What does Effective Duration measure in a financial position?

Effective duration is a key concept in fixed income and derivative securities that specifically measures the sensitivity of the price of these securities to changes in interest rates, factoring in the potential impact of embedded options. This makes it particularly useful when evaluating instruments such as callable bonds or mortgage-backed securities, where the timing of cash flows can change based on interest rate movements.

By assessing effective duration, investors can gauge how much the price of a bond or a portfolio of bonds is likely to fluctuate for a given change in interest rates. This metric takes into account the alterations in cash flows that occur when options are exercised, thus providing a more accurate representation of interest rate risk compared to traditional duration measures that assume fixed cash flows.

Different from other metrics, effective duration provides insights into the risk associated with interest rates, helping financial managers and investors to make more informed decisions regarding the potential volatility of their investments under various interest rate environments.