US Treasurys are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the US government. This, and a strong repayment record, make Treasurys among the safest investments anywhere.
Government bonds in different countries have different names and available maturities. For example, UK government bonds are called gilts, and the local equivalent of TIPS are called index-linked gilts. German government bonds are collectively called Bunds, ranging from six-month Bubills through five-year Bobls to 10- or 30-year Bunds, among others.
Municipal bonds
Municipal bonds are issued by cities, counties, or other tiers of local government. They work on a very similar principle to government bonds, and are used by the issuer to fund general spending or specific projects such as new roads or schools. Similarly to sovereign countries or corporations, municipal governments also often have a credit rating assigned by the big rating agencies, helping you judge the level of risk involved in buying their bonds.
Corporate bonds
Corporate bonds are issued by businesses, often to raise funds for new facilities or acquisitions. For the company, bonds are an alternative to issuing new stocks or taking out a bank loan. Corporate bonds are in general somewhat more risky than government bonds, because unlike governments, corporations can’t simply raise taxes to meet bond obligations. Their only source for repaying principal and interest is their cash flow, which may fluctuate heavily depending on the company’s business performance or the state of the industry it is operating in. To compensate for this higher risk, corporate bonds often pay higher returns than government bonds.
Based on yield type
Fixed-rate bonds
Bonds also differ according to how their coupon rate is calculated. Fixed-rate bonds are the most common type. These carry a coupon that is fixed as a percentage of the principal (e.g. a 5% annual coupon) for the entire duration of the bond.
Floating-rate bonds
Floating-rate bonds have a variable coupon rate that is tied to a benchmark rate, usually a short-term market rate such as the US Fed funds rate, Libor or Euribor. The coupon of a floating-rate bond may look something like 3-month USD Libor + 0.50%. Floating rates provide some protection against interest-rate fluctuations on the market.
Zero-coupon bonds
Zero-coupon bonds (sometimes called discount bonds) have no coupons and therefore make no periodic interest payments. Instead, they are sold by the issuer at a discount, and repay the face value at maturity. For example, you may buy a one-year zero-coupon bond with $100 face value for $95, and redeem $100 upon maturity; reaping an effective return of $5. US Treasury bills are the best-known example of a zero-coupon bond.
Other bond types and classifications
Below are some other bond types and common definitions you may come across as you explore the bond market.
Secured and unsecured bonds
Secured bonds are backed by some form of collateral, such as property, or a revenue stream from a project that was financed via the bond (such as a toll road). If the issuer defaults on interest or principal payments, bond buyers may lay claim to that collateral, mitigating their loss. By contrast, unsecured bonds are backed by no collateral. Unsecured bonds aren’t necessarily risky – e.g. most government bonds are, technically speaking, unsecured – but they don’t offer that added layer of protection in case of a default.
Junk bonds
Junk bonds (also referred to as high-yield bonds) are bonds that have a high risk of default and therefore offer higher-than-usual yields. A commonly accepted definition of a junk bond is a bond rated as “speculative” by one of the big rating agencies. For example, this would be a rating of BB or below at S&P; see a rundown of rating categories here. Junk bonds are typically issued by companies or governments that are facing – or have a recent history of – financial difficulties.
Subordinated bonds
Subordinated bonds are bonds that rank lower for purposes of compensation if the bond issuer goes into liquidation or bankruptcy. In such cases, assets of the bankrupt bond issuer company are sold off; proceeds are then used to first pay off holders of unsubordinated debt (also called senior debt), followed by holders of subordinated debt.
Covered bonds
Covered bonds are usually issued by financial institutions such as banks. They are essentially corporate bonds that are backed by assets held by that financial institution (such as mortgages or other loans or cash-producing investments) as collateral. Covered bonds are popular especially in Europe.
Convertible bonds, preferred stock
Convertible bonds are corporate bonds that may be converted to stocks in the issuing company at a pre-defined conversion rate. Convertible bonds allow you to take advantage of a rising share price while enjoying the relative security of a bond. On the downside, convertible bonds have a lower coupon rate than regular corporate bonds, leaving you with relatively poor returns if the share price fails to rise sufficiently to make a conversion worthwhile. In addition, gains that can be achieved via conversion are often capped.
Preferred stock in a company are special shares whose features make it something of a hybrid between bonds and common stock. They often pay higher and more frequent dividends than common stock, and are ranked ahead of common stock (but behind bonds) when it comes to claims on the company’s assets in the case of liquidation. However, preferred stock have limited or no voting rights in the company, another feature making them more similar to bonds. Like bonds, preferred stocks are rated by credit rating agencies; because of the higher risk, they are usually rated lower than bonds issued by the same company.
Perpetual bond
A perpetual bond is a bond that has no maturity date. This means that the principal cannot be redeemed, and that the bond pays annual interest forever. In practice, issuers usually have the option to prematurely repay (or “call”) the bond, often to lower financing costs in a falling interest-rate environment.
Inflation-indexed bonds
Inflation-indexed bonds (usually issued by governments) are designed to protect investors against the devaluation of their principal as a result of inflation. The principal is adjusted regularly (often daily) in line with an official inflation index. Coupon payments, expressed as a percentage of the principal, will also reflect inflation as a result.
Put bonds
Put bonds (or puttable bonds) are bonds that allow you to demand repayment of the principal ahead of maturity. This feature is useful if interest rates rise and you don’t want to get stuck for years with a bond that pays low interest. This put option may only be exercised at certain dates, laid out in the bond prospectus at the time of issue.
Asset-backed securities
Asset-backed securities are bond-like instruments that are backed by collateral composed of various underlying assets such as home loans, car loans, credit card debt, or any other cash-producing asset, such as royalty payments. These individual assets are packaged (or “securitized”) by special investment firms and then sold to investors. Based on the underlying assets, types of asset-backed securities include mortgage-backed securities (MBS), collateralized mortgage obligations (CMO), or collateralized debt obligations (CDO), among others.
Savings bonds
Savings bonds (specifically, US savings bonds) are US government bonds aimed at individual investors. Savings bonds do not have a secondary market. They also do not pay regular interest; instead, interest is periodically compounded and added to the principal, and is paid out along with the principal when the bond is redeemed. US savings bonds offer low returns, but are considered low risk, and gains are exempt from most taxes.
War bonds, bearer bonds
An early version of savings bonds were war bonds, issued by many countries to fund their governments’ war efforts. War bonds were most widely used in Word War I and World War II. These bonds typically offered lower returns than other government bonds, and often appealed to buyers’ patriotism.
Another historical term is bearer bonds – these are paper bonds that come with detachable coupons that can be used to redeem regular interest payment. Bearer bonds are unregistered, meaning that whoever presents the bond or its coupons is presumed to be the owner. This often led to abuse; which, along with the onset of computerized bond sales and registration, has made bearer bonds all but extinct.
Climate bonds, social impact bonds
Among more modern solutions, climate bonds are issued by governments, banks or corporations to raise funds for projects to combat climate change. These may include renewable energy projects, reforestation, urban mass transit systems, or energy efficiency programs. Aside from their purpose, climate bonds (also called green bonds) work just like conventional bonds, involving regular interest payments to investors and a pledge to repay principal when the bond matures.
Social impact bonds are also a relatively new phenomenon. They are typically issued by the public sector to socially conscious institutional or individual investors, and are used to fund various social projects. However, social impact bonds often only pay returns if certain social goals are met, meaning that they may be more risky and that it’s difficult to apply conventional bond valuation methods.