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Product Glossary

The following table identifies some of the key securities and financial products which BGC brokers:

Agency Bonds Securities issued or pooled, serviced and, sometimes, guaranteed by government agencies or quasi-governmental agencies to finance their activities ( e.g. , credit support of home mortgages). Examples of such agencies include the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal National Mortgage Association and Freddie Mac.
Asset-Backed Securities that represent either an ownership claim in a pool of securities or an obligation that is secured by a pool of securities where these securities are collateralized by hard assets such as automobile loans or credit card receivables.
Asset Swaps An exchange of two assets. Asset swaps are done most often in order to achieve a more favorable payment stream and typically involve debt obligations.
Basis Swaps An exchange of cash flows based on the difference between the cash price and the futures price of a given commodity.
Commodity Futures Contract An agreement to buy or sell a set amount of a commodity at a predetermined price and date. Buyers often use these to avoid the risks associated with the price fluctuations of the product or raw material, while sellers try to lock in a price for their products.
Commodity Swap A swap where exchanged cash flows are dependent on the price of an underlying commodity. This is usually used to hedge against the price of a commodity.
Convertible Bonds Debt obligations that can be converted into shares of stock in the issuing company, usually at some pre-announced ratio.
Corporate Bonds Debt obligations issued by private corporations (includes high yield bonds and convertible bonds).
Credit Derivatives Contractual agreements entered into between two counterparties under which each agrees that one party will make payment to another party if the underlying security or bond defaults for an agreed upon period based on a notional amount of principal.
Emerging Market Bonds Securities issued by governments and other issuers (including supranational and corporate bonds) in countries with developing economies.
Energy Derivatives Derivative instrument in which the underlying asset is based on energy products such as crude oil, natural gas and electricity, which trade either on an exchange or over-the-counter. Energy derivatives can be options, futures or swap agreements, among others. The value of a derivative will vary based on the changes of the price of the underlying asset.
Equity Derivatives A class of financial instruments whose value is at least partly derived from one or more underlying equity securities. Market participants generally trade equity derivatives in order to transfer or transform certain risks associated with the underlying securities.
Equity Index Futures Instruments that call for the delivery of the cash equivalent of a stock index at a specific delivery (or maturity) date for an agreed upon price (the future price) to be paid at contract maturity.
Eurobonds Securities syndicated and sold internationally that may be issued in a currency other than that of the country of the issuer.
Floating Rate Notes Debt obligations that have a variable coupon equal to a money market reference rate, like LIBOR or the federal funds rate, plus a spread. The spread generally remains constant and the market reference rate fluctuates.
Foreign Exchange Futures Instruments that call for the delivery of foreign currency at a specific delivery (or maturity) date for an agreed upon price (the future price) to be paid at contract maturity.
Foreign Exchange (Spot) Large-scale currency trading, usually with a minimum trade size of $1 million, traded with an expectation that the transaction will price at the real-time market price and close within two days.
Foreign Exchange Swap/Forwards A foreign exchange swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange a given amount of one currency for another and, after a specified period of time, to give back the original amounts swapped. The obligation to close the swap is a forward contract.
Global Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements Short-term sales/purchases of securities with a promise to repurchase/sell back the securities at a higher price. Repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements are typically overnight transactions although many transactions are for periods up to one year. These agreements are the preferred method of financing government bonds and agency bonds and investing cash (with government bonds and agency bonds as collateral) that are used by banks and investment banks.
Government Bonds Debt obligations issued and backed by the issuing government (i.e., issued in the country’s own currency). Examples include U.S. Treasury bonds, German Bunds, and U.K. Gilts.
High Yield Bonds Debt obligations that are rated below investment grade on their date of issuance.
Inflation Swaps Contractual agreements entered into between two counterparties under which one agrees to pay amounts against an underlying interest rate benchmark and the other pays an amount linked to an inflation index, like the Consumer Price Index, for an agreed upon period based on a notional amount of principal.
Interest Rate Futures Instruments that call for the delivery of interest-bearing securities or interest rate products or their cash equivalent at a specific delivery (or maturity) date for an agreed upon price (the future price) to be paid at contract maturity.
Interest Rate Swaps Contractual agreements entered into between two counterparties under which each party agrees to make periodic payments to each other for an agreed upon period based on a notional amount of principal and an underlying interest rate benchmark.
Money Market Products Full range of interest-bearing, short-term investments with maturities of less than one year, including certificates of deposit and commercial paper.
Mortgage-Backed Securities that represent either an ownership claim in a pool of mortgages or an obligation that is secured by a pool of mortgages. For example, the Government National Mortgage Association and the Federal National Mortgage Association issue such securities.
Off-The-Run U.S. Treasury Securities Treasury bonds and notes that were formerly on-the-run benchmarks but have been supplanted by more recently issued securities. When a new on-the-run benchmark is issued, the current on-the-run becomes an off-the-run.
Options on Equity Products (a common type of equity derivative) Contractual obligations that give the holder the right to buy or sell the cash equivalent of a single equity share or equity index, like the Standard & Poor’s 500, at a specified exercise price on or before a specified expiration date. An investor also can buy or sell an option on an equity future or an equity index future.
Options on Foreign Exchange Products Contractual obligations that give the holder the right to buy or sell a quantity of a foreign currency for a specific amount of domestic currency at a specified exercise price on or before a specified expiration date.
Options on Interest Rate Products Contractual obligations that give the holder the right to buy or sell interest-bearing debt, such as Treasury notes, at a specified exercise price on or before a specified expiration date (includes bond options).
Sovereign Bonds Debt obligations issued by a national government.
Supranational Bonds Debt obligations issued and backed by supranational agencies such as the World Bank or the European Union.
U.S. Treasury Spreads Financial products (e.g., interest rate swaps) that trade in relation to U.S. Treasury on-the-run benchmarks, the most recently issued Treasury securities that are the standard trading instruments in the bond market. A Treasury spread is derived from the price or yield difference between the financial product being traded and the benchmark.
U.S. Treasury Inflation Protection Securities Debt issued by the U.S. Treasury that offer protection against inflation because their principal and interest payments are linked to inflation.
When-Issued U.S. Treasury Securities New issues that will be created through the auction process and will become the new on-the-run benchmarks. A when-issued instrument has been authorized and may be traded although it has not yet been issued.
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For a thorough glossary of commonly used terms in real estate, please go to: http://www.costar.com/about/glossary.aspx?hl=1. All trades executed on the eSpeed platform settle for clearing purposes against Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (“CFC”), a BGC affiliate. CFC is a member of FINRA (formerly NASD) and the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation. CFC, BGC, and other affiliates participate in U.S. Treasuries as well as other markets by posting quotations for their account and by acting as principal on trades with platform users. Such activity is intended, among other things, to assist CFC, BGC, and their affiliates in managing their proprietary positions (including, but not limited to, those established as a result of combination trades and errors), facilitating transactions, framing markets, adding liquidity, increasing commissions and attracting order flow.


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