Glossaire

A currency swap is an exchange of debt-service obligations denominated in one currency for the service on an agreed-upon principal amount of debt denominated in another currency. By swapping their future cash-flow obligations, the counterparties are able to replace cash flows denominated in on currency with cash flows in a more desired currency. A company borrowing in GBP at a fixed interest rate can convert its debt into a fully hedged USD liability by exchanging flows with another company with the opposite need. At each payment date, the company will pay a fixed interest rate in USD and receive a fixed rate in GBP. Unlike interest rate swaps, where no exchange of principal takes place, currency swaps include the exchange of principal amounts at the start and at the end of the agreement. Depending on the nature of the corresponding interest rate payments —at a fixed or floating interest rate—, currency swaps can be arranged as ‘fixed-for-fixed’, ‘fixed-for-floating’ or ‘floating-for-floating’.