Investment

Stocks can readily be sold for a few cents less than their market value, and often with just a click of a button. Bonds vary in their liquidity, but they may usually be sold rapidly without losing too much of their market value. Mutual funds can also be sold on a daily basis, which means […]

Bonds are one way for businesses to raise funds. A bond is a type of debt between an investor and a company. The investor agrees to contribute the firm a specified amount of money for a specific period of time in exchange for a given amount of money. In exchange, the investor receives interest payments […]

Bond prices move in the opposite direction of interest rates. Bond prices fall as interest rates climb. Bond prices will rise as interest rates fall. Bond prices are inversely proportional to yields, thus when prices climb, yields fall. Increased demand for bonds boosts the price, lowering the projected return—the yield—for investors. The current yield is […]

But a bond is nothing more than a debt. When you purchase a bond, you are essentially lending money to the company that issued it. In exchange, the corporation agrees to pay you interest for the duration of the loan. The amount and frequency of interest payments are determined by the bond’s terms. Long-term bonds […]

Short selling is a strategy for profiting from a decreasing security (such as a stock or a bond) without actually owning it. Short positions are frequently taken by investors anticipating a bear market by selling a borrowed security at the present market price in the hopes of repurchasing it at a lower price (at which […]

The Fed’s most effective instrument, and the one it employs most frequently, is buying and selling government assets through open market operations. Treasury bonds, notes, and bills are examples of government securities. When the Fed wants to promote the flow of money and credit, it buys securities; when it wants to decrease the flow, it […]

The immediate impact of an increase in bond prices on interest rates is the most obvious. The interest rate on a $100 bond is 5% per year if the bond pays $5 in interest per year. If the bond price rises to $125, the annual interest rate will be merely 4%. How does the Federal […]

When the Fed buys bonds on the open market, it expands the economy’s money supply by exchanging bonds for cash to the general public. When the Fed sells bonds, it reduces the money supply by taking cash out of the economy and replacing it with bonds. As a result, OMO has a direct influence on […]

When the Fed buys bonds on the open market, it expands the economy’s money supply by exchanging bonds for cash to the general public. When the Fed sells bonds, it reduces the money supply by taking cash out of the economy and replacing it with bonds. As a result, OMO has a direct influence on […]

Bond sales are one way for governments and businesses to raise funds. Borrowing becomes more expensive for them when interest rates rise, resulting in higher-yielding debt issuances. At the same time, demand for existing lower-coupon bonds will decline (causing their prices to drop and yields to rise). What happens if the Federal Reserve hikes interest […]