Bonds have a predetermined rate of interest called the stated or contract rate, which is established by the board of directors.
The leading rating agencies give a rating when a bond is first issued, and that rating determines how high the interest rate on that bond is. A higher rating means the bond will have a lower interest rate.
The yield to maturity of a bond is the total return an investor can expect if they hold the bond until it matures, taking into account the bond's price, coupon payments, and time to maturity. The interest rate, on the other hand, is the fixed rate of return that the bond issuer pays to the bondholder periodically. In summary, yield to maturity considers the total return over the bond's life, while the interest rate is the fixed rate paid by the issuer.
Fixed rate bond: ie the interest being paid into the nominated account
inflation
Annual interest on a bond, often referred to as the coupon payment, is calculated by multiplying the bond's face value (or principal) by the coupon rate. For example, if a bond has a face value of $1,000 and a coupon rate of 5%, the annual interest would be $1,000 x 0.05 = $50. This amount is typically paid to the bondholder at regular intervals, such as annually or semi-annually, depending on the bond's terms.
The leading rating agencies give a rating when a bond is first issued, and that rating determines how high the interest rate on that bond is. A higher rating means the bond will have a lower interest rate.
The interest rate paid on a bond is known as the coupon rate. A $1,000 fixed rate bond with a 5% coupon rate purchased at par would yield $50 annually in interest payments.
Coupon rate is something that is paid semiannually. The interest rate is something that starts as soon as a bond is issued.
From May 1, 2009 through October 31, 2009, the EE Bond interest rate is 0.70%.
The relationship between bond price and interest rate is inverse - when interest rates rise, bond prices fall, and vice versa. This impacts the overall performance of a bond investment because if you sell a bond before it matures, you may receive less than what you paid for it if interest rates have increased. Conversely, if interest rates have decreased, you may be able to sell the bond for more than what you paid.
To calculate interest on a bond, you need to know the bond's face value (or par value), the coupon rate, and the frequency of interest payments. The interest, or coupon payment, is determined by multiplying the bond's face value by the coupon rate and then dividing by the number of payment periods per year. For example, if a bond has a face value of $1,000 and a coupon rate of 5%, the annual interest would be $50, or $25 if paid semi-annually.
The yield to maturity of a bond is the total return an investor can expect if they hold the bond until it matures, taking into account the bond's price, coupon payments, and time to maturity. The interest rate, on the other hand, is the fixed rate of return that the bond issuer pays to the bondholder periodically. In summary, yield to maturity considers the total return over the bond's life, while the interest rate is the fixed rate paid by the issuer.
When market interest rates exceed a bond's coupon rate, the bond will:
Fixed rate bond: ie the interest being paid into the nominated account
Know the bond's face value, then, find the bond's coupon interest rate at the time the bond was issued or bought, then, multiply the bond's face value by the coupon interest rate it had when issued, then, know when your bond's interest payments are made, finally, multiply the product of the bond's face value and interest rate by the number of months in between payments.
Since the current market interest rate is higher, it is more attractive to a new investor then the bond with a lower interest rate. Thus, the price of the lower interest rate bond has to decline to be competitive with new bonds in the market.
inflation