Topic: How To Invest

Can you explain the implications of "securities lending" from the securities of mutual funds by the mutual fund company?

Article Excerpt

Mutual funds, index funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) often engage in securities lending. That is, they lend securities to third-party borrowers, mostly hedge funds and investment firms, that mainly use them for short selling. The borrowers then sell the securities with the hope of buying them back at a lower price. This is, of course, a way of speculating on a price decline. The lending institution receives all the dividends and interest it was entitled to as an investor in the security, plus a fee for making the loan. There is negligible risk of losing money on the loan, since the borrower puts up collateral of at least 102% of the borrowed securities’ value. This collateral typically consists of cash, T-bills or highly rated short-term debt instruments. The borrower is also liable for any shortfall between the value of the collateral and the value of the securities. If the value of the securities rises, the borrower has to add to the…