Corporate Bonds Case Study

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Corporate bonds are issued by companies to raise more capital. That money is used to reinvest in their operations, to buy other companies or even pay off older, more expensive loans.
The alternative for companies is to engage in an Initial Public Offering and raise equity by selling stocks. This is a long and an expensive procedure. Selling bonds provides a quicker way to raise capital for corporate expansion even though it’s a bit complicated.
You can buy corporate bonds individually or through a bond fund from your financial adviser. They are less safe than government bonds. That's because there is a greater chance the company could go bankrupt and default on the bond. That's why they are usually rated as to their risk by Moody's or Standard …show more content…

Longer-term bonds usually offer higher interest rates because they tie up lenders money for a decade or more. Making the yield, or overall return, more sensitive to interest rate movements. These bonds are usually sold with a call, or redemption provision, that allows the issuing company to redeem them after the first 10 years (for a longer-duration bond) if interest rates are lower. That allows them to pay off your bond with funds from a new, cheaper bond. (Source: WSJ, More Ways Bond Can Bite You, May 5, 2014)
The second category is the risk;
Investment grade bonds are issued by companies that are unlikely to default. Most corporate bonds are investment grade. They are usually very attractive to investors who want more return than they can get with Treasury notes, and are really still quite safe. These are rated at least Baa3 by Moody’s, and at least BBB- by Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.
 High-yield bonds, also known as junk bonds, offer the highest return. However, that's because they are the riskiest. In fact, their rating should scare you -- "not investment grade." That means they are considered downright speculative. They are rated as B or lower. (Source: "Types of Corporate Bonds," HJ

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