Basis Points (BPS)

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Dan Buckley
Dan Buckley is an US-based trader, consultant, and part-time writer with a background in macroeconomics and mathematical finance. He trades and writes about a variety of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, commodities, currencies, and interest rates. As a writer, his goal is to explain trading and finance concepts in levels of detail that could appeal to a range of audiences, from novice traders to those with more experienced backgrounds.
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What Are Basis Points (BPS)?

Basis points (BPS) refer to a unit of measurement used in finance to describe the percentage change in value of a financial instrument.

One basis point is equal to 0.01 percent or 1/100th of one percent.

For example, let’s say that the interest rate on a loan increases from five percent to six percent. The difference between the two rates is one percent, which can also be expressed as 100 basis points.

Basis points are often used to describe changes in interest rates, bond yields, and other financial indicators.

They can also be used to calculate the dollar amount of change in the value of a security.

For example, if the price of a stock increases from $100 to $101, the change in price can be expressed as 100 basis points.

Basis points can be used to describe changes in both directions.

For example, if the interest rate on a loan decreases from five percent to four percent, the difference between the two rates is minus-1 percent, which can also be expressed as -100 basis points.

While basis points are a relatively small unit of measurement, they can add up.

For example, if the interest rate on a loan increases by 100 basis points, that’s a full percentage point, which can add up to tens of thousands of dollars on a long-term mortgage, depending on the amount.

 

Understanding Basis Points (BPS)

Basis points are a unit of measurement used in finance to describe the percentage change in value of a financial instrument.

One basis point is equal to 0.01 percent or 1/100th of 1 percent.

Basis points are a small unit of measurement, but they can add up. For example, if the interest rate on a loan went up by 50bps – for example, 3.5 percent to 4 percent – that’s a decent amount of money.

Principal and interest on a $425k house with an $85k down payment would go from $1,526 to $1,623, or around $100 per month.

That’s about $1,200 per year or about $36,000 over the course of a 30-year mortgage.

Purpose of basis points

Moreover, in finance, it’s often easier to describe things in basis points rather than doing things in percentage terms.

For example, instead of saying that something went up by 1.57 percent, it might be easier to just 157 basis points or 157bps.

 

Price Value of a Basis Point (PVBP)

The price value of a basis point (PVBP) is the dollar amount that an interest rate or other financial variable changes when the basis point value changes by 1 basis point.

The PVBP is used to determine how much a change in basis points will impact the price of a security.

For example, if the PVBP of a stock is $10, then a 1 basis point change in the stock’s price will result in a $0.01 dollar change in the stock’s price.

To calculate the PVBP, divide the dollar amount of the security by 1,000.

For example, if a stock is trading at $50 per share, its PVBP would be $0.05 (50 divided by 1,000).

A basis point is a very small unit of measurement and, as such, the PVBP is also a very small number.

However, the PVBP can be used to calculate the impact of a change in basis points on the price of a security.

For example, if a stock or security increases or decreases in price by a certain number of basis points, the PVBP can be used to calculate the impact on the stock’s price.

If the PVBP of the stock is $10, then a 1 basis point increase in the stock’s price will result in a $0.01 increase in the stock’s price.

 

The Impact of Basis Points on Interest Rates

Let’s say you have a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for $400,000 and the interest rate on it increased by 100bps from 4 percent to 5 percent.

The monthly principal and interest payment would increase from $1,909 to $2,147. That is more than 10 percent.

 

Basis Points (BPS) – FAQs

What is basis points (BPS)?

Basis points is a unit of measurement used to describe changes in interest rates, bond yields, and other financial indicators.

One basis point is equal to 0.01 percent or 1/100th of 1 percent.

Basis points are often used to calculate the dollar amount of change in the value of a security.

What is the price value of a basis point (PVBP)?

The price value of a basis point (PVBP) is the dollar amount that an interest rate or other financial variable changes when the basis point value changes by 1 basis point.

The PVBP is used to determine how much a change in basis points will impact the price of a security.

To calculate the PVBP, divide the dollar amount of the security by 1,000.

For example, if a stock is trading at $50 per share, its PVBP would be $0.05 (50 divided by 1,000).

How do basis points impact interest rates?

Basis points can have a significant impact on interest rates.

For example, a basis point is equal to 0.01 percent. If the interest rate on a loan increases from 5 percent to 6 percent, the difference between the two rates is 1 percent, which can also be expressed as 100 basis points.

This might not seem like much, but it can add up over time – especially if the interest rate increases by several basis points.

What are some other examples of basis points?

In addition to basis points being used to describe changes in interest rates, they are also used to describe changes in bond yields, changes in foreign exchange rates, and other financial indicators.

For example, if the yield on a 10-year Treasury bond increases from 2 percent to 2.1 percent, the difference between the two yields is 0.1 percent, which can also be expressed as 10 basis points.

In foreign exchange, changes in prices are often quoted in pips rather than basis points.

For example, if the USD/JPY exchange rate goes from 120 to 121 then you can say that that the currency pair increased by 100 pips even though it did not go up by 100 basis points due to the nature of the fraction.

 

Summary – Basis Points (BPS)

– Basis points is a unit of measurement used to describe changes in interest rates, bond yields, and other financial indicators.

– One basis point is equal to 0.01 percent or 1/100th of 1 percent.

– Basis points are often used to calculate the dollar amount of change in the value of a security.

– The price value of a basis point (PVBP) is the dollar amount that an interest rate or other financial variable changes when the basis point value changes by 1 basis point.

– To calculate the PVBP, divide the dollar amount of the security by 1,000.

– Basis points can have a significant impact on interest rates. For example, if the interest rate on a loan increases by 100 basis points, that’s a full percentage point, which can add up to a lot more money spent on a loan over time.

– In addition to basis points being used to describe changes in interest rates, they are also used to describe changes in bond yields, foreign exchange rates, and other financial indicators.