Covered interest arbitrage

Similar financial terms

Covered calls
A call option that is sold when the seller also owns 100 shares of the underlying stock.

Uncovered put
A short put option position in which the writer does not have a corresponding short stock position or has not deposited, in a cash account, cash or cash equivalents equal to the exercise value of the put. Also called "naked" puts, the writer has pledged to buy the stock at a certain price if the buyer of the options chooses to exercise it. The nature of uncovered options means the writer's risk is unlimited.

Uncovered call
A short call option position in which the writer does not own shares of underlying stock represented by his option contracts. Also called a "naked" call, it is much riskier for the writer than a covered call, where the writer owns the underlying stock. If the buyer of a call exercises the option to call, the writer would be forced to buy the stock at market price.

Covered call
A short call option position in which the writer owns the number of shares of the underlying stock represented by the option contracts. Covered calls generally limit the risk the writer takes because the stock does not have to be bought at the market price, if the holder of that option decides to exercise it.

Covered call writing strategy
A strategy that involves writing a call option on securities that the investor owns in his or her portfolio. See covered or hedge option strategies.

Covered or hedge option strategies
Strategies that involve a position in an option as well as a position in the underlying stock, designed so that one position will help offset any unfavorable price movement in the other, including covered call writing and protective put buying.

Covered Put
A put option position in which the option writer also is short the corresponding stock or has deposited, in a cash account, cash or cash equivalents equal to the exercise of the option. This limits the option writer's risk because money or stock is already set aside. In the event that the holder of the put option decides to exercise the option, the writer's risk is more limited than it would be on an uncovered or naked put option.

Interest-rate risk on bonds
The price of a typical bond will change in the opposite direction from a change in interest rates. As interest rates rise, the price of a bond will fall; as interest rates fall, the price of a bond will rise. The actual degree of sensitivity of a bond’s price to changes in market interest rates depends on various characteristics of the issue maturity, coupon and special provisions.

Accrued interest
Interest earned but not yet due and payable. In the context of bond, it is the next coupon to be paid multiplied by the time elapsed since the last payment date and divided by the total coupon period.

Zero-coupon interest rate
The interest rate that would be earned on a bond that provides no coupons.

Term structure of interest rates
The relationship between interest rates and their maturities.

Fixed interest securities
Fixed interest securities relates to bonds, bills, stocks and debentures which offer a fixed rate of interest per period. The purchaser buys the income stream and the seller receives loan.

Amortizing interest rate swap
Swap in which the principal or national amount rises (falls) as interest rates rise (decline).

True interest cost
For a security such as commercial paper that is sold on a discount basis, the coupon rate required to provide an identical return assuming a coupon-bearing instrument of like maturity that pays interest in arrears.

Times-interest-earned ratio
Earnings before interest and tax, divided by interest payments.

Stated annual interest rate
The interest rate expressed as a per annum percentage, by which interest payment is determined.

Spot interest rate
Interest rate fixed today on a loan that is made today.

Simple interest
Interest calculated only on the initial investment.

Short interest
This is the total number of shares of a security that investors have borrowed, then sold in the hope that the security will fall in value. An investor then buys back the shares and pockets the difference as profit.

Real interest rate
The rate of interest excluding the effect of inflation; that is, the rate that is earned in terms of constant-purchasing-power dollars. Interest rate expressed in terms of real goods, i.e. nominal interest rate adjusted for inflation.

Rate of interest
The rate, as a proportion of the principal, at which interest is computed.

Pooling of interests
An accounting method for reporting acquisitions accomplished through the use of equity. The combined assets of the merged entity are consolidated using book value, as opposed to the purchase method, which uses market value. The merging entities' financial results are combined as though the two entities have always been a single entity.

Open interest
The total number of derivative contracts traded that not yet been liquidated either by an offsetting derivative transaction or by delivery.

Nominal interest rate
The interest rate unadjusted for inflation.

Minority interest
An outside ownership interest in a subsidiary that is consolidated with the parent for financial reporting purposes.

Benchmark interest rate
Also called the base interest rate, it is the minimum interest rate investors will demand for investing in a non-Treasury security. It is also tied to the yield to maturity offered on a comparable-maturity Treasury security that was most recently issued ("on-the-run").

Best-interests-of-creditors test
The requirement that a claim holder voting against a plan of reorganization must receive at least as much as he would have if the debtor were liquidated.

Capitalized interest
Interest that is not immediately expensed, but rather is considered as an asset and is then amortized through the income statement over time.

Cash flow after interest and taxes
Net income plus depreciation.

Compound interest
Interest paid on previously earned interest as well as on the principal.

Separate Trading of Registered Interest (STRIPS)
Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal Securities (STRIPS) are securities that have their periodic interest payments separated from the final maturity payment and the two cash flows are sold to different investors.

Net interest margin (NIM)
The difference between interest income and interest expense as a percentage of assets.

Nominal rate of interest
The annual return form lending money expressed as a percentage, without having taken account of the rate of inflation.

Arbitrage
Buying an asset in one market at a lower price and simultaneously selling an identical asset in another market at a higher price. Thus, arbitrageurs take advantage of temporary price discrepancies between markets. By the actions of arbitrageurs, the differences are eliminated, driving prices up by their purchases in one market and driving prices down by their sales in the other.

Risk arbitrage
The practice of buying the stock of takeover targets after a merger is publicly announced and hold the stock until the deal is officially accomplished.

Triangular arbitrage
Striking offsetting deals among three markets simultaneously to obtain an arbitrage profit.

Structured arbitrage transaction
A self-funding, self-hedged series of transactions that usually utilize mortgage securities as the primary assets.

Riskless arbitrage
The simultaneous purchase and sale of the same asset to yield a profit.

Risk controlled arbitrage
A self-funding, self-hedged series of transactions that generally utilize mortgage securities as the primary assets.

Currency arbitrage
Taking advantage of divergences in exchange rates in different money markets by buying a currency in one market and selling it in another market.