investors. With structured repackaged asset backed trust securities...

Structured Yield Product Exchangeable For Stock (STRYPES)A type of convertible bond issued by companies that pays a quarterly cash coupon and can also be exchanged for a certain number of shares or receive the cash equivalent at maturity. STRYPES were created and trademarked by Merrill Lynch, and are...

StubThe balance part of a check or receipt that is retained for record-keeping purposes or as proof of

payment. In the context of securities, a stub refers to a residual security that is left over after being separated from the parent security. The term...

Stuttgart Stock Exchange (STU) .SGGermany's second-largest securities market (after the Frankfurt Stock Exchange), the Stuttgart Stock Exchange (in German, Böerse Stuttgart) handles around 40% of all securities trades in the country. Established in 1860, the Exchange trades in...

StyleThe investment approach or objective that a fund manager uses to make choices in the selection of securities for the fund's portfolio. While there are a variety of styles, there are nine basic investing styles for both equity and fixed-income funds....

Style BoxCreated by Morningstar, a style box is designed to visually represent the investment characteristics of fixed-income (bond), domestic equity (stock) and international equity (stock) securities and their respective mutual funds. A style box is...

Subordinate FinancingDebt financing that is ranked behind that held by secured lenders in terms of the order in which the debt is repaid. "Subordinate" financing implies that the debt ranks behind the first secured lender, and means that the secured lenders will be paid...

Subordinated DebtA loan (or security) that ranks below other loans (or securities) with regard to claims on assets or earnings. Also known as a "junior security" or "subordinated loan". ...

Subordination ClauseA clause in an agreement which states that the current claim on any debts will take priority over any other claims formed in other agreements made in the future. Subordination is the act of yielding priority.

Subprime LoanA type of loan that is offered at a rate above prime to individuals who do not qualify for prime rate loans. Quite often, subprime borrowers are often turned away from traditional lenders because of their low credit ratings or other factors that...

Sub-Sovereign Obligation (SSO)A form of debt obligation issued by hierarchical tiers below the ultimate governing body of a nation, country, or territory. This form of debt comes from bond issues and is issued by states, provinces, cities or towns in order to fund municipal and...

Substitution SwapA swap that is carried out by trading a fixed-income security for a higher yielding bond with similar features.

SukukAn Islamic financial certificate, similar to a bond in Western finance, that complies with Sharia, Islamic religious law. Because the traditional Western interest paying bond structure is not permissible, the issuer of a sukuk sells an investor...

Super FloaterA floating-rate collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) tranche whose coupon rate is determined by a formula based on an interest-rate index such as LIBOR. The coupon rate is leveraged i.e. it moves more than one basis point for each basis point...

Super POA companion tranche structured as a Principal Only (PO) bond, which receives only principal payments from the underlying mortgages. A Super PO is designed to lend support to planned amortization class (PAC) and targeted amortization class (TAC)...

Super SinkerA bond with long-term coupons but a short-term maturity. Super sinkers are usually home-financing

bonds that give bondholders their principal back right away if homeowners prepay their mortgages. In other words, mortgage prepayments are used to...

SuretyThe guarantee of the debts of one party by another. A surety is the organization or person that assumes the responsibility of paying the debt in case the debtor policy defaults or is unable to make the payments. The party that guarantees the debt is...

Survivor BondA type of bond whose future coupons are based on the percentage of a stated population group who are still alive - the survivors, in other words - on the future coupon payment dates. As mortality increases and survivors of the group decrease over...

Sushi BondA Eurobond that is issued by a Japanese issuer and does not count against a Japanese institution's limits on the holdings of foreign securities.

SwapTraditionally, 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. ...

Swap CurveThe name given to the swap's equivalent of a yield curve. The swap curve identifies the relationship between swap rates at varying maturities.

Swap RatioThe ratio in which an acquiring company will offer its own shares in exchange for the target company's shares during a merger or acquisition. To calculate the swap ratio, companies analyze financial ratios such as book value, earnings per share...

Swap Transferring Risk With Participating Element (STRIPE)A specific type of hedging technique. STRIPEs combine interest rate swaps and interest rate caps in order to protect the borrower from changes in interest rates. Under this arrangement, the balance of a loan is split between a fixed rate and a...

SweetenerA special feature or benefit added to a debt instrument (such as bonds) or a preferred stock offering to increase its value in the markets. Two popular forms of sweeteners are warrants and rights, which allow the holder to either convert securities...

Syndicated LoanA loan offered by a group of lenders (called a syndicate) who work together to provide funds for a single borrower. The borrower could be a corporation, a large project, or a sovereignty (such as a government). The loan may involve fixed amounts, a...

Synthetic CDOA form of collateralized debt obligation (CDO) that invests in credit default swaps (CDSs) or other non-cash assets to gain exposure to a portfolio of fixed income assets. Synthetic CDOs are typically divided into credit tranches based on the level...

TBack to top

Taiwan OTC Exchange (TWO) .TWOAn alternative securities exchange in Taiwan with listing criteria that are lower than those of the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). For companies making an initial public offering, listing on the TWO can be a step toward getting listed on the TSE....

Taiwan Stock Exchange (TAI) .TWThe securities trading center in Taiwan. The Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) was established in 1961 and began operations in February 1962. Its listed securities include stocks, government bonds, convertible bonds, entitlement certificates of...

Tap IssueA procedure that allows borrowers to sell bonds or other short-term debt instruments from past issues. The bonds are issued at their original face value, maturity and coupon rate, but sold at the current market price.

Target-Date FundA mutual fund in the hybrid category that automatically resets the asset mix (stocks, bonds, cash equivalents) in its portfolio according to a selected time frame that is appropriate for a particular investor. A target-date fund is similar to a...

Targeted Amortization Class (TAC)A type of credit derivative that is similar to a planned amortization class (PAC) in that it protects investors from prepayment; however, it is structured differently than a PAC. TACs protect investors from a rise in the prepayment rate or a fall in...

Tax Anticipation Bill (TAB)Unique bills sold at a discount and maturing within 23 to 273 days that the United States Treasury Department issues to investors. Since 1975, the Treasury has relied on the sale of cash management bills, rather than TABS, to raise money.

Tax Anticipation Note (TAN)A short-term debt security issued by a state or local government to finance an immediate project that will be repaid with future tax collections. State and local governments use tax anticipation notes to borrow money, typically for one year or less...

Tax ExemptTo be free from, or not subject to, taxation by regulators or government entities. A tax exempt entity can be excused from a single or multiple taxation laws. Governments are often trying to encourage investment when exempting taxation.

Tax FreeTax free refers to certain types of goods and/or financial products (such as municipal bonds) that are not taxed and with earnings that are not taxed. The tax free status of these goods and/or funds may incentivize individuals and business entities...

Tax Preference ItemA type of income, normally tax-free, that may trigger the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for taxpayers. Tax preference items include private-activity municipal-bond interest, the qualifying exclusion for small business stock and excess intangible...

Taxable BondA debt security whose return to the investor is subject to taxes at the local, state or federal level, or some combination thereof.

Taxable Municipal BondA fixed-income security issued by a local government such as a city or county or related agencies, the income from which is not exempt from tax. Taxable municipal bonds are generally issued to finance a project or activity that does not provide a...

Taxable Preferred SecuritesA type of preferred equity security that does not qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations of typical preferred securities, defined in Section 243 of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code. Taxable preferred securities are...

Tax-AdvantagedAny type of investment, account or plan that is either exempt from taxation, tax-deferred or offers other types of tax benefits. Examples of Tax-Advantaged investments are municipal bonds, partnerships, UITs and annuities. Tax-advantaged plans...

Tax-Efficient FundA mutual fund in which structure and operations are based on reducing the tax liability that its shareholders face. Reducing the tax liability of a fund is done in three main ways: 1. By purchasing tax-free (or low taxed) investments such as...

Tax-Equivalent YieldThe pretax yield that a taxable bond needs to possess for its yield to be equal to that of a tax-free municipal bond. This calculation can be used to fairly compare the yield of a tax-free bond to that of a taxable bond in order to see which bond...

Tax-Exempt Commercial PaperAn unsecured short-term loan, usually issued to finance short-term liabilities, that provides the debt holders (bondholders) some level of tax preference on the earnings from their debt investment at a local, state or federal level, or a combination...

Tax-Exempt InterestInterest income that is exempt from federal income tax. Although it is not directly taxed, this income may still be required to determine other tax calculations such as Social Security benefits.

Tax-Exempt SectorThe market niche comprised of investment vehicles exempt from federal taxes. Nearly all investments in this area are municipal bonds, which cannot be taxed owing to the fact that U.S. law forbids the federal government from taxing debt issues...

Tax-Exempt SecurityA security in which the income produced is free from federal, state and local taxes. Most tax-exempt securities come in the form of municipal bonds, which represent obligations of a state, territory or municipality. For some investors, U.S. savings...

Technical DefaultA deficiency in a loan agreement that arises not from a failure to make payments as promised, but from a failure to uphold some other aspect of the loan terms. Technical default indicates that the borrower may be in financial trouble, and can...

Ted SpreadThe price difference between three-month futures contracts for U.S. Treasuries and three-month contracts for Eurodollars having identical expiration months.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TLV) .TAThe securities market in Israel. Securities exchange in Israel began in 1935 through the Exchange Bureau for Securities, before Israel was a state. Israel became a state in 1948, and its securities market became formalized in 1953 with the Tel Aviv...

Telephone BondBonds issued by telephone companies, or obligations of issuers who operate in the telecommunications sector. Once viewed as the quintessential safe investment, the appeal of telephone bonds has diminished in recent decades with the advent of...

Temporary DefaultA bond rating that suggests the issuer might not make all of the required interest payments, but is taking actions to avoid a full default. Temporary default describes the credit worthiness of a debt issuer that has a high likelihood of defaulting...

Tender1. To accept a formal offer, such as a takeover bid or tender offer. 2. A means of settlement in a financial transaction. 3. A bid to buy treasury bills. 4. A notice from a futures-contract seller to offer money or goods for settlement of a futures...

TenorThe amount of time left for the repayment of a loan or contract or the initial term length of a loan. Tenor can be expressed in years, months or days. 

Term BondBonds from the same issue that share the same maturity dates. Term bonds that have a call feature can be redeemed at an earlier date than the other issued bonds. A call feature, or call provision, is an agreement that bond issuers make with buyers....

Term DepositA deposit held at a financial institution that has a fixed term. These are generally short-term

with maturities ranging anywhere from a month to a few years. When a term deposit is purchased, the lender (the customer) understands that the money can...

Term Fed FundsFunds that banks borrow from the Federal Reserve for longer than a day, but generally less than 90 days. As a general rule, banks borrow term Fed funds when they need a temporary influx of cash, but still wish to benefit from a low interest rate....

Term Federal FundsBalances purchased in Federal Reserve accounts for more than a single day. Term federal funds usually have a maximum term of 90 days. Banks purchase these funds when their borrowing needs will last for several days.

Term Securities Lending Facility (TSLF)A lending facility through the Federal Reserve that allows primary dealers to borrow Treasury securities on a 28-day term by pledging eligible collateral. The eligible securities under the term securities lending facility include 'AAA' to 'Aaa'...

Term Structure Of Interest RatesA yield curve displaying the relationship between spot rates of zero-coupon securities and their term to maturity.

Term To MaturityThe remaining life of a financial instrument. In bonds, it is the time between when the bond is issued and when it matures (maturity date), at which time the issuer must redeem the bond by paying the principal (or face value). ...

The Bond BuyerThe Bond Buyer is a municipal bond market daily trade publication. It began production in 1891 as The Daily Bond Buyer and is headquartered in Manhattan. It is under the umbrella of Source Media, a division of Thompson Financial and is considered a...

Thirty-Year TreasuryA U.S. Treasury debt obligation that has a maturity of 30 years. The 30-year Treasury is the benchmark U.S. bond and one of the world's most closely watched financial instrument.

Timberland InvestmentAn investment instrument used primarily by large institutional investors (such as public and private pension funds). The two main assets that underlie timberland investments are tree farms and managed natural forests. The returns on these forestland...

Times Interest Earned (TIE)A metric used to measure a company's ability to meet its debt obligations. It is calculated by taking a company's earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and dividing it by the total interest payable on bonds and other contractual debt. It is...

Time-Sale FinancingA form of indirect dealer lending or financing used by banks or other third parties. Under time-sale financing, the borrower buys installment sale contracts from the dealer and then makes payments to the dealer.

Timor-Leste Petroleum Fund (East Timor)The Petroleum Fund of Timor-Leste or East Timor, a nation in Southeast Asia, was formed in August 2005 to contribute to the management of its petroleum resources for the benefit of its current and future generations. The fund is passively managed...

To Be Announced (TBA)A term used to describe a forward mortgage-backed securities trade. Pass-through securities issued by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae trade in the TBA market. The term TBA is derived from the fact that the actual mortgage-backed security that...

Toggle NoteA payment-in-kind bond, where the issuer has the option to defer an interest payment by agreeing to

pay an increased coupon in the future. With toggle notes, all deferred payments must be settled by the bond's maturity.

Toll Revenue BondA type of municipal bond used to build a public project such as a bridge, tunnel or expressway. The principal and interest repayments are supplied by revenues from tolls paid by users of the public project in question.

Total Bond FundA mutual fund or exchange-traded fund that seeks to replicate a broad bond index by owning many securities across a range of maturities, from both public and private sectors. The most common index used as a benchmark is the Lehman Aggregate Bond...

Total Return IndexA type of equity index that tracks both the capital gains of a group of stocks over time, and assumes that any cash distributions, such as dividends, are reinvested back into the index. Looking at an index's total return displays a more accurate...

Total Return SwapA 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 includes both the income it generates and any capital gains. In...

Toxic AssetsAn asset that becomes illiquid when its secondary market disappears. Toxic assets cannot be sold, as they are often guaranteed to lose money. The term "toxic asset" was coined in the financial crisis of 2008/09, in regards to mortgage-backed...

Toxic DebtDebt that has a lower chance of being repaid with interest. Toxic debt is toxic to the person or institution that will receive the payments.This debt generally adheres to one of the following criteria: default rates for the particular debt are in...

Toxic WasteA slang term referring to securities that are unattractive due to certain underlying provisions or risks making them generally illiquid with poor pricing schemes and transparency.

Trade Reporting And Compliance Engine (TRACE)A program developed by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) which allows for the reporting of over-the-counter (OTC) transactions pertaining to eligible fixed-income securities. Brokers, who are NASD members and deal with specific...

Trading EffectA measure of performance that examines the difference in returns between a bond portfolio and a chosen benchmark. This difference occurs as a result of short-term alterations in the portfolio's composition. The trading effect reveals whether trading...

Traditional IRAAn individual retirement account (IRA) that allows individuals to direct pretax income, up to specific annual limits, toward investments that can grow tax-deferred (no capital gains or dividend income is taxed). Individual taxpayers are allowed to...

TranchesA piece, portion or slice of a deal or structured financing. This portion is one of several related securities that are offered at the same time but have different risks, rewards and/or maturities. "Tranche" is the French word for "slice". ...

Transportation BondFixed-income obligations of issuers that own and operate transportation systems such as ports, highways, bridges and public transit. Transportation bonds may also refer to bonds issued by companies that operate in the transport sector, including...

Treasurer's DraftA type of bank draft that is payable through a designated bank. Treasurer's drafts are drawn from the

issuer's own account. The designated bank does not verify either the signature or the endorsement of the check.

Treasury Automated Auction Processing System (TAAPS)A computer network system developed by the Federal Reserve (and facilitated by its banks) to process the tenders received for treasury securities. The treasury securities are traded through an auction process in the primary market. Tenders are...

Treasury Bill (T-Bill)A short-term debt obligation backed by the U.S. government with a maturity of less than one year. T-bills are sold in denominations of $1,000 up to a maximum purchase of $5 million and commonly have maturities of one month (four weeks), three months...

Treasury Bond (T-Bond)A marketable, fixed-interest U.S. government debt security with a maturity of more than 10 years. Treasury bonds make interest payments semi-annually and the income that holders receive is only taxed at the federal level.

Treasury BudgetData released by the U.S. Treasury on a monthly basis that accounts for the surpluses or deficits of the federal government. Treasury budget data tracks the changes in monthly balances as an indicator of budget trends and the direction of fiscal...

Treasury DirectThe market where investors can purchase treasury securities directly from the federal government Treasury. This trading system eliminates brokers and dealers, and is conducted through Federal Reserve Banks. Tenders can be made either on a...

Treasury IndexAn index based on the auctions of U.S. Treasury bills, or on the U.S. Treasury's daily yield curve. It is commonly used in determining mortgage rates for mortgages with an unfixed component and as a performance benchmark for investors in the capital...

Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS)A treasury security that is indexed to inflation in order to protect investors from the negative effects of inflation. TIPS are considered an extremely low-risk investment since they are backed by the U.S. government and since their par value rises...

Treasury International Capital (TIC)Select groups of capital which are monitored with regards to their international movement. Treasury international capital is used as an economic indicator that tracks the flow of Treasury and agency securities, as well as corporate bonds and...

Treasury Investment Growth Receipts (TIGRs)Stripped Treasury securities offered at a significant discount to face value and backed by the U.S. government. TIGRs were introduced by Merrill Lynch and were originally issued between 1982 and 1986. TIGR bonds were discontinued when the U.S....

Treasury LockA customized derivative security used by investors to lock in the yield or price of a treasury security.

Treasury NoteA marketable U.S. government debt security with a fixed interest rate and a maturity between one and 10 years. Treasury notes can be bought either directly from the U.S. government or through a bank. When buying Treasury notes from the government...

Treasury ReceiptA zero-coupon bond issued by a brokerage firm and collateralized by treasury securities held for the investor by a custodian.

Treasury STRIPSAn acronym for 'separate trading of registered interest and principal securities'. Treasury STRIPS are fixed-income securities sold at a significant discount to face value and offer no interest payments because they mature at par.

Treasury YieldThe return on investment, expressed as a percentage, on the debt obligations of the U.S. government. Treasuries are considered to be a low-risk investment because they are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, which includes...

Triple-Tax-FreeAn investment (usually a municipal bond) featuring interest payments that are exempt from taxes at the municipal, state and federal levels. Also known as "triple tax-exempt".

True Interest Cost (TIC)The real cost of taking out a loan. True interest cost includes all ancillary fees and costs, such as finance charges, possible late fees, discount points and prepaid interest, along with factors related to the time value of money. It can also refer...

Trust CertificateA bond or debt investment, usually in a public corporation, that is backed by other assets which serve a purpose similar to collateral. If the company experiences difficulty making payments, the assets may be seized or sold to help specific trust...

Trust IndentureAn agreement in the bond contract made between a bond issuer and a trustee that represents the bondholder's interests by highlighting the rules and responsibilities that each party must adhere to. It may also indicate where the income stream for the...

Trust Indenture Act of 1939A law passed in 1939 that prohibits bond issues valued at over $5 million from being offered for sale without a formal written agreement (an indenture), signed by both the bond issuer and the bondholder, that fully discloses the particulars of the...

Trust Preferred Securities (TruPS)A security similar to debentures and preferreds that is generally longer term, has early redemption features, makes quarterly fixed interest payments, and matures at face value.

Trust ReceiptNotice of the release merchandise to a buyer from a bank, with the bank retaining the ownership title to the released assets. In an arrangement involving a trust receipt, the bank remains the owner of the merchandise, but the buyer is allowed to...

Two-Sided MarketA market in which market makers (or specialists) are required to give both a firm bid and firm ask for each security in which they make a market. In other words, those making the market must be willing to both buy and sell at the prices they...

UBack to top

U.S. Savings Bond AdjustmentAn adjustment in the current amount of reportable interest on a U.S. savings bond. In some cases, the taxpayer has already reported some of the interest that was earned and must therefore reduce the current amount of taxable interest. The U.S....

U.S. Savings BondsA U.S. government savings bond that offers a fixed rate of interest over a fixed period of time. Many people find these bonds attractive because they are not subject to state or local income taxes. These bonds cannot be easily transferred and are...

U.S. TreasuryCreated in 1798, the United States Department of the Treasury is the government (Cabinet) department responsible for issuing all Treasury bonds, notes and bills. Some of the government branches operating under the U.S. Treasury umbrella include the...

Ultra-Short Bond FundA type of bond fund that invests only in fixed-income instruments with very short-term maturities. An

ultra-short bond fund will ideally invest in instruments with maturities around one year. This investing strategy tends to offer higher yields than...

Uncommitted FacilityA credit facility with no restrictions placed upon the lending institution regarding the amount of funds to be lent.

Undated IssueA government bond that has no maturity date, and pays interest in perpetuity. While the government can redeem an undated issue if it so chooses, since most existing undated issues have very low coupons, there is little or no incentive for...

Underlying DebtIn municipal bonds, underlying debt relates to an implicit understanding that the debt of smaller governmental entities might also be backed by the creditworthiness of larger governmental entities in the jurisdiction. On their own, these smaller...

Undetachable Stock WarrantA right attached to a bond that can be redeemed for stock, but cannot be sold separately from the bond. Undetachable stock warrants are considered low-risk because they can be substituted for another security with a higher return. An undetachable...

Unearned DiscountInterest that has been collected on a loan by a lending institution but has not yet been counted as income (or earnings). Instead, it is initially recorded as a liability. If the loan is paid off early, the unearned interest portion must be returned...

Unearned InterestInterest that has been collected on a loan by a lending institution but has not yet been counted as income (or earnings). Instead, it is initially recorded as a liability. If the loan is paid off early, the unearned interest portion must be returned...

Unified Managed Account (UMA)A professionally managed private investment account that is rebalanced regularly and can encompass every investment vehicle (e.g. mutual funds, stocks, bonds and exchange traded funds) in an investor's portfolio, all in a single account....

Unit Investment Trust (UIT)An investment company that offers a fixed, unmanaged portfolio, generally of stocks and bonds, as redeemable "units" to investors for a specific period of time. It is designed to provide capital appreciation and/or dividend income. Unit investment...

Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP)A type of insurance vehicle in which the policyholder purchases units at their net asset values and also makes contributions toward another investment vehicle. Unit linked insurance plans allow for the coverage of an insurance policy, and provide...

United States Treasury Money Mutual FundsAn investment fund that pools money from investors to purchase short-term, low-risk securities. A United States Treasury Money Mutual Fund is a type of mutual fund that invests primarily or exclusively in U.S. Treasury bills and repurchase...

Unlimited Tax BondA municipal bond that is backed by the pledge of the issuer (generally a city or municipality) to raise taxes, without limit, to service the debt until it is repaid. Because of this feature, unlimited tax bonds may have higher credit ratings and...

Unseasoned SecurityA financial instrument that has only recently been made available for trading. An unseasoned security has been available to the public for only a short period of time, therefore, with no track record or historical data on which to base trading and...

Unsecured DebtA loan not secured by an underlying asset or collateral. Unsecured debt is the opposite of secured debt.

Unsecured LoanA loan that is issued and supported only by the borrower's creditworthiness, rather than by some sort of collateral.

Unsecured NoteA loan that is not secured by the issuer's assets. Unsecured notes are similar to debentures but offer a higher rate of return with less security than a debenture.Such notes are also often uninsured and subordinated. The note is structured for a...

Unsubordinated DebtA loan or security that ranks above other loans or securities with regard to claims on assets or earnings. Also known as a senior security.

UpgradeA positive change in the rating of a security. An upgrade is usually triggered by a steady improvement in the fundamentals and financials of the entity that has issued the security. Upgrades to the credit rating of corporate issuers of debt...

USTThe abbreviation for the United States Treasury. UST is commonly used for references to the Treasury debt that the U.S. issues. Traders will often use the phrases 'UST yields' or 'UST curve' to refer to Treasury yields or the Treasury yield curve.

Utility Revenue BondA type of municipal bond that is issued to finance utility projects, such as electrical plants, water systems, sewer systems or any other type of public utility. A utility revenue bond is repaid from monies earned through the utility improvements...

Utilization FeeAn annual fee assessed by a lender against a borrower. The fee is based on the amount of credit actually used by a borrower in a revolving line of credit or term loan.

VBack to top

Value DateA future date used in determining the value of a product that fluctuates in price. Typically, you will see the use of value dates in determining the payment of products and accounts where there is a possibility for discrepancies due to differences...

Variable AnnuityAn insurance contract in which, at the end of the accumulation stage, the insurance company guarantees a minimum payment. The remaining income payments can vary depending on the performance of the managed portfolio.    Watch: Variable Annuity Basics ...

Variable Interest RateAn interest rate that moves up and down based on the changes of an underlying interest rate index.

Variable Life Insurance PolicyA form of permanent life insurance, Variable life insurance provides permanent protection to the beneficiary upon the death of the policy holder. This type of insurance is generally the most expensive type of cash-value insurance because it allows...

Variable Rate Demand BondA bond with floating coupon payments that are adjusted at specific intervals. The bond is payable to the bondholder upon demand following an interest rate change. Generally, the current money market rate is what is used to set the interest rate...

Variable Rate Demand Note (VRDN)A debt instrument that represents borrowed funds that are payable on demand and accrue interest

based on a prevailing money market rate, such as the prime rate. The interest rate applicable to the borrowed funds is specified from the outset of the...

Variable Universal Life Insurance (VUL)A form of cash-value life insurance that offers both a death benefit and an investment feature. The premium amount for variable universal life insurance (VUL) is flexible and may be changed by the consumer as needed, though these changes can result...

Vendor NoteA type of debt instrument used in a particular type of short-term loan agreement in which the seller of goods or merchandise sells them to the buyer, but also provides financing for the buyer in the form of a vendor note. The loan is secured by the...

Vienna Stock Exchange (WBAG) .VIAlso known as the Wiener Borse AG, this exchange is located in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most established stock exchanges in all of southeastern Europe. The Vienna Stock Exchange facilitates about 60% of all stocks traded in Austria.

VintageA slang term used by mortgage-backed securities (MBS) traders and investors to refer to an MBS that is seasoned over some time period. MBSs typically have maturities around 30 years, and a particular issue's 'vintage' will expose the holder to...

Voting Trust CertificateA certificate issued by the limited-life trust of a corporation established to limit the control of a corporation to a few individuals. A voting trust certificate is issued to a stockholder in exchange for their common stock, and represents all of...

Vulture FundA fund that buys securities in distressed investments, such as high-yield bonds in or near default, or equities that are in or near bankruptcy.

WBack to top

WallpaperThe name given to stocks, bonds and other securities that have become worthless.

War BondDebt securities issued by a government for the purpose of financing military operations during times of war. It is an emotional appeal to patriotic citizens to lend the government their money because these bonds offer a rate of return below the...

Warehouse BondA type of financial protection that assures an individual or business keeping goods in a storage facility that any losses will be covered if the facility fails to meet the terms of its contract. If the warehouse owner or operator fails to meet its...

Warehouse LendingA line of credit extended by a financial institution to a loan originator to fund a mortgage that a borrower initially used to buy a property. The loan typically lasts from the time it is originated to when the loan is sold into the secondary...

Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE)The largest stock exchange in eastern Europe, located in Warsaw Poland. Trading started on April 16, 1991, and the exchange ballooned to a market capitalization of approximately $200 billion (EUR) in six years. Instruments such as shares, bonds and...

Wealth Added Index (WAI)A metric designed by Stern Stewart & Co consulting firm that attempts to measure wealth created (or destroyed) for shareholders by a company. The WAI takes into account more variables than just the profits or share growth of a company. According to...

Wedding WarrantA warrant that can only be exercised if the host asset, typically a bond or preferred stock, is

surrendered. Until the call date of the host asset is reached, the warrant can only be exercised if the holder surrenders an equal amount of host asset....

Weighted Average Cost Of Capital (WACC)A calculation of a firm's cost of capital in which each category of capital is proportionately weighted. All capital sources - common stock, preferred stock, bonds and any other long-term debt - are included in a WACC calculation. All else equal...

Weighted Average Coupon (WAC)The weighted-average gross interest rates of the pool of mortgages that underlie a mortgage-backed security (MBS) at the time the securities were issued. A mortgage-backed security's current WAC can differ from its original WAC as the underlying...

Weighted Average Credit RatingThe weighted average of all the bond credit ratings in a bond fund. The measure gives investors an idea of how risky a fund's bonds are overall. The lower the weighted average credit rating, the riskier the bond fund. The weighted average credit...

Weighted Average Life (WAL)The average number of years for which each dollar of unpaid principal on a loan or mortgage remains outstanding. Once calculated, WAL tells how many years it will take to pay half of the outstanding principal.

Weighted Average Loan Age - WALAA dollar-weighted average measuring the age of the individual loans in a mortgage pass-through or pooled security, such as Ginnie Mae or a Freddie Mac security. The WALA is measured as the time in months since the origination of the loans, with the...

Weighted Average Maturity (WAM)The weighted average of the time until all maturities on mortgages in a mortgage-backed security (MBS). The higher the weighted average to maturity, the longer the mortgages in the security have until maturity. Also known as "average effective...

Whole PoolIn the mortgage-backed securities market, whole pools refer to mortgage certificates where ownership is represented by an undivided interest in entire pools of mortgages. The term 'whole' refers to the fact that the ownership interest is undivided...

Wholesale MoneyFunds borrowed by corporations, in high amounts, through financial institutions. Wholesale money is a way for large institutions to obtain capital without having to issue shares or bonds. These loans will usually be issued by large financial...

WhoopsSlang for the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS), which made the record books with the largest municipal bond default in history.

William H. GrossA well known bond investment manager who is one of America's 400 richest people as of 2009. William Gross is the founder of Pacific Investment Management (PIMCO) and manages their total return fund as well as several other funds. His investment...

Without RecourseThis phrase has several meanings. In a general sense, when the buyer of a promissory note or other negotiable instrument assumes the risk of default. Without recourse can also refer to a financing arrangement where the dealer's maximum possible...

Workable IndicationA nominal quote in the municipal bond market at which price a dealer is willing to either buy or sell a particular issue. This differs from a firm quote as revisions to the offer are allowed within a specified time period, usually one hour....

Workout PeriodThe period of time in which temporary yield discrepancies between fixed income securities are adjusted.

Worthless SecuritiesSecurities that have a market value of zero. Worthless securities can include stocks or bonds that are either publicly traded or privately held. These securities result in a capital loss for the owner and can be claimed as such when filing taxes. ...

XBack to top

XetraAn all-electronic trading system based in Frankfurt, Germany. Launched in 1997 and operated by the Deutsche Börse, the Xetra platform offers increased flexibility for seeing order depth within the markets and offers trading in stocks, funds, bonds...

YBack to top

Yankee BondA bond denominated in U.S. dollars that is publicly issued in the U.S. by foreign banks and corporations. According to the Securities Act of 1933, these bonds must first be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before they can...

Yankee CDA certificate of deposit (CD) issued in the U.S. market, typically in New York, by a branch of a foreign bank.

Yankee Certificate Of DepositA certificate of deposit issued by a foreign bank in the United States. As they usually have a minimum face value of $100,000, Yankee certificates of deposit are generally used by institutional and other large investors looking to invest funds in...

Yellow SheetsA U.S. bulletin that gives updated bid and ask prices as well as other information on OTC bonds.

Yen ETFExchange-traded funds that invest primarily in yen-backed assets such as short-term debt instruments and bonds, or hold the currency in simple interest-bearing accounts that pay the current money market yields in Japan. Some Yen ETFs will match...

YieldThe income return on an investment. This refers to the interest or dividends received from a security and is usually expressed annually as a percentage based on the investment's cost, its current market value or its face value. ...

Yield BasisA method of quoting the price of a fixed-income security as a yield percentage, rather than in dollars. This allows bonds with varying characteristics to be easily compared.

Yield BurningThe illegal practice of underwriters marking up the prices on bonds for the purpose of reducing the yield on the bond. This practice, referred to as "burning the yield," is done after the bond is placed in escrow for an investor who is awaiting...

Yield CurveA line that plots the interest rates, at a set point in time, of bonds having equal credit quality, but differing maturity dates. The most frequently reported yield curve compares the three-month, two-year, five-year and 30-year U.S. Treasury debt....

Yield Curve RiskThe risk of experiencing an adverse shift in market interest rates associated with investing in a fixed

income instrument. The risk is associated with either a flattening or steepening of the yield curve, which is a result of changing yields...

Yield ElbowThe point on the yield curve indicating the year in which the economy's highest interest rates occur.

Yield EquivalenceThe interest rate on a taxable security that would render a return equivalent to that of a tax-exempt security, and vice versa, calculated as follows:

Yield MaintenanceA prepayment premium that allows investors to attain the same yield as if the borrower made all scheduled mortgage payments until maturity.

Yield PickupThe additional interest rate an investor receives when selling a lower-yielding bond in exchange for a higher-yielding bond. The bond with the lower yield generally has a shorter maturity, while the bond with the higher yield will typically have a...

Yield SpreadThe difference between yields on differing debt instruments, calculated by deducting the yield of one instrument from another. The higher the yield spread, the greater the difference between the yields offered by each instrument. The spread can be...

Yield To Average LifeThe yield on a fixed-income security when the average maturity is substituted for the maturity date of the issue. It is particularly useful when a bond has a sinking-fund feature, as average life in this case may be significantly less than the...

Yield To CallThe yield of a bond or note if you were to buy and hold the security until the call date. This yield is valid only if the security is called prior to maturity. The calculation of yield to call is based on the coupon rate, the length of time to the...

Yield To Maturity (YTM)The rate of return anticipated on a bond if it is held until the maturity date. YTM is considered a long-term bond yield expressed as an annual rate. The calculation of YTM takes into account the current market price, par value, coupon interest rate...

Yield To Worst (YTW)The lowest potential yield that can be received on a bond without the issuer actually defaulting. The yield to worst is calculated by making worst-case scenario assumptions on the issue by calculating the returns that would be received if...

Yield-Based OptionA type of debt-instrument-based option that derives its value from the difference between the exercise price and the value of the yield of the underlying debt instrument. Yield-based options are settled in cash. A yield-based call buyer expects...

Yield-To-Average LifeThe yield calculation of a bond that is systematically retired throughout its life. This yield replaces the stated final maturity with the average life maturity. The yield-to-average life calculation is often used in the case of a sinking fund where...

ZBack to top

Zacks Lifecycle IndexesA series of  indexes developed by Zacks Investment Research, Inc., to provide a benchmark for the lifecycle of target-date funds, with a different index for each target date. The Zacks Lifecycle Index constituents include U.S. equities...

Z-BondThe final tranche in a series of mortgage-backed securities that is the last one to receive payment.

Used in some collateralized mortgage obligations (CMO), Z-bonds pay no coupon payments while principal is being paid on earlier bonds. Interest that...

Zero-Coupon BondA debt security that doesn't pay interest (a coupon) but is traded at a deep discount, rendering profit at maturity when the bond is redeemed for its full face value. Also known as an "accrual bond".

Zero-Coupon Certificate Of Deposit (CD)A certificate of deposit (CD) that is purchased at a largely discounted rate. It differs from a traditional CD in that interest payments are not received yearly, but rather as a lump sum at the date of maturity.

Zero-Coupon ConvertibleA fixed income instrument that is a combination of a zero-coupon bond and a convertible bond. Due to the zero-coupon feature, the bond pays no interest and is issued at a discount to par value, while the convertible feature means that the bond is...

Zero-Coupon MortgageA form of commercial financing in which regular interest and principal payments are deferred until maturity, rather than paid over the course of the loan. While the coupon rate on such a mortgage is technically zero because there are no regular...

Zero-Volatility Spread (Z-spread)The constant spread that will make the price of a security equal to the present value of its cash flows when added to the yield at each point on the spot rate Treasury curve where a cash flow is received . In other words, each cash flow is...

Zeta ModelA mathematical formula developed in the 1960s by NYU Professor Edward Altman that attempts to express the chances of a public company going bankrupt within a two-year time period. The number produced by the model is referred to as the company's...

Z-TrancheA special type of bond class in a sequential pay collateralized mortgage obligation. This class of bond does not receive any interest or principal payments until all other tranches have been completely paid off. In a Z-tranche, the interest that is...