Derivatives Markets

Interest rate derivatives markets have enjoyed substantial growth since the late 1990s. This chapter discusses the development of these markets since 2000 and introduces the most popular interest rate derivative instruments. Although forward rate agreements and interest rate swaps are important examples of over-the-counter (OTC) products, futures on interest rates and bonds are innovations of organized exchanges. Both OTC interest rate options and exchange-traded options on interest rate futures are discussed to illustrate an overlapping area of both types of derivatives markets. Participants in debt markets are also exposed to both interest rate and credit risk. To mitigate the latter risk, the OTC fixed income derivatives markets provide credit default swaps (CDSs). As credit derivatives are also a subset of fixed income derivatives, CDSs are discussed further.

Bank Lending and Interest- Rate Derivatives

Using data that cover a full business cycle, this paper documents a direct relationship between interest-rate derivative usage by U.S. banks and growth in their commercial and industrial (C&I) loan portfolios. This positive association holds for interest-rate options contracts, forward contracts, and futures contracts. This result is consistent with the implication of Diamond’s model (1984) that predicts that a bank’s use of derivatives permits better management of systematic risk exposure, thereby lowering the cost of delegated monitoring, and generates net benefits of intermediation services. The paper’s sample consists of all FDIC-insured commercial banks between 1996 and 2004 having total assets greater than $300 million and having a portfolio of C&I loans. The main results remain after a robustness check.

Negative interest rates effects on option pricing: Back to basics?

We provide the first formal investigation of the consequences of negative interest rates in the Eurozone on the pricing of interest rate options. Since the money market rates settled in negative territory and other market segments experienced negative yields, the broader financial community has had to face an unknown environment. The well-known Black–Scholes (BS) framework has become unfeasible for interest rate option valuation. First of all, no-arbitrage properties are breached, allowing arbitrage opportunities. More, the BS framework’s assumption of a log-normal distribution of the underlying rates does not stand with negative interest rates. We argue that the most notable approach which allows interest rate option pricing is [Bachelier, L (1900). Théorie de la speculation, 3rd Annales scientifiques de l’École Normale Supēérieure 17, 21–86.], which assumes a normal distribution of the underlying rates. We demonstrate that the Bachelier model represents an answer to the critical issues that are raised in our study. Still, we highlight that it is far from being an accurate pricing model. Our research aims to light up an intense debate about alternative solutions among academics, financial professionals and institutions, and policy makers.