A reverse repurchase agreement, or "reverse repo," is the purchase of securities with the agreement to sell them at a higher price at a specific future date. A reverse repo refers to the buyer side of a repurchase agreement (RP), or repo. These transactions, which often occur between two banks, are essentially collateralized loans. The difference between the original purchase price and the buyback price, along with the timing of the transaction (often overnight), equates to interest paid by the seller to the buyer. The reverse repo is the final step in the repurchase agreement, closing the contract.
1
For example, let's say Bank ABC currently has excess cash reserves, and it is looking to put some of that money to work. Meanwhile, Bank XYZ is facing a reserve shortfall and needs a temporary cash boost. Bank ABC may enter a reverse repo agreement with Bank XYZ, agreeing to buy securities and hold them overnight before selling them back for a slight profit. From the perspective of Bank XYZ, which sells the securities and agrees to buy them back at a premium the next day, the transaction is a repurchase agreement.
Notably, Federal Reserve Bank RRPs and repos are labeled based on the viewpoint of the counterparty, not the Fed's viewpoint. In other words, when it comes to dealing with the U.S. central bank, a reverse repo agreement means that the Fed's Open Market Trading Desk sells securities to a counterparty and agrees to buy them back later at a higher price.
2