a. What is the price (expressed as a percentage of the face value) of a one-year, zero-coupon corporate bond with a AAA rating? b. What is the credit spread on AAA-rated corporate bonds? c. What is the credit spread on B-rated corporate bonds? d. How does the credit spread change with the bond rating? Why?

Answer and Explanation:

a. The computation of price (expressed as a percentage of the face value) is shown below:-

Price = Face value ÷ (1 + Yield to maturity)^Number of the compounding period

= $1,000 ÷ (1 + 0.0323)^1

= $1,000 ÷ 1.0323

= $968.71

Price expected as a percentage to a face value = Price ÷ Face value × 100

= $968.71 ÷ $1,000 × 100

= 96.87%

b. The computation of credit spread of AAA-rated corporate bonds is shown below:-

Credit spread = Yield of AAA-rated corporate bond - Yield of treasury bond

= 3.23% - 3.15%

= 0.08%

c. The computation of credit spread on B-rated corporate bonds is shown below:-

Credit spread = Yield of B-rated corporate bond - Yeld of treasury bond

= 4.94% - 3.15%

= 1.79%

d. The credit rating for a bond changes with its respective credit risk change. That implies the bond 's rating would be lower the lower risk, and likewise.  

The investor is demanding higher returns on risky bonds for additional risk-taking. Hence the credit spread is widening as the rating of bonds falls with an increase in the risk.