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Market impact

A CFA and FRM term, defined in plain English with the distinction examiners test.

What it means

The adverse price move caused by the act of trading itself.

The exam angle

Rises with order size relative to normal volume. Trading more slowly reduces impact and increases the risk of the price moving away meanwhile.

Where it appears in the syllabus

  • Portfolio Management pathwayCFA Level III · exam weight 30–35% · Active equity, yield-curve and credit strategy, LDI, trade execution.
  • Liquidity & Treasury RiskFRM Part II · exam weight 15% · Funding vs market liquidity, LVaR, transfer pricing, IRRBB, LCR and NSFR.

Related terms

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  • Derivatives overlayAdjusting a portfolio’s exposures with derivatives while leaving the underlying holdings untouched.
  • Fundamental law of active managementExpected active return is a function of skill, the number of independent decisions taken, and how fully those…
  • Implementation shortfallThe difference between the return on a paper portfolio and the return actually achieved, capturing delay, market…
  • Risk budgetingAllocating a portfolio’s total risk across strategies or managers, rather than allocating its capital.
  • Yield curve strategyPositioning a bond portfolio for an expected change in the shape of the curve — bullet, barbell or ladder structures…

Educational content only. This is not financial, investment, legal or regulatory advice. Check the official curriculum for your own exam before relying on any definition here.

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