Uncut bond coupons on 1922 Mecca Temple (NY, NY, U.S.A.) construction bond

In finance, a coupon is the interest payment received by a bondholder from the date of issuance until the date of maturity of a bond.

Coupons are normally described in terms of the "coupon rate", which is calculated by adding the sum of coupons paid per year and dividing it by the bond's face value. For example, if a bond has a face value of $1,000 and a coupon rate of 5%, then it pays total coupons of $50 per year. Typically, this will consist of two semi-annual payments of $25 each.[1]

1945 2.5% $500 Treasury Bond coupon

History

The origin of the term "coupon" is that bonds were historically issued in the form of bearer certificates. Physical possession of the certificate was (deemed) proof of ownership. Several coupons, one for each scheduled interest payment, were printed on the certificate. At the date the coupon was due, the owner would detach the coupon and present it for payment (an act called "clipping the coupon").[2]

The certificate often also contained a document called a talon, which (when the original block of coupons had been used up) could be detached and presented in exchange for a block of further coupons.[3]

Zero-coupon bonds

Not all bonds have coupons. Zero-coupon bonds are those that pay no coupons and thus have a coupon rate of 0%. Such bonds make only one payment: the payment of the face value on the maturity date. Normally, to compensate the bondholder for the time value of money, the price of a zero-coupon bond will always be less than its face value on any date of purchase before the maturity date. During the European sovereign-debt crisis, some zero-coupon sovereign bonds traded above their face value as investors were willing to pay a premium for the perceived safe-haven status these investments hold. The difference between the price and the face value provides the bondholder with the positive return that makes purchasing the bond worthwhile.

Valuation

Between a bond's issue date and its maturity date (also called its redemption date), the bond's price is determined by taking into account several factors, including:

See also

References

  1. ↑ O'Sullivan, Arthur; Sheffrin, Steven M. (2003). Economics: Principles in Action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458: Pearson Prentice Hall. pp. 277. ISBN 0-13-063085-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. ↑ Belson, Ken (2006-02-12). "Coupon Clipping, the Old-Fashioned Way". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2013-12-19. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  3. ↑ "Talon Definition from Financial Times Lexicon". Archived from the original on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.