Bond Yields and Prices



Bond Yields and Prices

Chapter 8

Interest Rates

Interest rates measure the price paid by a borrower to a lender for the use of resources over time

Interest rates are the price for loanable funds

• Price varies due to supply and demand for these funds

Rate variation is measured in basis points

▪ Rates and basis points

2 100 basis points are equal to one percentage point

Determinants of Interest Rates

Required rate of return:

2 risk-free rate + a risk premium

Short-term riskless rate

1 Provides foundation for other rates

2 Approximated by rate on Treasury bills---risk-free rate

• Fisher hypothesis

o RF≈RR+EI

▪ Nominal short-term rate rises with anticipated inflation

▪ Expected real rate estimates obtained by subtracting the expected inflation rate from the observed nominal rate

▪ Realized real short term rate may be less than expected if experience unanticipated inflation

▪ Real interest rate is an ex ante concept

Other rates differ because of

1 Maturity differentials

2 Security risk premiums

Maturity differentials

1 Term structure of interest rates

1 Accounts for the relationship between time and yield for bonds that are the same in every other respect—Liquidity Premium Theory

Risk premium

1 Yield spread or yield differential

2 Associated with issuer’s particular situation or particular market

Measuring Bond Yields

Current Yield

annual coupon interest in dollars = C

• Current yield = Current Price P

• Does not account for capital gain (loss)

Yield to maturity

1 Most commonly used

2 Promised compound rate of return received from a bond purchased at the current market price and held to maturity

• Assumes:

o Interest payments reinvested

1 Reinvested at computed YTM

3 Equates the present value of the expected future cash flows to the initial investment

1 Similar to internal rate of return

Yield to Maturity

Solve for YTM:

▪ Approximation formula:

Par Value - Current Price

coupon interest in dollars + n___________

Current Price + Par Value

2

• where n is the number of years to maturity

▪ Exact formula:

[pic]

• Solve for r by trial and error.

For a zero coupon bond

▪ YTM= (Par Value/Price)1/n -1

Investors earn the YTM if the bond is held to maturity, all coupons are reinvested at YTM, and rates do not change

Other Yields

• Treasury bill yields:

▪ Discount yield (d):

• [pic]

o where n is number of days to maturity; price is expressed in dollars per $100 of par value or face amount.

▪ Equivalent bond or coupon yield (i):

[pic]

• Yield compounding:

▪ For Finite compounding

• Realized yield (Effective Yield) = (l + r/m)m - 1

• where

o r = stated interest rate per year,

o m = number of times interest is compounded per year.

▪ For continuous compounding:

• Realized yield (Effective Yield) = er - 1

Yield to Call

Use the YTC when bond is likely to be called (selling at a premium)

Yield based on the deferred call period

Deferred period: Callable bonds often have a deferred period during which the bond cannot be called

Call Value: Bonds are called at a price different than the maturity value. The call value may be stated as a flat amount or as a percentage of par.

Calculate YTC: substitute number of periods until first call date for the number of periods until maturity and call price for face value

▪ Approximation formula:

Call Value - Current Price

coupon interest in dollars + n___________

Current Price + Call Value

2

• where n is the number of years to first call

▪ Exact formula:

[pic]

• Solve for r by trial and error.

Realized Compound Yield

Rate of return actually earned on a bond given the reinvestment of the coupons at varying rates

▪ RCY= (Total dollars Received/Purchase price of Bond)1/2n –1

• Where n = # of years

• RCY is the semi-annual rate

• Reinvestment Risk

▪ Holding everything else constant, the longer the maturity of a bond, the greater the reinvestment risk

• For long term bonds, the interest on interest compounding affect may account for more than three-quarters of bond’s total return

▪ Holding everything else constant, the higher the coupon rate, the greater the dependence of the total dollar return from the bond on the reinvestment of the coupon payments

▪ Zero Coupon bonds have no reinvestment risk

Horizon return analysis

1 Bond returns based on assumptions about reinvestment rates

• Estimate:

o Time will hold bond (planning horizon)

o Interest rate over the period

o Calculate the value of interest payment and compounded interest on payments given interest assumptions

o Estimate the YTM that will prevail at the end of the period

o Calculate the price of the bond at the end of the holding period

Valuation Principle

Intrinsic value

1 Present value of the expected cash flows

2 Required to compute intrinsic value

1 Expected cash flows

2 Timing of expected cash flows

3 Discount rate, or required rate of return by investors

15 Price =[pic]

Bond Valuation

Value of a coupon bond:

17 Bond Price =[pic]

[pic]

3 Remember—Most bonds pay semiannual then c must be the semiannual interest payment, YTM must be divided by 2 and n must be multiplied by 2

Biggest problem is determining the discount rate or required yield

5 Required yield is the current market rate earned on comparable bonds with same maturity and credit risk

Coupon Rate - YTM Relationship

• Coupon Rate > YTM −−− sell at premium

• Coupon Rate < YTM −−− sell at discount

• Coupon Rate = YTM −−−sell at par or face value

Bond Price Changes

Over time, with everything else held constant, bond prices that differ from face value must change—they must converge to Par value at maturity

▪ Bonds sold at premium must decrease in value to Par

▪ Bonds sold at a discount must increase in value to Par

How do the bond prices change given a change in interest rates?

▪ As rates change prices of bonds change

3 Malkiel Five Theorems:

4 Bond prices move inversely to market yields

▪ As interest rates rise, bond prices decline, but this is not 1-1 relationship.

5 Holding maturity constant, a decrease in rates will raise bond prices more on a percentage basis than a corresponding increase in rates will lower bond prices

6 The change in bond prices due to a yield change is directly related to time to maturity. For a given change in the market yield, changes in bond prices are directly related to time to maturity

▪ Long-term bonds change more than the prices of short-term bonds

The percentage price change that occurs as a result of the direct relationship between a bond’s maturity and its price volatility increases at a diminishing rate as the time to maturity increases.

▪ The percentage change in prices decreases

▪ Rate changes from 8-10%

• Two bonds selling at 8% market rate:

o 15 year 10% bond

▪ -Price= $1,172.92

o 30 year 10% bonds

▪ -Price = $1,226.23

• Same bonds at 10% -both sell at par

o 15 year change is 11.73%

o 30 year change is 12.26% (30 year percentage change in price does not equal twice the 15 year percentage change in price)

The change in bond prices due to a yield change is indirectly related to coupon rate. Bond price fluctuations (volatility) and bond coupon rates are inversely related.

• Implications

▪ A decline (rise) in interest rates will cause a rise (decline) in bond prices, with the most volatility in bond prices occurring in longer maturity bonds and bonds with low coupons.

▪ To receive maximum price impact of an expected drop in interest rates- bond buyer should purchase low-coupon, long-maturity bonds

▪ If rates are expected to increase, buy large coupons and short maturities

▪ Can’t control interest rates but can control the coupon and maturity of the portfolio

o Maturity is a poor measurement for a bond’s price change

Measurement of Timing of Cash Flows

• Term to Maturity

▪ Number of years to final payment

▪ Ignores interim cash flows

▪ Ignores Time Value

• Weighted Average Term to Maturity

▪ Computes the proportion of each individual payment as a percentage of all payments and makes this proportion the weight for the year the payment is made

• WATM = (CF1/TCF)(1) + (CF2/TCF)(2) +… (CFm/TCF)(m)

• Cft = the cash flow in year t

• m = maturity

• TCF = Total Cash Flow

• e.g. 10 year 4% bond TCF = 1400

• WATM=(40/1400) (1) + (40/1400)(2) +…(40/1400)(9) +(1040/1400)(10) = 8.71 years

• Considers timing of all cash flow

• Does not consider time value of the flows

Important considerations

1 The effects of yield changes on the prices and rates of return for different bonds

• Change in rates can result in very different percentage price changes for various bonds

2 Maturity inadequate measure of bonds lifetime

• Focuses only on return of principal at the maturity date

3 May not have identical economic lifetime

• Two 20 year bonds, one with an 8% coupon and one with 15% coupon have different economic lifetimes (investor recovers the purchase price much faster with a 15% coupon than a 8% coupon)

4 A measure is needed that accounts for both size and timing of cash flows

• DURATION

▪ Weighted Average number of years until an initial cash investment is recovered with the weight expressed as the relative present value of each payment of interest and principle.

▪ A measure of a bond’s lifetime, stated in years, that accounts for the entire pattern (both size and timing) of the cash flows over the life of the bond

The weighted average maturity of a bond’s cash flows needed to recover the cost of the bond

1 Weights determined by present value of cash flows

Duration depends on three factors

1 Maturity of the bond

2 Coupon payments

3 Current Yield to maturity (discount factor)

Need to weight present value of cash flows from bond by time received

[pic]

• In order for a bond to be protected from the changes in interest rates after purchase, the price risk and coupon reinvestment must offset each other.

• Duration is the time period at which the price risk and coupon reinvestment risk of a bond are of equal magnitude but opposite in direction.

• Duration is measured in years

Calculating Duration

• Assume an 8% coupon on 1000 Face Value bond with 2 years to maturity and an YTM of 10%.

Duration Calculation

| | | | | |

|(1) |(2) |(3) |(4) |(5) |

| | | | | |

|Periods |Coupon |1 |2 x 3 |1 x 4 |

| | |(1+i)n |Unweighted |Weight |

| | |where |PV |PV |

| | |i=10% | | |

| | | | |19.06 |

|.5 |$40 |.9533 |38.13 | |

| | | | | |

|1 |$40 |.9091 |36.36 |36.36 |

| | | |34.67 | |

|1.5 |$40 |.8668 | |52.01 |

| | |.8264 | | |

|2 |$1040 | |859.50 |1719.01 |

| | | |968.66 | |

| | | | |1826.44 |

Duration Calculation: 1826.44/968.66 = 1.89

Present value formula is

[pic] where n is the number of compound periods.

Duration Relationships

Holding the coupon and YTM constant, duration increases with time to maturity but at a decreasing rate (direct relationship)

1 For coupon paying bonds, duration is always less than maturity

2 For zero coupon-bonds, duration equals time to maturity

Holding the coupon and YTM constant, duration increases with lower coupons (inverse relationship)

Holding the coupon and YTM constant, duration increases with lower yield to maturity (inverse relationship)

Why is Duration Important?

Allows comparison of effective lives of bonds that differ in maturity, coupon

Used in bond management strategies particularly immunization

Measures bond price sensitivity to interest rate movements, which is very important in any bond analysis

4 Estimating Price Changes Using Duration

Modified duration =D*=D/(1+r)

▪ Where r is the bonds YTM

D*can be used to calculate the bond’s percentage price change for a given change in interest rates

• [pic]

Ex. Yield on 8% 5 year bond selling at par has duration* of 4.31 years rates go to 71/2%

• ΔP/P = - 4.31* (-.005) = .0216 =2.16%

Convexity

If you have large yield changes then modified duration becomes less accurate

Duration equation assumes a linear relationship between price and yield

Convexity refers to the degree to which duration changes as the yield to

maturity changes

1 Price-yield relationship is convex

▪ Negative convexity occurs as the yield increases

▪ Positive convexity occurs as the yield decreases

Convexity largest for low coupon, long maturity bonds, and low yield to maturity

Duration Conclusions

To obtain maximum price volatility, investors should choose bonds with the longest duration

Duration is additive

1 Portfolio duration is just a market–value weighted average of each individual bond’s modified duration

Duration measures volatility which isn’t the only aspect of risk in bonds

CONVERTIBLE BONDS

Bond that can be converted at the option of the owner into common stock of issuer

At issuance conversion price set at a premium to the stock’s current market price

Conversion Ratio= (Par Value of Bond)/(Conversion Price)

Parity Price of Bond=(Conversion ratio) X (Stock’s Market Price)

8 I.e. bond convertible @ $40 share

9 Conversion Ratio: 1 bond = $1000/40 = 25 shares

10 Current Market Price $35 shares

11 Parity Value = Current Stock Price * conversion ratio

1 $35 * 25 = $875.00

Trade above parity--conversion value is zero

1 Trading like a straight bond

2 Interest rate movements drive the price

Trade below parity-conversion has value

1 conversion price $25

2 Conversion ratio: 1000/25 =40 shares

3 current market price $30

4 parity price: 40 X $30 = $1200

5 if trade below this price--have a riskless gain realized through arbitrage if convert

Arbitrage--buys the lower priced security and simultaneously sells the equivalent higher priced security

Trade above par--usually the price is being affected by the common stock price (trading below parity)

Trade below par-usually the price is behaving like a normal bond (trading above parity)

Investor accepts lower interest

Call feature

1 forced conversion--issuer replace the bonds with equity securities and ceases to pay the interest payment

2 Callable at the call price which is lower than the parity price of conversion

Advantages

1 to bond holder-offer downside protection in relation to owning the company stock (value as a straight bond)

▪ price of the convertible will not decline below its value as a straight bond

2 to bond holder - possible capital gains

▪ as common stock price rises so will the convertibles value

3 to bond holder - “anti-dilutive” covenant

1 conversion price to reflect issuance of new shares, stock dividends, or splits

Disadvantages

1 to bond holder- bond may be called forcing conversion

2 to bond holder - lower coupon interest rate

3 to bond issuer upon conversion- replace tax deductible interest with after-tax dividends

4 to shareholder - dilution/ lower stock price

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download