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2002 ISDA Equity Derivatives Definitions
A Jolly Contrarian owner’s manual™
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Section 1.45 in a Nutshell™
Use at your own risk, campers!
Full text of Section 1.45
Section 1.45. Knock-out Event.
- 1.45(a) If “Knock-out Event” is specified as applicable to a Transaction, then unless otherwise specified in the related Confirmation, a party's right to exercise an Option under an Option Transaction and its right to receive, or its obligation to make, a payment or delivery under an Option Transaction (once exercised or deemed exercised), a Forward Transaction or Equity Swap Transaction where such right or obligation is subject to a Knock-out Event shall be conditional upon the Knock-out Event not having occurred on any Knock-out Determination Day as of the time of such exercise, deemed exercise, payment or delivery, and the parties shall have any other rights and obligations set forth in the related Confirmation from and after the occurrence of the Knock-out Event.
- 1.45(b) “Knock-out Event” means the event or occurrence specified as such in the related Confirmation. In the event that the related Confirmation does not specify such an event or occurrence but specifies a Knock-out Reference Security and/or a Knock-out Price, a Knock-out Event shall occur for a Transaction for which such Knock-out Reference Security is also the Index, Share or Basket specified in the related Confirmation: (i) where, on the Trade Date, the Knock-out Price is greater than the Initial Price, Strike Price, Forward Price or other initial level set for the Transaction, when the level, price or amount of the Knock-out Reference Security determined as of the Knock-out Valuation Time on any Knock-out Determination Day is greater than or equal to the Knock-out Price; and (ii) where, on the Trade Date, the Knock-out Price is less than the Initial Price, Strike Price, Forward Price or other initial level set for the Transaction, when the level, price or amount of the Knock-out Reference Security determined as of the Knock-out Valuation Time on any Knock-out Determination Day is less than or equal to the Knock-out Price. In the event of a dispute between the parties as to whether a Knock-out Event has occurred, the Calculation Agent shall determine whether a Knock-out Event has occurred.
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Content and comparisons
Template:M comp disc Equity Derivatives 1.45
Summary
If you have forgotten what it is like to have a tension headache, and for some reason feel like being reminded, the sterling work of ISDA’s crack drafting squad™ on Sections 1.44, for Knock-in Events, and Section 1.45, for Knock-out Events, might just be the aneurysm you are looking for.
It is hard not to have some grudging admiration for the rock-jawed consistency of it: having strangled their way through the language once, the inverse is identical but for “-in” becoming “-out” and a single reference to the event having occurred, for a Knock-in Event, and having not occurred (for a Knock-out Event), as this comparison ably illustrates.
With a Knock-in Event, nothing happens until the event — the Transaction “knocks in” — and then you’re in business. With a Knock-out Event, everything happens until the event, and then pop, you’re out.
The concept of Knock-ins and Knock-outs is, thus, basically simple but good GOD ISDA’s crack drafting squad™ make a meal of it. If you stipulate a Knock-in Price below your strike price, if the Underlier falls far enough to hit that price, or go below it, you have a Knock-in Event. If your Knock-in Price is above your initial strike, then the Underlier has to go up to hit it. Whether you have hit it is measured at specified certain Knock-in Valuation Times on Knock-in Determination Days.
Exactly the same goes for Knock-outs, only in mirror image.
Can we envisage a circumstance in which the Knock-in Reference Security is not the Underlier? Well, I can’t but I am sure someone at Goldman could think of one.
General discussion
Template:M gen Equity Derivatives 1.45
See also
Template:M sa Equity Derivatives 1.45
References