Sovereign Risk

Sovereign risk

The risk that a central bank will impose foreign exchange regulations that will reduce or negate the value of foreign exchange contracts. Also refers to the risk of government default on a loan made to a country or guaranteed by it. The government's part of political risk.

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sovereign risk

The risk of owning the security of an issuer in a country other than the one in which the investor lives. For example, an investor residing in the United States incurs sovereign risk in purchasing a bond issued by the government of Brazil. This risk stems from the fact that a foreign country may nationalize its private businesses, stop paying interest, or repudiate its debt.

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Sovereign Risk

In foreign exchange, the risk that a foreign central bank will significantly alter its monetary policy or other foreign exchange regulations so that it significantly affects one's currency trades. More broadly, it can apply to any political risk that a nation will refuse to comply with an agreement to which it is a party. For example, if one conducts a currency trade involving a pegged currency and the country in question decides to let its currency float, it can significantly impact the profitability of the currency trade. See also: Liquidity risk, Credit risk.