LIBOR Curve

A graphical representation of various maturities of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is the short-term floating rate at which large banks with high credit ratings lend to each other. The LIBOR curve is usually depicted for short-term periods of less than one year. 



|||The LIBOR curve and the Treasury yield curve are the most widely-used proxies for the risk-free interest rates. Although not theoretically risk-free, LIBOR is considered a good proxy against which to measure the risk/return tradeoff for other short-term floating rate instruments. The LIBOR curve can be predictive of longer-term interest rates and is especially important in the pricing of interest rate swaps.