TOTAL RETURN SWAP

Swap agreement in which one party pays the set interest rate, fixed or valuable, while the other one makes payments according to the underlying asset’s returns including the income generated and capital gains. The underlying asset, called the reference asset, is owned by the party receiving the payment. The swap gives the receiving party the total return in order to gain exposure and benefit from that asset without really owning it. It is popular with hedge funds since it gives huge exposure with minimal cash outlay.