Immunization (finance)

In finance, interest rate immunization is a portfolio management strategy designed to take advantage of the offsetting effects of interest rate risk and reinvestment risk.^[1]

In theory, immunization can be used to ensure that the value of a portfolio of assets (typically bonds or other fixed income securities) will increase or decrease by the same amount as a designated set of liabilities, thus leaving the equity component of capital unchanged, regardless of changes in the interest rate. It has found applications in financial management of pension funds, insurance companies, banks and savings and loan associations.

Immunization can be accomplished by several methods, including cash flow matching, duration matching, and volatility and convexity matching. It can also be accomplished by trading in bond forwards, futures, or options.

Other types of financial risks, such as foreign exchange risk or stock market risk, can be immunised using similar strategies. If the immunization is incomplete, these strategies are usually called hedging. If the immunization is complete, these strategies are usually called arbitrage.

^ Christensen, Peter E.; Fabozzi, Frank J.; and LoFaso, Anthony. (1997). The Handbook of Fixed Income Securities. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 20. ISBN 0786310952.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[1] Christensen, Peter E.; Fabozzi, Frank J.; and LoFaso, Anthony. (1997). The Handbook of Fixed Income Securities. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 20. ISBN 0786310952.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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