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Liquidity and price pressure in the corporate bond market: evidence from mega-bonds

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  • Helwege, Jean
  • Wang, Liying

Abstract

Larger bonds offer greater liquidity, which should reduce their yields. A simple way for firms to reduce financing costs is to sell bonds with large face values. We find that mega-bonds are more liquid than smaller bonds. However, offering yield spreads on mega-bonds are not lower and are higher than spreads of bonds issued by similar companies. The discount applied to large new issues is consistent with price pressure effects that are also present in the secondary market prices of the issuing firm's existing bonds. Our results suggest a hidden cost to issuing very liquid bonds.

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  • Helwege, Jean & Wang, Liying, 2021. "Liquidity and price pressure in the corporate bond market: evidence from mega-bonds," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinin:v:48:y:2021:i:c:s1042957321000231
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfi.2021.100922
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    5. Bessembinder, Hendrik & Jacobsen, Stacey & Maxwell, William & Venkataraman, Kumar, 2022. "Overallocation and secondary market outcomes in corporate bond offerings," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(2), pages 444-474.

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