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L.5 · ADVANCED · 2 MIN

Interest Rate Swaps: The World's Largest Derivatives Market

Interest rate swaps are the world’s largest derivatives market by notional value — over $400 trillion outstanding. One party pays a fixed rate, the other pays a floating rate, and they exchange the difference. No principal changes hands.

Quiz · 5 questions ↓
§ 01
PartyPaysReceivesBenefits When
Fixed-rate payerFixed rate (e.g., 4%)Floating rate (e.g., SOFR)Rates rise (receives more floating)
Floating-rate payerFloating rate (SOFR)Fixed rate (4%)Rates fall (pays less floating)
§ 02
Net Payment = (Fixed Rate − Floating Rate) × Notional × Day Fraction
§ 03

Swaps are how companies manage interest rate risk. A company with floating-rate debt can enter a swap to pay fixed — effectively converting their floating-rate loan into a fixed-rate loan without refinancing.

§ 04
Check current SOFR rates in the **Macro** section. If a company locked in a 3.5% fixed rate when SOFR was 3%, and SOFR is now 5%, they’re saving 1.5% on their notional annually.
§ 05
A company with $500M in floating-rate debt enters a swap paying 4% fixed and receiving SOFR (currently 5.3%). What’s the net annual benefit?
§ 06

The swap market’s size ($400T+ notional) reflects its critical role in global finance. Most banks, pension funds, and large corporations use swaps to manage interest rate exposure. Understanding them is essential for credit analysis.

§ 07
Interest rate swap: a company pays fixed 4%, receives floating (SOFR) on $100M notional for 5 years. Current SOFR: 5.5%. What's their net monthly cash flow?
Five questions · AI feedback

Sit with the ideas.

A company with $50 million in floating-rate debt (SOFR + 1.5%) is worried about rising rates. It enters a swap to pay 4.0% fixed and receive SOFR. What is its new effective borrowing cost?

Why:
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