Swap Law and Legal Definition
A swap generally refers to the bartering of one thing for another. It may also refer to a derivative in which two counterparties exchange certain benefits of one party's financial instrument for those of the other party's financial instrument. The benefits in question depend on the type of financial instruments involved. For example, in the case of a swap involving two bonds, the benefits in question can be the periodic interest payments associated with the bonds. Specifically, the two counterparties agree to exchange one stream of cash flows against another stream. The swap agreement defines the dates when the cash flows are to be paid and the way they are calculated. The cash flows are calculated over a notional principal amount, which is usually not exchanged between counterparties. Consequently, swaps can be used to create unfunded exposures to an underlying asset, since counterparties can earn the profit or loss from movements in price without having to post the notional amount in cash or collateral.
