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Recent Development of the OIS (Overnight Index Swap) Market in Japan

September 2006
Money Markets and Fixed Income
Financial Markets Department
Eiko Ooka, Teppei Nagano, and Naohiko Baba

As short-term interest rates have become higher and more volatile since the end of the quantitative easing policy in March 2006, an interest rate swap, referred to as an OIS (Overnight Index Swap), which exchanges the uncollateralized overnight call rate over a specified period and a certain fixed interest rate, has begun to be traded actively. The use of the OIS enables financial institutions to conduct more finelytuned risk management than other conventional hedging tools. The OIS also provides an effective way to monitor market perceptions about the Bank of Japan's monetary policy. For the time being, participants in the Japanese OIS market are almost entirely limited to overseas financial institutions. With growth in needs to hedge interest rate risks and to conduct arbitrage transactions, an increasing number of financial institutions are likely to enter the market, thus making the market more liquid.

Notice

This series explains recent economic and financial topics in a plain and concise manner for a wide range of readers. The views expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Bank of Japan.

Comments and questions as well as requests for hard copies should be addressed to Naohiko Baba, Director, Financial Markets Department (naohiko.baba@boj.or.jp).