Wednesday, September 4, 2013

WSJ: What Is a Basis Point and Why Is It So Important?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Investment professionals regularly refer to "basis points" when discussing things like bond yields and mutual funds.

In the bond market, if the yield of a Treasury note rises to 1.05% from 1% it is said to have moved by five basis points or, as some abbreviate it, five "bips."

Why does this seemingly tiny unit of measure—one basis point is equal to one one-hundredth of a percentage point—get so much attention? It's pretty simple: Basis points can add up to a lot of money for both individual investors and institutions. See original story here.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

No comments: