Finance Tips

Most Financial-market activity takes place wholly within the boundaries of a single country and is denominated in that country’s currency. A large and growing share, however, now crosses national boundaries, as individuals move capital into currencies that seem to offer greater returns, and as borrowers search the globe for money at the lowest price. This international market for money can be divided into two segments. In some cases investors and borrowers will arrange transactions in a country other than their own, using that country’s currency. In other cases, a transaction will be arranged in a currency other than that of the country where it occurs. Until recently, the former were known simply as foreign transactions, and the latter were referred to as Euromarket transactions. The distinction between the two has blurred, however, as this article will explain. A brief history of the Euro markets The idea of using the money of one country to transact business in another

As well as bonds, which have maturities of up to 30 years, and medium term notes, with maturities of 1–5 years, short-term instruments are also traded in the international markets. Commercial paper, sometimes referred to as euro-commercial paper, is debt with a maturity of less than 270 days, issued by corporate borrowers. There is also a lively international market in other short-term paper, sometimes called short term euro notes. These are mainly trade able bank deposits, similar to  certificates of deposit, and government securities maturing within one year. Demand for international money-market instruments, modest until recently, exploded in 1999 with the adoption of the single European currency, then fell as low long-term rates made issuance of long-dated bonds more attractive. Historically, the majority of international money-market instruments have been traded in US dollars, with yen, Swiss francs, pounds sterling, d-marks and Hong Kong dollars also being used sign