Question

Explain valuation of interest rate swaps with a simple example.

Answer 1

An interest rate swap is a financial derivative that companies use to exchange interest rate payments with each other.

Swaps are useful when one company wants to receive a payment with a variable interest rate, while the other wants to limit future risk by receiving a fixed-rate payment instead.

Example: ABC Company and XYZ Company enter into one-year interest rate swap with a nominal value of $1 million. ABC offers XYZ a fixed annual rate of 5% in exchange for a rate of LIBOR plus 1%, since both parties believe that LIBOR will be roughly 4%. At the end of the year, ABC will pay XYZ $50,000 (5% of $1 million). If the LIBOR rate is trading at 4.75%, XYZ then will have to pay ABC Company $57,500 (5.75% of $1 million, because of the agreement to pay LIBOR plus 1%).

Therefore, the value of the swap to ABC and XYZ is the difference between what they receive and spend. Since LIBOR ended up higher than both companies thought, ABC won out with a gain of $7,500, while XYZ realizes a loss of $7,500. Generally, only the net payment will be made. When XYZ pays $7,500 to ABC, both companies avoid the cost and complexities of each company paying the full $50,000 and $57,500.