The Zero-Coupon Inflation Swap (ZCIS) is a standard
derivative product which payoff depends on the
Inflation rate
In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reductio ...
realized over a given period of time. The
underlying asset
In finance, a derivative is a contract that ''derives'' its value from the performance of an underlying entity. This underlying entity can be an asset, Index fund, index, or interest rate, and is often simply called the "underlying". Derivative ...
is a single
Consumer price index
A consumer price index (CPI) is a price index, the price of a weighted average market basket of consumer goods and services purchased by households. Changes in measured CPI track changes in prices over time.
Overview
A CPI is a statistica ...
(CPI).
It is called ''Zero-Coupon'' because there is only one cash flow at the maturity of the swap, without any intermediate coupon.
It is called ''
Swap
Swap or SWAP may refer to:
Finance
* Swap (finance), a derivative in which two parties agree to exchange one stream of cash flows against another
* Barter
Science and technology
* Swap (computer programming), exchanging two variables in t ...
'' because at
maturity date
Maturity or immaturity may refer to:
* Adulthood or age of majority
* Maturity model
** Capability Maturity Model, in software engineering, a model representing the degree of formality and optimization of processes in an organization
* Development ...
, one counterparty pays a fixed amount to the other in exchange for a floating amount (in this case linked to inflation). The final cash flow will therefore consist of the difference between the fixed amount and the value of the floating amount at expiry of the swap.
Detailed Flows
* At time
= M years
** Party B pays Party A the fixed amount