IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/cfrwps/0916.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Trading the bond-CDS basis: The role of credit risk and liquidity

Author

Listed:
  • Trapp, Monika

Abstract

We analyze trading opportunities that arise from differences between the bond and the CDS market. By simultaneously entering a position in a CDS contract and the underlying bond, traders can build a default-risk free position that allows them to repeatedly earn the difference between the bond asset swap spread and the CDS, known as the basis. We show that the basis size is closely related to measures of company-specific credit risk and liquidity, and to market conditions. In analyzing the aggregate profits of these basis trading strategies, we document that dissolving a position leads to significant profit variations, but that attractive risk-return characteristics still apply. The aggregate profits depend on the credit risk, liquidity, and market measures even more strongly than the basis itself, and we show which conditions make long and short basis trades more profitable. Finally, we document the impact of the financial crisis on the profits of long and short basis trades, and show that the formerly more profitable long basis trades experienced stronger profit decreases than short basis trades.

Suggested Citation

  • Trapp, Monika, 2009. "Trading the bond-CDS basis: The role of credit risk and liquidity," CFR Working Papers 09-16, University of Cologne, Centre for Financial Research (CFR).
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:cfrwps:0916
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/41361/1/616613229.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jan De Wit, 2006. "Exploring the CDS-Bond Basis," Working Paper Research 104, National Bank of Belgium.
    2. Pierre Collin-Dufresn & Robert S. Goldstein & J. Spencer Martin, 2001. "The Determinants of Credit Spread Changes," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 56(6), pages 2177-2207, December.
    3. Didier Cossin & Tomas Hricko & Daniel Aunon-Nerin & Zhijiang Huang, 2002. "Exploring for the Determinants of Credit Risk in Credit Default Swap Transaction Data: Is Fixed-Income Markets’ Information Suffcient to Evaluate Credit Risk?," FAME Research Paper Series rp65, International Center for Financial Asset Management and Engineering.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Óscar Arce & Sergio Mayordomo & Juan Ignacio Peña, 2012. "Credit-valuation in the sovereing CDS and bonds markets: Evidence from the euro area crisis," CNMV Working Papers CNMV Working Papers no. 5, CNMV- Spanish Securities Markets Commission - Research and Statistics Department.
    2. Nina Boyarchenko & Pooja Gupta & Nick Steele & Jacqueline Yen, 2018. "Trends in credit basis spreads," Economic Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, issue 24-2, pages 15-37.
    3. Juan Ignacio Pe~na, 2019. "Credit Cycles, Securitization, and Credit Default Swaps," Papers 1901.00177, arXiv.org.
    4. Nina Boyarchenko & Pooja Gupta & Nick Steele & Jacqueline Yen, 2016. "Trends in credit market arbitrage," Staff Reports 784, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    5. Arce, Oscar & Mayordomo, Sergio & Peña, Juan Ignacio, 2013. "Credit-risk valuation in the sovereign CDS and bonds markets: Evidence from the euro area crisis," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 124-145.
    6. Sergio Mayordomo & Juan Ignacio Peña & Juan Romo, 2011. "A New Test of Statistical Arbitrage with Applications to Credit Derivatives Markets," CNMV Working Papers CNMV Working Papers no. 4, CNMV- Spanish Securities Markets Commission - Research and Statistics Department.
    7. Ejsing, Jacob & Grothe, Magdalena & Grothe, Oliver, 2012. "Liquidity and credit risk premia in government bond yields," Working Paper Series 1440, European Central Bank.
    8. Óscar Arce & Fco. Javier González Pueyo & Lucio Sanjuán, 2010. "The Credit Default Swaps market: areas of vulnerability and regulatory responses," CNMV Working Papers CNMV Working Papers no. 4, CNMV- Spanish Securities Markets Commission - Research and Statistics Department.
    9. Ejsing, Jacob & Grothe, Magdalena & Grothe, Oliver, 2015. "Liquidity and credit premia in the yields of highly-rated sovereign bonds," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 160-173.
    10. Guesmi, Sahar & Ben-Abdallah, Ramzi & Breton, Michèle & Dionne, Georges, 2019. "The CDS-bond Basis: Negativity Persistence and Limits to Arbitrage," Working Papers 19-4, HEC Montreal, Canada Research Chair in Risk Management.
    11. R. Pianeti & R. Giacometti, 2015. "Estimating the probability of multiple EU sovereign defaults using CDS and bond data," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 61-78, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giorgia Palladini & Richard Portes, 2011. "Sovereign CDS and Bond Pricing Dynamics in the Euro-area," NBER Working Papers 17586, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Lamia Bekkour & Thorsten Lehnert & Maria Chiara Amadori, 2011. "The Relative Informational Efficiency of Stocks, Options and Credit Default Swaps," LSF Research Working Paper Series 11-13, Luxembourg School of Finance, University of Luxembourg.
    3. Xiaoqing Fu & Matthew C. Li & Philip Molyneux, 2021. "Credit default swap spreads: market conditions, firm performance, and the impact of the 2007–2009 financial crisis," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(5), pages 2203-2225, May.
    4. Bühler, Wolfgang & Trapp, Monika, 2009. "Explaining the Bond-CDS Basis: The role of credit risk and liquidity," CFR Working Papers 09-12, University of Cologne, Centre for Financial Research (CFR).
    5. Francis A. Longstaff & Sanjay Mithal & Eric Neis, 2005. "Corporate Yield Spreads: Default Risk or Liquidity? New Evidence from the Credit Default Swap Market," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(5), pages 2213-2253, October.
    6. Jitmaneeroj, Boonlert, 2018. "Is Thailand’s credit default swap market linked to bond and stock markets? Evidence from the term structure of credit spreads," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 324-341.
    7. Benbouzid, Nadia & Mallick, Sushanta & Pilbeam, Keith, 2018. "The housing market and the credit default swap premium in the UK banking sector: A VAR approach," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 1-15.
    8. Alexander, Carol & Kaeck, Andreas, 2008. "Regime dependent determinants of credit default swap spreads," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1008-1021, June.
    9. Jan De Wit, 2006. "Exploring the CDS-Bond Basis," Working Paper Research 104, National Bank of Belgium.
    10. Clothilde Lesplingart & Christophe Majois & Mikael Petitjean, 2012. "Liquidity and CDS premiums on European companies around the Subprime crisis," Review of Derivatives Research, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 257-281, October.
    11. Roberto Blanco & Simon Brennan & Ian W. Marsh, 2004. "An empirical analysis of the dynamic relationship between investment grade bonds and credit default swaps," Working Papers 0401, Banco de España.
    12. Sergio Mayordomo & Juan Ignacio Peña & Juan Romo, 2011. "A New Test of Statistical Arbitrage with Applications to Credit Derivatives Markets," CNMV Working Papers CNMV Working Papers no. 4, CNMV- Spanish Securities Markets Commission - Research and Statistics Department.
    13. Antonio Di Cesare & Giovanni Guazzarotti, 2010. "An analysis of the determinants of credit default swap spread changes before and during the subprime financial turmoil," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 749, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    14. Song Han & Hao Zhou, 2016. "Effects of Liquidity on the Non-Default Component of Corporate Yield Spreads: Evidence from Intraday Transactions Data," Quarterly Journal of Finance (QJF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 6(03), pages 1-49, September.
    15. Lars Norden & Martin Weber, 2009. "The Co†movement of Credit Default Swap, Bond and Stock Markets: an Empirical Analysis," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 15(3), pages 529-562, June.
    16. Sergio Mayordomo & Juan Ignacio Peña & Eduardo S. Schwartz, 2014. "Are All Credit Default Swap Databases Equal?," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 20(4), pages 677-713, September.
    17. Gann, Philipp, 2008. "Der Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process als regulatorischer Treiber eines aktiven Kreditportfoliomanagements," Discussion Papers in Business Administration 4831, University of Munich, Munich School of Management.
    18. Weber, Martin & Norden, Lars, 2004. "The Comovement of Credit Default Swap, Bond and Stock Markets: An Empirical Analysis," CEPR Discussion Papers 4674, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Nasiri, Maryam Akbari & Narayan, Paresh Kumar & Mishra, Sagarika, 2019. "Reaction of the credit default swap market to the release of periodic financial reports," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    20. Pelster, Matthias & Vilsmeier, Johannes, 2016. "The determinants of CDS spreads: Evidence from the model space," Discussion Papers 43/2016, Deutsche Bundesbank.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    bond asset swap spreads; CDS premia; basis trading profits; credit risk; liquidity; fixed-effects; vector error correction model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models
    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G13 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Contingent Pricing; Futures Pricing
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:cfrwps:0916. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cfkoede.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.