An option on a forward rate agreement (FRA) that gives the holder the right, without the obligation, to buy an FRA at a predetermined strike during a set period of time. It gives the holder protection against adverse rate movements, i.e., falls in interest rates, by owning the right to stick to a fixed rate for a future period.
For example, if an portfolio manager has $50,000 in cash assets, and would like to guarantee a 9% annual minimum return on the portfolio’s cash component, he/she may buy a fraption for 9% against a premium. If interest rates decrease over the course of the next year to 6%, the investor can exercise the option, receiving the difference between the two rates: 9%-6%= 3%.
The fraption is alternatively known as an interest rate guarantee.
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