IAS
International Accounting Standards adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).
Idiosyncratic Gamma
Risk due to price changes of a single security as opposed to the overall portfolio.
IFRS
International Financial Reporting Standards previously IAS.
Illiquid
An assets inability to be sold without causing a significant movement in pricer or loss of value Immunization A strategy to make sure changes in interest rate does not effect the value of a portfolio.
Implied Correlation
Correlation, e.g. for a tranche, implied by a pricing model which can be backed out from market prices.
Implied Delta
The delta of an option calculated using an option pricing model with the option's implied volatility as pricing input.
Implied Volatility
Volatility, e.g. for an equity option, implied by the option pricing model using the market price, strike and time to maturity of the option as inputs
In-The-Money
The state of an option when its intrinsic value is positive in reference to the market spot price of the underlying security.
Index Option
An option to buy protection or sell protection on a credit indices such as iTraxx and CDX.
Index Roll
Index roll is a process which happens every six month to accommodate new changes in the index e.g. CDX, iTraxx, LCDX etc. A new series of index is created with updated constituents. The previos series continues trading with somewhat reduced liquidity with new on-the-run index is more liquid.
Index Tranche
A credit default swap which refrences index. It doesn't refer to 100% of index but an attachment point and detachment point is defined to refer to a certain segment of the index. It gives investor the opportunity to take exposure to specific segments of the CDS Index.
Index-Amortizing Swaps
An interest rate swap whereby the notional amount is amortized over the life of the contract according to a pre-specified rate.
Initial Margin
The minimum required value in an investment account to buy or sell a position on a financial contract. On futures contracts, the initial margin must be met on any day in which the opening balance starts off below the maintenance margin requirement.
Insurance Bonds
Insurance bonds, sometimes referred to as 'investment bonds' is a single -premium savings contracts issued by life insurance companies. It allows investors to save for the long term and tax-free earning.
Inter-market Spread
The sale of a futures contract of a given delivery month on one exchange and the simultaneous purchase of the same contract with the same delivery month on another exchange.
Interdealer Broker
Also known as interbank broker, a brokerage firm that operates as an intermediary between dealers to facilitate trades. Some credit derivative interdealer brokers include Creditex, Garban, GFI and Tullett Prebon.
Interest Coverage Test (IC test)
Its an over-collateralisation test designed to ensure that interest income earned by the collarteral is sufficient to cover potential losses and to maintain interest payments to senior-note holders. IC ratio is calculated as the ratio of total interest generated by the collateral and amount of interest required to pay expenses and services of each class (senior, mezzanine, subordinate) of debt plus all classes above it.
Interest Diversion Test
Ratio of par value of CLOs collateral and CLOs liability notional. It comes into action when this ratio falls below a pre-defined level.
Interest Rate
The price you pay for borrowing money.
Interest Rate Option
Generally referes to options on the yield of US Treasury securities. An option to pay, or receive, a specified rate of interest on or from a predetermined date. It gives an investor to express his view on the direction of interest rate movements.
Interest Rate Swap
An exchange of one set of cash flows for another. An interest rate index, a pre-set notional amount with a pre-determined schedule of payments determine set of cash-flows. Most common interest rate swap is the exchange of fixed flows for making floating payments.
Interest Shortfall
Happens when actual interest amount paid to holders of the refernce obligation is less than the expected interest amount. The expected interest amount is the amount of current interest that would accrue during the relevent calculation period on a principal balance of the reference obligation equal to its outstanding principal amount minus the aggregate implied writedown amount.
Intermarket Clearing Corporation
A part of the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) that specializes in the clearing of future contracts.
International Commodities Clearing House (ICCH)
A clearing house for the transactions undertaken on the London International Financial Futures and Options exchange and other derivatives exchanges in London.
Intra-contract Spread
A futures transaction consisting of a long and a short position in the same contract but for different expiry months.
Intrinsic Value
The actual value of a financial contract based on a perception of its true value including variables which are not always accurately reflected in the market value.
Inverse Floater
A type of interest rate swap where floating payout increases when market floating rate falls.
Inverted Market
A futures market in which the nearer months are selling at a higher prices than to the more distant months.
Investment Banking
A field of banking which offers primarily the M&A advisory, issuance and trading of securities and their derivatives, interest and currency management, corporate finance, structured finance and private equity.
Investment Grade
A type of rating that indicates that a bond has less default risk.
Irish Futures and Options Exchange (IFOX)
A derivatives exchange on Irish government bonds and money market instruments.
ISDA
The International Swap and Derivatives Association is among the world's largest global financial trade association which represents participants in the privately negotiated derivatives industry.
Issued Capital and Capital Reserves
This heading comprises the capital stock, the premium received on the issue of shares, and amounts allocated when option rights are exercised.
Issuer Exposure
The credit risk to the issuer of traded instruments (bond, swaps, foreign exchange etc.).
iTraxx
A family of Credit Default Swap index products covering European, Australian and Asian regions.
Jelly Rolls (options)
An arbitrage strategy consist of a long position in one month and a short position in a different month, where both positions are done at the same exercise price.
Joint Probabilities
A statistical calculation of probability of two events occuring together.
Jump-to-default Risk
The Jump-to-default is the risk of default as opposed to the the risk of change in credit spreads.