Swap
World of Finance by M.Vijaya Sai In general Swap means the exchange of one asset or liability for a comparable asset or liability for the purpose of lengthening or shortening maturities or raising or lowering coupon rates to maximize revenue or minimize financing costs. This may entail selling one securities issue and buying another in foreign currency; it may entail buying a currency on the spot market and simultaneously selling it forward. Swaps also may involve exchanging income flows; for example, exchanging the fixed rate coupon stream of a bond for a variable rate payment stream or vice versa while not swapping the principal component of the bond. Swaps are generally traded over-the-counter. In finance a swap is a derivative in which two counterparties consent to exchange one stream of cash flow against another stream. These streams are called the legs of the swap. The cash flows are planned over a...