Duration Gap
Duration Gap is a bank balance-sheet concept that helps explain earnings sensitivity, valuation effects or the classification of assets and liabilities as rates and funding conditions change.
Duration Gap is a bank balance-sheet concept that helps explain earnings sensitivity, valuation effects or the classification of assets and liabilities as rates and funding conditions change.
How Duration Gap works
In practice, the metric or rule is read together with the bank's asset mix, liability structure, supervisory framework and stress assumptions. The concept becomes especially important when rates, deposit behavior or asset quality move rapidly.
Why it matters in markets
Duration Gap matters because banks transform short-duration liabilities into longer-duration and riskier assets. Regulatory buffers and balance-sheet metrics are designed to show where that transformation can become fragile.
How to interpret Duration Gap
Interpret Duration Gap together with regulatory definitions and the bank's actual balance-sheet composition. Compare current levels with internal or regulatory requirements, recent trends, peer banks and stress scenarios rather than relying on one period in isolation.
Limits and context
Duration Gap can differ across jurisdictions, accounting standards and supervisory regimes. Regulatory ratios are also snapshots and may not capture intraday liquidity, off-balance-sheet commitments or rapid changes in depositor behavior.
BondStats educational market reference. Definitions describe common market usage and are not investment, legal, accounting or regulatory advice.