With interest rate hikes and indications that there will be further increases in 2018, we've been receiving questions about the impact of rising
interest rates on a bond portfolio.
To the issuer, a convertible offers the chance to raise cash without giving away equity too cheaply, or paying a
high interest rate on a bond.
To keep this discussion simple, I will focus on the impact of rising
interest rates on bond funds, but it's important to note that other bond investments may react differently or have different results than the examples presented below.
Eliminating Puerto Rico's debts could
raise interest rates on bonds to insulate against potential defaults, and subsequent debt elimination, on municipal bonds.
The reason average Americans should care about the «taper» is that higher
interest rates on bonds also means higher interest rates on things like mortgages.
While the costs associated with the issuance of bonds are important, a sound transaction: one which lowers the
overall interest rate on the bonds will return a far greater savings to an issuer than the costs of bonding.
There is a new category called Credit Opportunities Funds, which invest in companies that do not have great financial strength and thus pay
more interest rates on their bonds.
Addressing the Distribution Conundrum —
While interest rates on bonds are being lowered, even into the negative, sluggish global growth and inevitable deleveraging has many experts projecting low returns for equities going forward.
To keep this discussion simple, I will focus on the impact of rising
interest rates on bond funds, but it's important to note that other bond investments may react differently or have different results than the examples presented below.
That's because long -
term interest rates on bonds are still bumping along near 4 %, which doesn't even cover taxes and inflation for many investors.
So if the US government wants to borrow more, that may mean that they will have to pay a
higher interest rate on their bonds, and if bond interest rates increase, all interest rates in the economy increase, including mortgage interest rates.
Investment adviser Kelly Gares of BlueShore Financial in West Vancouver, B.C., says one way to mitigate the risk of
rising interest rates on bonds is to hold bonds that are close to their maturity date or ones with a short duration.
The yield curve charts
the interest rate on bonds of different maturities, from the shortest to the longest maturities.
When using the variables above and
the interest rates on these bonds, the actual cost will be about $ 25 per year which is $ 5 less than originally projected.
As a result,
the interest rate on those bonds is quite low.
The far greater problem with this is that
interest rates on these bonds would likely be significantly higher due to the risk they could be made invalid as they weren't legally issued.
When Ghana issued its first Eurobond under the NPP in 2007, the spread (i.e. the difference) between
the interest rate on the bond and US treasuries of similar tenor was 3.87 %.
Participation in the PSF Program allows charter schools to receive lower
interest rates on their bonds.
The PSF Bond Guarantee Program was created by the Texas Legislature to enhance a public school's credit rating and thereby lower
the interest rates on bonds issued by public schools.
In turn, this lowers
the interest rates on bonds issued by public schools.
Always remember, higher the coupon /
interest rate on the bond; lower is its inherent credit quality.
An issuer may choose to call a bond when current interest rates drop below
the interest rate on the bond.
On a more personal note,
the interest rates on bonds are just awful.
That means that they will be willing to accept low
interest rates on the bond.
The interest rate on these bonds never changes and is set when the security is purchased.
When you buy and hold, you need not be too concerned about the impact of
interest rates on a bond's price or market value.
In fact, if inflation rises to the same level as
the interest rate on my bond (3 %), then I am not receiving any real return on my investment because prices are going up at the same rate as my yield.
As
the interest rate on a bond increases, the value of the underlying bond falls in value.
Rather than selecting two particular maturities, one can also consider more broadly the overall shape of the yield curve, which plots
the interest rates on bonds of different maturities.
As of the writing of this article, U.S. stocks are near all - time highs and
interest rates on bonds are near all time lows.
When interest rates go up, bond prices fall in order to have the effect of equalizing
the interest rate on the bond with prevailing rates, and vice versa.
Don't look now but
interest rates on bonds have started to creep up in recent days.