A transaction involving two parties, the borrower and the lender
Borrowers get purchasing power now in return for an obligation to repay later
Lenders give up current purchasing power in return for the promise of repayment later
Bonds are the standard form taken by long-term obligations to repay debt
3 Vanilla BONDS
Obligations to pay a face amount or par value (principal) at a specified retirement or maturity date and to make contractual interest payments until the debt is retired
The stated or nominal interest on a bond is its coupon rate, the percentage of par value that will be paid on a regular basis, usually biannually. For example, a 9 coupon rate means that the bond pays 90 per 1000 each year
Issuers sell bonds
Bond holders buy them, either at issue or in secondary markets
4 Yield
Yields often differ from coupon rates substantially
The present value of the bond may differ from the face value substantially
Markets set bond values and implicitly a bonds discount rate (reflecting the current time value of money)
The current bond price equals the present value of the cash flow to which the bondholder is entitled
5 DEBT STRUCTURE AND DESIGN
CRITERIA
Least-cost marketability
Ease of administration
Provision of appropriate cost signals
Appropriate risk characteristics
VARIABLES
Type of security (denomination, backing)
Maturity
Term or Serial
Options and derivative issues
6 Bids
DETERMINATION
Denomination
Yield Structure of Bond
The economy and governance of the bond issuer
Its debt history
Rating
Availability of Bond Insurance
EVALUATION
Underwriters package and sell government debt
TIC -- use IRR function on spreadsheet to calculate
7 DEBT POLICY
REASONS FOR DEBT
Revenue shortfalls
Structural deficits
Cyclical deficits
Temporary liquidity problems due to the timing of cash flows
Capital-project construction
CONSIDERATIONS
Borrowing cost vs. tax cost
Effect upon future solvency -- you really want to be able to borrow when you need to, not just when you want to