zero-coupon bond

A bond which pays no coupons, is sold at a deep discount to its face value, and matures at its face value. A zero-coupon bond has the important advantage of being free of reinvestment risk, though the downside is that there is no opportunity to enjoy the effects of a rise in market interest rates. Also, such bonds tend to be very sensitive to changes in interest rates, since there are no coupon payments to reduce the impact of interest rate changes. In addition, markets for zero-coupon bonds are relatively illiquid. Under U.S. tax law, the imputed interest on a zero-coupon bond is taxable as it accrues, even though there is no cash flow.

Copyright©2010 by InvestorWords.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reproduction of all or part of this glossary and/or this page, in any format, without written consent is prohibited. If you have questions about this dictionary please feel free to contact us feedback\@\investorguide.com