Weighted Average Maturity - WAM
The weighted average of the time until all maturities on mortgages in a mortgage-backed security (MBS). The higher the weighted average to maturity, the longer the mortgages in the security have until maturity. Also known as "average effective maturity".
Investopedia Commentary
The measure is calculated by totaling each mortgage value represented by the MBS. The weights of each mortgage is found by dividing the value of each into the total of all. To arrive at the WAM number the weight of each security is multiplied by the time until maturity of each mortgage, and then all the values are added together. For example say an MBS has three mortgages valued at $1,000, $2,000 and $3,000 (a total of $6,000) and mature in one, two and three years respectively. The weights of these are 1/6 (1,000/6,000), 1/3 (2,000/6,000) and 1/2 (3,000/6,000). The WAM is 2 1/3 years (1/6 x 1 year + 1/3 x 2 years + 1/2 x 3 years).
Related Links
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See also: Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities - CMBS, Mortgage, Mortgage-Backed Securities - MBS, Pass-Through Security, Weighted Average Life - WAL
Also spelled: WAM