2 ms·
This is true for "zeros" which are bonds that pay no interest (eg. treasury notes) but instead pay a premium to the issuing price on maturity but not for bonds
by outside1234 7y ago
This is true for "zeros" which are bonds that pay no interest (eg. treasury notes) but instead pay a premium to the issuing price on maturity but not for bonds in general, which is what WeWork is issuing here.
When the US Treasury (or WeWork) sells a bond at $100 (and it almost always does), it is based on a face interest rate (say 3%). This interest is fixed (eg. the bond will always pay $3).
If prevailing interest rates rise to 4%, then the price of that bond will drop to a price such that the interest the bond pays ($3 per $100) ends up being a 4% yield.
It also works in the opposite direction and this is how you end up with bond prices above $100. The price has to swing higher for that $3 per $100 face value to have a yield less than 3%.
As an aside, this is also why longer term bonds are riskier than shorter term bonds, you can lose significant amounts of money if interest rates shift higher over 10-15 year timeframes because the market price of the bond will have to drop to make it competitive in secondary markets.