IRS and Financial Swaps - Fundamentals

At the end of this course, you will have a good understanding of swaps and their peculiar terminology having acquainted yourself with:

• The main historical facts and financial derivatives which have marked their development, the financial volumes they represent today and the parties involved.
• What they consist of, elements to be specified (currency, maturity, nature of flows…) in concluding them and what they are used for
• The two existing major families of swaps (foreign exchange swaps and rates swaps), as well as their respective objectives, characteristics and players
• The many possible variants in terms of rates and other types of swaps
• The basic principles governing the working and organisation of the swaps market. To achieve this, you will have analysed in detail:
  • Rates agreement: definition and characteristics of a rate, frequency of payment, bases, reference indices, fixing…
  • The component parts of the full specification of a swap: life cycle, general characteristics, data relating to the "legs" of the swap, risks (transaction, settlement, commercial, execution)
• Figured examples illustrating their economic and financial logic as well as the underlying issues
• The constraints of EMIR (European Market Infrastructure Regulation) which imposes new requirements regarding the use of derivatives. (Reduction of risks related to Over The Counter derivatives and transparency)

• Basic principles
• Origin of swap transactions
• International development of the market
• Main parties involved
• Various types of swaps:
  • Currency swaps
  • Interest rate swaps
  • Other types of swaps
• Product life cycle
• Contracts and confirmations
• Isda risks