Can someone who understands bonds help me understand this?

A

Amahrix

Check attached image..

Is this bond really offering a YTM of 479% if held until April 15th, 2020? If so, how?

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Amahrix said:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...sp-in-29-states-plans-to-file-for-bankruptcy/

I understand they're filing for bankruptcy, but still curious how the leverage works to where it offers 479% return.

Thanks.
More...

The return doesn't matter because the face value of the bond is somewhere in value between super junky to worthless during bankruptcy. The Company ain't gonna pay the bondholders coupon payments during bankruptcy. At best, IF the Company successfully emerges from Chapter 11 they will issue new bonds to the bondholders that are greatly diminished in value as compared to the original issues. Big IF.
 
Amahrix said:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...sp-in-29-states-plans-to-file-for-bankruptcy/

I understand they're filing for bankruptcy, but still curious how the leverage works to where it offers 479% return.

Thanks.
More...
The mechanics are pretty simple. Let's assume a $100 face value, 0% interest rate bond for simplicity sake that returns principle in a year when it matures. If you can buy the bond today for $20.87 and you get $100 in a year when it matures then viola, you just got a 481% return.

Of course as @bone and @Overnight pointed out, the chances that this particular bond will actually return the $100 principle at the end of the year is between slim and none and Slim just left town. In fact in the above case the market is telling you that the market consensus is that the bond will return about $.21 on the dollar when all the dust settles from the bankruptcy.
 
Amahrix said:
Check attached image..

Is this bond really offering a YTM of 479% if held until April 15th, 2020? If so, how?
More...
I'm not qualified to give advice, but in my opinion, unless you're a bankruptcy lawyer, stay the heck away from this.

To buy a common bond from a company that is in the process of declaring bankruptcy is tantamount to putting your money through a paper shredder.

Maybe you profit in five years or so when the legal teams give you a percentage of return on the fire sale of their office equipment and coffee machines?
 
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Sig said:
The mechanics are pretty simple. Let's assume a $100 face value, 0% interest rate bond for simplicity sake that returns principle in a year when it matures. If you can buy the bond today for $20.87 and you get $100 in a year when it matures then viola, you just got a 481% return.

Of course as @bone and @Overnight pointed out, the chances that this particular bond will actually return the $100 principle at the end of the year is between slim and none and Slim just left town. In fact in the above case the market is telling you that the market consensus is that the bond will return about $.21 on the dollar when all the dust settles from the bankruptcy.
More...


Thanks for directly answering the question I posed.
 
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