Asset Valuation Market and Instruments.docVIP

十二 Asset Valuation: Market and Instruments 1: Preliminary Reading Selecting Investments in Global Market a: Discuss the characteristics of fixed-income securities available to investors, including US Treasury securities, corporate bonds, and Eurobonds. Fixed income investments have a contractual repayment schedule. By purchasing a fixed-income security, you are lending money to the issuer. The money lent out is called the principal. In return, the borrower promises to make periodic interest payments and, at maturity, pay back the principal. U.S. Treasury securities are bills, notes, and bonds. Government obligations are considered riskless because there is little chance of default, and they are very liquid. Corporate bonds are fixed-income securities issued by businesses. The bond’s indenture lists the terms of the loan, which includes the payment schedule and any call or refunding provisions that allow the bond to be redeemed prior to maturity. The indenture also specifies sinking fund provisions. These require the issuer to redeem a given percentage of the outstanding issue prior to maturity to protect the bondholders. Bonds are generally categorized by the type of security they offer their holders. A Eurobond is an international bond denominated in a currency other than that of the country where the bond is issued. Eurobonds include Eurodollar bonds and Euroyen bonds. A Eurodollar bond is denominated in U.S. dollars and sold outside the U.S. to non-U.S. investors. b: Discuss the characteristics of equity securities available to investors, including classes of stock and American Depository Receipts. Common stock represents ownership of the firm. Owners of the common stock of a firm share in the company’s successes and failures. Investing in common stock is a relatively risky investment compared with fixed-income securities. Common stock classifications: By industry: Industrial, utilities, transportations, and financial institutions. By domestic versus foreign.