Introduction

A credit default swap (CDS) is a financial swap agreement that the seller of the CDS will compensate the buyer in the event of a debt default (by the debtor) or other credit event. The buyer of the CDS makes a series of payments (the premium) to the seller and, in exchange, receives protection against loss should there be any specified credit event. If such an event occurs, the buyer of the CDS receives compensation (the par value), and the debt instrument is then transferred to them.

CDS contracts are not traded on an exchange and there is no central clearing house. As a result, counterparty risk is high and CDS contracts are often bought and sold in the over-the-counter market between two parties that know each other. In addition, because there is no formal exchange, there is no standardization of contract terms, making it difficult to compare prices quoted by different dealers.

What is a credit default swap?

A credit default swap (CDS) is a financial derivative that provides insurance against the risk of a bond defaulting. The buyer of the CDS makes periodic payments to the seller, and in exchange, receives a payoff if the bond defaults.

Bond owners use CDS contracts to hedge their portfolios against the possibility of defaults, while investors who believe that a bond is likely to default can use CDS contracts to bet against it. CDS contracts are also used by speculators looking to make money from price movements in the underlying bonds.

Because they are not regulated like other financial markets, CDS contracts have been criticized for contributing to the financial crisis of 2008. When large banks and other financial institutions collapsed, their CDS contracts were often unable to be honored, leading to huge losses for some investors.

How do credit default swaps work?

In a credit default swap, one party (the buyer) pays periodic premiums to another party (the seller) in exchange for protection against a specified credit event, such as a company defaulting on its bond payments. If the credit event occurs, the buyer receives a payment from the seller that covers all or part of the loss on the underlying debt instrument.

In most cases, the underlying instrument is a corporate bond. However, it could also be a sovereign bond, mortgage-backed security, commercial paper or any other type of debt instrument. The reference entity is typically the issuer of the underlying instrument.

The buyer of a credit default swap pays periodic premiums (usually quarterly) to the seller. If a credit event occurs, the buyer receives a payment from the seller that covers all or part of the loss on the underlying debt instrument. The payment is usually equal to par value plus any accrued interest up to the date of the credit event.

Find further sources of information in plamed amortization class (pac) article, as well as in mortgage backed gnma yield table explained.

What are the benefits of credit default swaps?

Credit default swaps are a type of insurance that protect investors against the risk of default on a debt instrument. In the event of a default, the swap provider pays the buyer the face value of the debt instrument. This protection comes at a price, known as the premium.

Credit default swaps can be used to hedge against the risk of default on a bond or other debt instrument, or they can be used to speculate on the probability of default. Speculators may buy credit default swaps in order to profit from a perceived increase in the probability of default.

What are the risks of credit default swaps?

Credit default swaps (CDS) are a type of financial derivatives contract that allows one party to transfer the credit risk of a financial asset to another party. CDS contracts are typically traded between banks and other institutional investors, and are used as a way to hedge against the risk of defaults on bonds and other debt instruments.

However, CDS contracts can also be used to speculate on the creditworthiness of a debtor, which can result in increased risks for both parties involved in the contract. In addition, CDS contracts are often complex financial instruments that can be difficult to value and understand, which can add to the risks associated with them.

How are credit default swaps regulated?

In the United States, credit default swaps are regulated as insurance contracts by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, while in the European Union they are regulated as financial instruments by the European Securities and Markets Authority. In other jurisdictions, such as Australia, Canada and Japan, they are regulated as both insurance contracts and financial instruments.

Conclusion

A credit default swap (CDS) is a financial contract that swaps payments in the event of a credit event. A CDS may be used to hedge risk, speculate on changes in creditworthiness, or arbitrage differences in perceived creditworthiness. A CDS contract has five key components: reference entity, protection buyer, protection seller, notional amount, and term to maturity. The reference entity is the issuer of the debt on which the swap is based; the protection buyer is the party who pays premiums to the seller for the swap; and the notional amount is the amount on which interest payments are based. If a credit event occurs, such as a default or restructuring of the reference entity’s debt, then the protection buyer will receive a payment from the protection seller.