Yield curve
From ACT Wiki
Market rates for different maturities of funds are usually different, with longer term rates usually - but not always - being higher.
A yield curve describes today’s market rates per annum on fixed rate funds for a series of otherwise comparable securities, having different maturities.
There are three ways of expressing today’s yield curve:
- Zero coupon yield curve.
- Forward yield curve.
- Par yield curve.
If any one of the curves is known then each of the other two can be calculated by using no-arbitrage pricing assumptions.
The shape of today's yield curve is influenced by - but not entirely determined by - the market's expectations about future changes in market rates.
The yield curve is sometimes also known as the Term structure of interest rates.