Wholesale money markets

published 10 May 2018

The term 'money market' covers the vast network of deals involving the lending and borrowing of cash in a range of currencies, generally between financial institutions such as banks, as well as manufacturers and the government. It also covers the market for tradable securities, such as Treasury Bills (shorter-term government-issued IOUs).

'Wholesale' means funds borrowed or lent by those financial institutions in large quantities, rather than the smaller amounts dealt in by private individuals. Money market rates vary between currencies and are determined by the supply of, and demand for, short-term cash. Being market-driven, they paint a truer picture of loan costs than central banks' official interest rates.