
Ameribor is a new interbank rate benchmark that's been making waves in the financial world. It's designed to provide a more accurate and reliable alternative to LIBOR, the widely used but flawed benchmark.
Ameribor is based on a composite of five overnight funding rates, calculated by a panel of banks. This composite rate is then published daily, providing a transparent and trustworthy benchmark for financial transactions.
The five underlying rates include the rates at which banks lend and borrow money from each other, known as the Effective Federal Funds Rate and the Secured Overnight Financing Rate. These rates are used to calculate Ameribor, which is then used to price financial products such as loans and derivatives.
What Is Ameribor?
Ameribor is a type of index fund that tracks the performance of the US dollar-denominated high-yield bond market.
Ameribor is designed to provide investors with a low-cost way to gain exposure to the high-yield bond market.

It was created by VanEck, a well-known provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other investment products.
The fund is actively managed, meaning that a team of professionals is responsible for selecting the securities that make up the fund's portfolio.
Ameribor aims to track the performance of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch US High Yield Effective Yield Index.
How Ameribor Works
Ameribor is calculated as the transaction-volume-weighted average interest rate of the daily transactions in the AFX overnight unsecured loan market.
The rate is expressed on an Actual/360 Day Count and Following Business Day convention, rounded to five decimal places. This ensures consistency and accuracy in the calculation.
The Ameribor rate is calculated after the close of trading on the AFX and is published nightly by the CBOE under the ticker symbol AMERIBOR.
Here's an example of how the Ameribor is computed:
- $10 million at 2.55% (transaction weighted volume = 10 × 2.55 = 25.50)
- $20 million at 2.50% (transaction weighted volume = 20 × 2.50 = 50.00)
- $40 million at 2.60% (transaction weighted volume = 40 × 2.60 = 104.00)
- $75 million at 2.50% (transaction weighted volume = 75 × 2.50 = 187.50)
Total transaction volume = $145 million.
Understanding
Ameribor is a transparent, market-driven benchmark that reflects banks' actual borrowing costs. It's determined by overnight unsecured lending on the American Financial Exchange (AFX).

The AFX is a platform where smaller regional US banks lend to each other for various maturity ranges. This is where Ameribor gets its data.
Ameribor is calculated as the transaction-volume-weighted average interest rate of the daily transactions in the AFX overnight unsecured loan market. This means that the rate is based on the actual borrowing costs of these banks.
The calculation involves summing up the weighted volumes of the transactions and dividing by the total transaction volume. This gives us the Ameribor rate.
Here's a simplified example of the calculation:
The sum of the weighted volumes is 367.00, and the total transaction volume is $145 million. Therefore, the Ameribor rate would be 367 ÷ 145 = 2.53103%.
The Ameribor rate is expressed on an Actual/360 Day Count and Following Business Day convention, rounded to five decimal places. This means that the rate is calculated with a specific day count convention and is rounded to a precise decimal place.
SOFR Rate

SOFR is computed from transactions in the Treasury repurchase (repo) market.
It's based on data from observable transactions, not estimated borrowing rates set by bank trading desks.
SOFR is best suited for larger financial institutions.
This is because it looks at the Treasuries market.
Ameribor, on the other hand, reflects the actual borrowing costs of thousands of small, medium, and regional banks across America.
This makes it a more representative rate for these types of institutions.
Key Features and Trading
Ameribor is an interbank offered rate calculated on an actual transaction basis, based on the U.S. dollar interbank lending market. It's published by the American Financial Exchange (AFX) as a more robust and reliable alternative to LIBOR.
The transition to Ameribor promotes greater transparency and fairness in financial markets. This is especially beneficial for smaller and regional banks, which are represented in the AFX interbank market.
Ameribor is a good benchmark for smaller and regional banks, as it represents their interests in the financial market. It's also seen as a replacement for LIBOR, along with other rates like SOFR.
Key Features

AMERIBOR is an interbank offered rate calculated on an actual transaction basis and is based on the U.S. dollar interbank lending market.
It's a more robust and reliable alternative to LIBOR, published by the American Financial Exchange (AFX).
The transition to ARRs, like AMERIBOR, promotes greater transparency and fairness in financial markets.
AMERIBOR's features make it a valuable tool for traders and investors looking for a reliable rate.
Can You Trade It?
The Ameribor is a benchmark interest rate that can be traded through futures contracts. These contracts are listed on the CBOE Futures Exchange and have a ticker of AMERIBOR.
Ameribor futures are cash-settled, which means the trade is settled in cash rather than physical delivery of the underlying asset.
Futures contracts on the Ameribor have maturities of seven days, one month, and three months.
Background and Alternatives
The phaseout of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) is just over a year away, prompting market participants to prepare their loan agreements for a successful transition to a replacement reference rate.

The Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC) has identified the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) as its preferred alternative reference rate for USD LIBOR. Several potential SOFR replacement rates and choices are being considered.
Many Main Street banks have voiced their support for an alternative LIBOR replacement rate - the American Interbank Offered Rate (Ameribor).
Knowledge Source
High-quality data is essential in navigating inflationary uncertainty, just like how I rely on accurate information to provide the best possible answers.
Data insights are key for financial players to capitalize on SORA, a benchmark rate that's becoming increasingly important in the market.
Navigating rates market turmoil requires a solid understanding of modelled LIBOR alternatives, which can help mitigate risk and uncertainty.
Inflationary uncertainty can be overwhelming, but with the right data, financial players can make informed decisions and stay ahead of the game.
Conclusion and Examples
As we wrap up our exploration of Ameribor, let's take a look at some real-world examples of how it's being used.

Ameribor is being used by banks to create a more stable and transparent interest rate environment.
Many banks are using Ameribor to provide customers with a fixed rate that is tied to a floating interest rate, which helps to mitigate the risk of rising interest rates.
By using Ameribor, banks can offer customers a more stable and predictable rate, which can be beneficial for businesses and individuals alike.
Ameribor is also being used to create new financial products and services, such as floating rate loans and deposits.
The Bottom Line
Ameribor was created as a replacement for LIBOR, which had some significant issues. Ameribor is an interbank benchmark lending interest rate based on overnight lending between banks on the American Financial Exchange (AFX).
The American Financial Exchange (AFX) was launched on December 11, 2017, by Cboe Global Markets and Environmental Financial Products, LLC (EFP). This marked a significant step towards creating an alternative to LIBOR.

As LIBOR was discontinued, Ameribor emerged as a reliable alternative. The Federal Reserve System welcomed and supported the release of a proposal to enable a clear end date for USD LIBOR and promote the safety and soundness of the financial system.
Ameribor serves as a vital benchmark for the financial industry. It's based on actual transactions between banks on the AFX, providing a more accurate representation of market conditions.
Here are some key facts about Ameribor:
The end of LIBOR marked a significant shift in the financial industry. Ameribor has emerged as a reliable and accurate benchmark, providing a clear alternative for financial institutions.
Examples in a Sentence
AMERIBOR is a benchmark rate that reflects borrowing costs of small, medium, and regional banks across the US. It's a key indicator of the cost of borrowing for these banks.
A contract price of 9775.75 points represents average daily annualized AMERIBOR interest of 2.2425%. This is equivalent to 224.25 basis points. This is a significant rate, and it's essential to understand its implications.

The AMERIBOR Futures Lead Market Maker Program is applicable with respect to AMERIBOR Futures. This program helps maintain liquidity and stability in the market.
Here's a breakdown of the AMERIBOR Futures term:
- Cboe Three-Month AMERIBOR Futures
- Cboe One-Month AMERIBOR Futures
- Cboe 14-Day AMERIBOR Futures
- Cboe 7-Day AMERIBOR Futures
These time frames are crucial for traders and investors to understand the market dynamics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between SOFR and Ameribor?
SOFR is influenced by global events, while Ameribor is based on transactions among US institutions, reflecting different market dynamics. This difference affects their stability and responsiveness to economic changes.
How is Ameribor calculated?
Ameribor is calculated as the weighted average interest rate of overnight unsecured loan transactions in the AFX market, based on daily transaction volumes. The rate is then rounded to five decimal places and expressed on an Actual/360 Day Count convention.
Sources
- https://www.investopedia.com/ameribor-6260927
- https://www.traditiondata.com/products/usd-ameribor/
- https://www.duanemorris.com/alerts/ameribor_can_most_boring_benchmark_america_replace_libor_0820.html
- https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/ameribor
- https://sarsonfunds.com/federal-reserve-green-lights-ameribor-blockchain-technology/
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