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carry trade


Definition

The borrowing of money at a low interest in order to invest in a security or investment that provides a higher interest. For example, an investor believing that short-term interest rates will remain low might take out short-term debt to finance the purchase of long-term debt. The return on the investment would be the coupon of the long-term debt minus the cost of short-term borrowing. If the price of the long-term debt fell due to rising interest rates the investment becomes less profitable. As another example, a currency carry trade could involve an investor borrowing New Zealand dollars, which could have a low interest rate, to purchase a U.S. dollar-denominated investment, which might have a high interest rate. If the interest rate on the investment declines, or if the exchange rate on the New Zealand dollar becomes unfavorable, the investor could lose money.

Featured Tip

What is Carry?The idea behind the carry is quite straightforward. The trader goes long the currency with a high interest rate and finances that purchase with a currency with a low interest rate. In 2005, one of the ... Read more


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