A carry trade is a strategy that profits from the interest rate gap between two currencies, assets, or instruments. In forex, you borrow or sell a low-yielding currency and buy a higher-yielding one.
The carry is the net interest you earn for holding the position once funding costs are taken out. A positive carry pays you income for as long as the trade stays open, though the final result also rides on how the exchange rate moves.
A carry trade earns on interest but can still lose on price. The carry income is separate from the price return, so a position with positive carry can lose money if the higher-yielding currency falls far enough to wipe out the interest. Carry trades often unwind quickly when markets turn risk-averse, so traders watch central bank policy, rate expectations, and volatility.
You borrow in a currency paying 1% a year and buy one paying 5% a year, in equal size.
5% - 1% = 4%
While the position stays open, the trade earns about 4% a year in carry before costs. If the higher-yielding currency also rises against the funding currency, you gain on price as well. If it falls by more than the 4% carry, the currency loss outweighs the interest you collected.