Forex glossary

Swaps in Forex

A clear definition of Swaps, with practical context for reading markets and making better trading decisions.

Level 2 · From Prices to PracticeCurrency & pricing

Definition

Definition

Swaps are contracts or financing arrangements that exchange cash flows or exposures between parties. The exact meaning depends on context: it can refer to interest-rate or currency swap contracts, or to overnight financing entries shown on some retail trading platforms.

How It Works

Timing can change market conditions and financing. A position held across a cutoff or a transaction with two settlement dates can behave differently from a same-session trade.

Why It Matters

Recognizing the timing term helps you understand why a position, fee, or market condition may change even when your directional view has not.

Key Takeaway

Swaps are contracts or financing arrangements that exchange cash flows or exposures between parties.

Practical forex example

A bank and a company exchange fixed and floating interest payments under an interest-rate swap. Separately, a retail platform may display overnight 'swaps' on positions held past rollover.

Why Swaps matters

Understanding Swaps helps traders interpret market information, plan decisions, and manage risk with more context.

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