Valuing Bonds

1. "What does a call provision [call feature] allow [bond] issuers to do, and why would they do it" (Cornett, Adair, & Nofsinger, 2014)? “A call provision on a bond issue allows the issuer to pay off the bond debt early at a cost of the principal plus any call premium. Most of the time a bond issuer is called, it is because interest rates have substantially declined in the economy. The issuer calls the existing bonds and issues new bonds at the lower interest rate. This reduces the interest payments the issuer must pay each year” (Cornett, Adair, & Nofsinger, 2014).

2. "Provide the definitions of a discount bond and premium bond. Give examples" (Cornett, Adair, & Nofsinger, 2014, p. 178). “A discount bond is simply a bond that is selling below its par value. It would be quoted at a price that is less than 100 percent of par, like 99.05. A premium bond is a bond selling above its par value. Its price will be quoted as over 100 percent of par value, like 101.15. A bond becomes a discount bond when market interest rates rise above the bond’s coupon rate. A bond becomes a premium bond when market interest rates fall below the bond’s coupon rate” (Cornett, Adair, & Nofsinger, 2014, p. 178).

3. "Describe the differences in interest payments and bond prices between a 5 percent coupon bond and a zero coupon bond" (Cornett, Adair, & Nofsinger, 2014, p. 178). “The 5 percent coupon bond pays annual interest of 5 percent of the bond’s par value. For $1,000 par value bond, this would be $50 per year. This interest might be paid in two payments of $25. The price of the coupon bond tends to stay near its par value. The zero coupon bond pays no interest payments. The bondholder earns a return from the increase of the bond’s market price over time. The bond’s price is initially much lower than its