A type of debt security that pays interest semiannually and has a yield that is linked to foreign exchange rates. PERLs are denominated in U.S. dollars, but their repayment is determined by the exchange rate between the dollar and a specific foreign currency within a certain time frame. Many companies will purchase PERLs as a means of hedging against foreign exchange risk. 



|||A company wishing to expand into a foreign currency can safely do so via the purchase of PERLs. The PERLs allow for the currency to retain a link to the dollar. Reverse PERLs are denominated in one currency, but pay interest in another.