Learning Module 13: Curve-Based and Empirical Fixed-Income Risk Measures

Fixed Income

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Effective Duration (EffDur)

\[ EffDur = \frac{(PV_{-}) - (PV_{+})}{2 \times (\Delta Curve) \times (PV_0)}. \]

  • Effective duration and effective convexity are useful for gauging the interest rate risk of bonds whose future cash flows are uncertain.
  • Effective duration and effective convexity can be used to estimate the percentage change in a bond’s full price for a given shift in the benchmark yield curve.
  • Calculating effective duration (\(EffDur\)) is very similar to calculating approximate modified duration, as shown in Equation 1.
    • The differences are that \(\Delta Curve\) is in the denominator—since effective duration is a curve duration statistic, it measures interest rate risk in terms of a parallel shift in the benchmark yield curve—and that \(PV_{-}\) and \(PV_{+}\) are calculated using option pricing models.
    • These models are covered in more detail in later modules but include such inputs as
        1. the length of the call protection period,
        1. the schedule of call prices and call dates,
        1. an assumption about credit spreads over benchmark yields (which also includes any liquidity spread),
        1. an assumption about future interest rate volatility, and
        1. the level of market interest rates (e.g., the government par curve). The analyst holds the first four inputs constant and then raises and lowers the fifth input (i.e., parallel shifts) to derive \(PV_{+}\) and \(PV_{-}\), respectively.
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### Effective Duration (EffDur)

$$
EffDur = \frac{(PV_{-}) - (PV_{+})}{2 \times (\Delta Curve) \times (PV_0)}.
$$


- Effective duration and effective convexity are useful for gauging the 
  interest rate risk of bonds whose future cash flows are uncertain.   
- Effective duration and effective convexity can be used to estimate the 
  percentage change in a bond’s full price for a given shift in the benchmark 
  yield curve.  
- Calculating effective duration ($EffDur$) is very similar to calculating 
  approximate modified duration, as shown in Equation 1.  
  - The differences are that $\Delta Curve$ is in the denominator—since 
    effective duration is a curve duration statistic, it measures interest 
    rate risk in terms of a parallel shift in the benchmark yield curve—and 
    that $PV_{-}$ and $PV_{+}$ are calculated using option pricing models.  
  - These models are covered in more detail in later modules but include such 
    inputs as 
    - (1) the length of the call protection period,  
    - (2) the schedule of call prices and call dates,  
    - (3) an assumption about credit spreads over benchmark yields (which also 
      includes any liquidity spread),  
    - (4) an assumption about future interest rate volatility, and  
    - (5) the level of market interest rates (e.g., the government par curve). 
      The analyst holds the first four inputs constant and then raises and 
      lowers the fifth input (i.e., parallel shifts) to derive $PV_{+}$ and 
      $PV_{-}$, respectively.  

Effective Convexity (EffCon)

\[ EffCon = \frac{[(PV_{-}) + (PV_{+})] - [2 \times (PV_0)]}{(\Delta Curve)^2 \times (PV_0)} \tag{2} \]

  • Effective duration and effective convexity are useful for gauging the interest rate risk of bonds whose future cash flows are uncertain.
  • Effective duration and effective convexity can be used to estimate the percentage change in a bond’s full price for a given shift in the benchmark yield curve.
  • The formula for calculating effective convexity (\(EffCon\)) is also very similar to the formula for approximate convexity, as shown in Equation 2.
    • The differences are that \(\Delta Curve\) is in the denominator—since effective duration is a curve duration statistic, it measures interest rate risk in terms of a parallel shift in the benchmark yield curve—and that \(PV_{-}\) and \(PV_{+}\) are calculated using option pricing models.
    • These models are covered in more detail in later modules but include such inputs as
        1. the length of the call protection period,
        1. the schedule of call prices and call dates,
        1. an assumption about credit spreads over benchmark yields (which also includes any liquidity spread),
        1. an assumption about future interest rate volatility, and
        1. the level of market interest rates (e.g., the government par curve). The analyst holds the first four inputs constant and then raises and lowers the fifth input (i.e., parallel shifts) to derive \(PV_{+}\) and \(PV_{-}\), respectively.
View Markdown Source
### Effective Convexity (EffCon)

$$
EffCon = \frac{[(PV_{-}) + (PV_{+})] - [2 \times (PV_0)]}{(\Delta Curve)^2 
\times (PV_0)} \tag{2}
$$

- Effective duration and effective convexity are useful for gauging the 
  interest rate risk of bonds whose future cash flows are uncertain.   
- Effective duration and effective convexity can be used to estimate the 
  percentage change in a bond’s full price for a given shift in the benchmark 
  yield curve.  
- The formula for calculating effective convexity ($EffCon$) is also very 
  similar to the formula for approximate convexity, as shown in Equation 2.  
  - The differences are that $\Delta Curve$ is in the denominator—since 
    effective duration is a curve duration statistic, it measures interest 
    rate risk in terms of a parallel shift in the benchmark yield curve—and 
    that $PV_{-}$ and $PV_{+}$ are calculated using option pricing models.  
  - These models are covered in more detail in later modules but include such 
    inputs as 
    - (1) the length of the call protection period,  
    - (2) the schedule of call prices and call dates,  
    - (3) an assumption about credit spreads over benchmark yields (which also 
      includes any liquidity spread),  
    - (4) an assumption about future interest rate volatility, and  
    - (5) the level of market interest rates (e.g., the government par curve). 
      The analyst holds the first four inputs constant and then raises and 
      lowers the fifth input (i.e., parallel shifts) to derive $PV_{+}$ and 
      $PV_{-}$, respectively.  

Estimate the percentage change in a bond’s full price

\[ \%\Delta PV^{Full} \approx (-EffDur \times \Delta Curve) + \left[\frac{1}{2} \times EffCon \times (\Delta Curve)^2 \right] \tag{3} \]

  • Just as with yield-based interest rate risk measures, effective duration and effective convexity can be used to estimate the percentage change in a bond’s full price for a given shift in the benchmark yield curve (\(\Delta\) Curve), as shown in Equation 3.
View Markdown Source
### Estimate the percentage change in a bond’s full price

<!-- Not sure on the name for equation 3 -->

$$
\%\Delta PV^{Full} \approx (-EffDur \times \Delta Curve) + 
\left[\frac{1}{2} \times EffCon \times (\Delta Curve)^2 \right] \tag{3}
$$

- Just as with yield-based interest rate risk measures, effective duration and 
  effective convexity can be used to estimate the percentage change in a 
  bond’s full price for a given shift in the benchmark yield curve 
  ($\Delta$ Curve),   as shown in Equation 3.  

Key rate duration (or partial duration)

\[ KeyRateDur_k = -\frac{1}{PV} \times \frac{\Delta PV}{\Delta r_k} \tag{4} \]

\[ \sum_{k=1}^{n} KeyRateDur_k = EffDur \tag{5} \]

  • Key rate duration (or partial duration) is a measure of a bond’s sensitivity to a change in the benchmark yield at a specific maturity. Such a measure is important to isolate the price responses of bonds to changes in the rates of key maturities on the benchmark yield curve
  • Key rate durations define a security’s price sensitivity over a set of maturities along the yield curve, with the sum of key rate durations being equal to the effective duration, as shown in Equation 4 and Equation 5:

Where:

  • \(r_k\) represents the \(k\) th key rate.
  • In contrast to effective duration, key rate durations help identify “shaping risk” for a bond—that is, a bond’s sensitivity to changes in the shape of the benchmark yield curve (e.g., the yield curve becoming steeper or flatter or twisting).
View Markdown Source
### Key rate duration (or partial duration)

$$
KeyRateDur_k = -\frac{1}{PV} \times \frac{\Delta PV}{\Delta r_k} \tag{4}
$$

$$
\sum_{k=1}^{n} KeyRateDur_k = EffDur \tag{5}
$$

- Key rate duration (or partial duration) is a measure of a bond’s sensitivity 
  to a change in the benchmark yield at a specific maturity. Such a measure is 
  important to isolate the price responses of bonds to changes in the rates of 
  key maturities on the benchmark yield curve  
- Key rate durations define a security’s price sensitivity over a set of 
  maturities along the yield curve, with the sum of key rate durations being 
  equal to the effective duration, as shown in Equation 4 and Equation 5:  

Where:

- $r_k$ represents the $k$ th key rate. 
- In contrast to effective duration, key rate durations help identify 
  “shaping risk” for a bond—that is, a bond’s sensitivity to changes in the 
  shape of the benchmark yield curve (e.g., the yield curve becoming steeper 
  or flatter or twisting).  

Expected Estimated Price Change

\[ \frac{\Delta PV}{PV} = -KeyRateDur_k \times \Delta r_k \tag{6} \]

  • Equation 6 rearranges terms from Equation 4 to solve for \(\Delta PV/PV\) (or \(\%\Delta PV^{Full}\)):
View Markdown Source
### Expected Estimated Price Change

<!-- Not sure on the name for equation 6 -->

$$
\frac{\Delta PV}{PV} = -KeyRateDur_k \times \Delta r_k \tag{6}
$$

- Equation 6 rearranges terms from Equation 4 to solve for $\Delta PV/PV$ 
  (or $\%\Delta PV^{Full}$):

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