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What Is A Junk Bond? Junk bonds are debt securities issued by corporations with poor credit ratings, which means they yield more than investment-grade bonds because of their greater risk of default. Junk bonds are also known as high-yield or non-investment-grade bonds. Junk bonds are generally classified as having credit ratings below Baa by Moody's Investors Services and BBB by S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings, the three main credit…
What Is Yield Spread? The yield spread is the difference in yield between two different bonds. Investors use the yield spread to measure the relative value of two different securities, particularly as it pertains to credit quality but also to liquidity and supply, which can influence bond prices and yields. Yield spread is measured in basis points. Most commonly, yield spread is measured against a benchmark, usually the yield on…
What Are Annuities? An annuity is a contract in which an insurance company agrees to pay out a guaranteed sum of money to an investor, called the annuitant, for a specified period. The investor hands over a sum of money, either in a lump sum or over a period of time, to the insurance company, which agrees to make payments, usually monthly or quarterly, to the investor. Payout periods can…
Political uncertainty is a key forex market driver, stimulating participation, order flow and volatility. Whether it's a forced regime change or democratic election, politics can quickly sway currency valuations around the globe. Accordingly, one of the most important forex market fundamentals is a U.S. General Election. Held on Tuesday, 3 November 2020, the U.S. General Election will decide the American government's makeup for years to come. Seats in the Senate…
What Is A Haircut? A haircut in finance has several meanings. It most commonly refers to the reduced value of a financial asset for purposes of calculating capital requirements, a lending margin or collateral level. It also refers to a loss an investor may have to take or accept on an asset. It means the difference between the bid and asked price of an asset as well, with that difference…
What Is A Bank Stress Test? Bank stress tests are administered by some of the world's major central banks to assess the ability of the largest commercial banks they oversee to withstand a major crisis in the economy and financial markets. Stress tests were largely instituted following the 2008 global financial crisis and have become a regular annual exercise in developed economies. In the U.S., for example, annual stress tests…
What Is A Discount Window? The discount window is the mechanism through which central banks lend short-term money to the commercial banks under their authority, both to provide liquidity to the financial system and to manage their monetary policies. In the U.S., commercial banks—both based in the country and foreign-based—can borrow from the discount window at the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks located around the country. Each of the 12…
Market observers have repeatedly thrown around the word "depression" to describe a severe economic downturn. However, when it comes to pinning down a specific definition of this term, there is no consensus. This article will explore the aforementioned concerns, reviewing varying definitions and the different ways to measure the severity of a downturn. What Is The Difference Between A Depression And A Recession? One good way to explain a depression…
What Is Modern Monetary Theory? Modern monetary theory (MMT) is a school of economic thought that essentially posits that governments can run large budget deficits without much concern because they can always print more money to make up the difference. The theory also argues that deficits only become a problem when they cause inflation, at which point governments should raise taxes. American economist Warren Mosler is credited with developing MMT…
What Is The Eurex? Eurex is Europe's largest futures and options market and one of the most liquid fixed income markets in the world. It also offers a broad range of international benchmark products. Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Eurex is a public company that is 100% owned and operated by Deutsche Börse. It has market participants operating from 700 locations around the world, with more than 1.6 billion contracts traded…
What Is A Black Swan Event? A "black swan" is a rare and nearly impossible to predict event that has deep and wide-ranging consequences for the global economy. Because black swan events have generally not happened previously, they are hard to plan for. Nevertheless, some people believe that, in hindsight, the event could have been foreseen and expected. The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 is a good example of a black…
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