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L.4 · BEGINNER · 2 MIN

Duration: Measuring Interest Rate Risk

Duration measures how sensitive a bond's price is to interest rate changes. It is the single most important risk metric in fixed income.

Quiz · 5 questions ↓
§ 01
Price Change = -Duration x Rate Change
§ 02
Bond TypeTypical Duration1% Rate Rise Impact
2-year Treasury~2 years-2% price drop
10-year Treasury~8 years-8% price drop
30-year Treasury~20 years-20% price drop
High-yield corporate~4 years-4% price drop
§ 03

Longer maturity = higher duration = more interest rate risk. This is why 30-year Treasuries are far more volatile than 2-year notes, even though both are backed by the US government.

§ 04
Check the **yield curve** in the Macro view. A steep curve means long-term rates are much higher than short-term, compensating for duration risk.
§ 05

Duration is to bond investors what beta is to stock investors. It quantifies your exposure to the biggest risk factor in your market.

§ 06
A bond fund has a modified duration of 8.0. Interest rates rise by 1 percentage point. What is the approximate impact on the fund's NAV?
Five questions · AI feedback

Sit with the ideas.

A bond has modified duration of 5. If interest rates rise by 2%, approximately how much does the bond's price change?

Why:
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