Glossary of Financial Terms
Welcome to our expansive online glossary of financial terms. Whether you're a finance professional, seasoned investor or just starting your financial journey, this glossary is designed to demystify complex concepts and provide clear, concise explanations of the key terms you need to navigate the world of finance with ease.
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The 20 most viewed financial definitions
Back-to-back (B2B)
Tags: concept market transactions
A back-to-back transaction consists of two legally separate but economically linked sale and purchase transactions which otherwise share the same trade details. It typically involves three counterparties, of which one is the buyer in one transaction and the seller in the other, thus acting as an intermediary between the two others.
Free of payment (FOP)
Tags: market transactions transaction settlement
Free of payment is a settlement method for a securities transaction in which the delivery or reception of the securities is not linked to a corresponding transfer of funds.
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Standing settlement instructions (SSI)
Tags: market transactions transaction settlement
Standing settlement instructions are a market participant’s default instructions for the payment and delivery of securities. They often differ depending on the type and denomination currency of the securities.
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Asset servicing
Tags: activities and occupations post-negotiation
The term asset servicing describes a group of tasks and activities provided by a custodian to his clients around the assets he has under custody.
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Convertible asset swap
Tags: financial instruments interest rate derivatives
A convertible asset swap is an asset swap where the underlying asset is a convertible bond.
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Market claim
Tags: corporate actions post-negotiation
A market claim is a procedure that covers income events and non-income events if a security is traded while "cum" (with the entitlement), but settled when "ex" (without the entitlement), with the purpose of reallocating the proceeds of a distribution to the contractually entitled party.
Year fraction
Tags: financial mathematics time value of money
In finance, a year fraction represents a portion of an interest period, expressed as a decimal figure. It is calculated by dividing the number of days of the portion through the number of days in the interest period.
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Euro BTP Future
Tags: financial instruments interest rate derivatives
Interest rate futures contract on a notional long-term Italian government bond (Buoni del Tesoro Poliennali or BTP) with a remaining term comprised between 8.5 and 11 years and a 6% coupon.
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Assets under custody (AUC)
Tags: custody metric
Assets under custody is a measure of the total value of all financial assets which a custodian manage on behalf of its clients.
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Euro-Bund Future
Tags: financial instruments interest rate derivatives
Interest rate futures contract on a notional long-term German government bond (Bundesanleihe) with a remaining term comprised between 8.5 and 10.5 years.
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Euro-Buxl Future
Tags: financial instruments interest rate derivatives
Interest rate futures contract on a notional very long German government bond (Bundesanleihe) with a remaining term comprised between 24 and 35 years.
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Settlement
Tags: market transactions transaction settlement
The term settlement describes the process of carrying out the delivery of a security and the transfer of the corresponding cash payment between two counterparties to a security transaction according to the terms which have been agreed.
Allegement
Tags: market transactions transaction settlement
An instruction for a securities transaction from a counterparty against your account for which your matching instruction is missing in the settlement system.
Cost constraint
Tags: accounting concept
The cost constraint is a [ACR0011256S]GAAP[ACR0011256E] constraint which stipulates that the benefits of reporting financial information should justify and be greater than the costs imposed on supplying it.
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Tenor
Tags: interest rate markets valuation and pricing
In finance, tenor refers to the time-to-maturity of a loan or other financial contract.
Non-deliverable option (NDO)
Tags: foreign exchange derivatives foreign exchange instruments
A non-deliverable option is an option for which the underlying asset cannot be delivered. Settlement at maturity is made in cash instead.
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Euro-Schatz Future
Tags: financial instruments interest rate derivatives
Interest rate futures contract on a notional German government note (Bundesschatzbrief) with a remaining term comprised between 1.75 and 2.25 years.
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Conversion factor
Tags: bonds valuation and pricing
Multiplicator used to neutralize differences in the characteristics in terms of coupon rate and maturity of the deliverable bonds for a futures contract.
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Business day convention
Tags: financial instruments market conventions
The business day convention determines how to proceed when a date which is relevant for the payment or calculation of interest falls on a non business day.
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Vehicle currency
Tags: foreign exchange instruments foreign exchange market
Currency that is used as a unit of account, medium of exchange and store of value not only for transactions within the country, but also for international public and private transactions.
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