Basis point

Basis point 

Basis points are used by the banking, accounting, and other financial industries to indicate interest rate fluctuations, and rate spreads. Basis points are frequently referred to in these sectors as “bps” or “bips”. 

Basis points are helpful when discussing interest rates and other percentages less than 1%, such as the cost of annuity riders or administrative fees. 

What is a basis point? 

The smallest unit of measurement in finance is a basis point. Accountants, bankers, and other financial professionals refer to amounts of less than one percent as “basis points.” 

One basis point is equal to 1/100 of one percent, or 0.01% (abbreviated as “bps” and pronounced “beep”). A basis point, then, indicates a %. People use the phrases “basis points” and “percentage points” to avoid confusion when comparing the two rates.  

Consider a situation where a bond’s yield increased from 7.5% to 0.5%. According to the news, a bond “is up.5% from the 7.5% close of the previous day. You could hear a different broadcaster say that a bond is “up 50 basis points from the close of 7.5% yesterday.” In any case, you are aware of the bond’s current 8% yield. 

Understanding a basis point 

One-tenth of one percent, or 0.01%, is a basis point (and .0001 in decimal form). The term “basis” refers to the base move between two percentages or the spread between two interest rates. Basis points are widely used to calculate changes in interest rates, stock indexes, and yields on fixed-income instruments. Basis points are also applied to the cost of mutual and exchange-traded funds. 

The basis change between two percentages or the spread between two interest rates is where the word basis in the term basis point originates. The basis is a fraction of a percent because the changes seen are typically tiny, and even minor changes can have significant effects. 

The basis point is widely used to calculate changes in interest rates, stock indices, and a fixed-income asset’s yield. Basis points are a common unit of measurement for bonds and loans. 

Importance of a basis point 

A basic point considerably impacts the economy’s overall health despite being little. For instance, the effect on the mortgage market, credit card rates, and other financial instruments will be in the billions, if not trillions of dollars, if interest rates rise by only a few basis points. Another aspect of the basis points’ relevance is precision. They help clear up confusion when we explain the differences between the two percentage rates. 

The shift could have been either an absolute rise, from 5% to 5.1%, or a relative change, from 5% to 6%; for example, if someone reported the interest rate had increased by 1% from 5% to 6%.  

However, if we expressed the increase in basis points, we could calculate the precise increase in basis points to be 100. The interest rate consequently increased by 100 basis points to 6%. 

How is the basis point calculated? 

The first thing to remember is that one basis point is equal to 0.01%, or 0.0001 when computing basis points.  

To determine basis points: 

• When converting basis points to percentages, multiply by 100. 
• To convert percentages to basis points, multiply by 100. 

Consider a basis point of 250. To get 0.025 in this situation, multiply 250 by 0.0001 (250 x 0.0001 = 0.025). The translation of this number to basis points is 2.5 percent when multiplied by 100. 

Imagine that you are interested in understanding how interest rates translate to basis points. Let’s continue to use a 2.5% interest rate. To get a decimal representation of this, divide it by 100: 2.5/100 = 0.025. To obtain 250 basis points, multiply this value by 0.0001 after that. 

Uses of a basis point 

The Federal Reserve uses basis points to describe changes to the Fed funds rate. For instance, 0.25 bps is 0.25 percentage points if the Fed raises interest rates. 

A mortgage loan increase, annuity rates, and interest rate spreads are the three ways that basis points are expressed. The difference between two interest rates is known as an interest rate spread. 

The expense ratios for mutual and exchange-traded funds are also presented in basis points. Basis points are often used to express broker commissions, annuity fees, and other administrative expenses.

Frequently Asked Questions