Information AboutEuribor |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT EURIBOR | |
| eurozone fiscal matters | |
| interest rates | |
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SCOPE Euribor rates are used as a reference rate for euro-denominated Forward Rate Agreement s, short term interest rate Futures Contract s and Interest Rate Swap s, in very much the same way as LIBOR rates are used for US Dollar -denominated instruments. They thus provide the basis for some of the world's most liquid and active interest rate markets. A EUR LIBOR does exist, but mainly for continuity purposes in swap contracts dating back to pre- EMU times. Domestic reference rates, like on 1 January 1999 . TECHNICAL FEATURES Euribor is determined (fixed) by the , and is a filtered average of inter-bank deposit rates offered by a large panel of designated contributor banks (currently more than 50), for maturities ranging from one week to one year. Euribor rates are ''spot'' rates, i.e. for a start two working days after measurement day. Like US money-market rates, they are ''Actual/360'', i.e. calculated with an exact daycount over a 360-day year. The shorter rates, i.e. up to 6 months, are usually extremely reliable and tend to precisely reflect real market conditions at measurement time. The actual rate at which banks will lend to one another will, however, continue to vary throughout the day. Euribor was first published on 30 December 1998 for value 4 January 1999. EURIBOR-BASED DERIVATIVES Euribor contracts Euronext.liffe 's ''Euribor'' Futures Contract s are based on three-month Euribor rates. They are the world's second most heavily traded short term interest rate futures contracts, behind the Chicago Mercantile Exchange 's so-called Eurodollar contracts, which are based on three-month US dollar LIBOR rates. Interest Rate Swaps Interest rate swaps based on short Euribor rates currently trade on the interbank market for maturities up to 50 years. A "five year Euribor" rate will be in fact referring to the 5 year swap rate vs 3 month Euribor. "Euribor + ''x'' basis points", when talking about a bond, will mean that the bond's cash flows have to be discounted on the swaps' zero-coupon Yield Curve shifted by ''x'' basis points in order to equal the bond's actual market price. EONIA The other widely used reference rate in the euro-zone is Eonia , also published by the EBF, which is the daily average of ''overnight'' rates for unsecured interbank lending in the euro-zone, i.e. like the Federal Funds Rate in the US. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS Euribor reference rates are published on the Moneyline Telerate pages 248-249 and 47860-66. Informative historical data can also be found at the Euribor homepage . |
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