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The corporate bond credit spread puzzle

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  • Jens H. E. Christensen

Abstract

It is common to view interest on a corporate bond as reflecting the risk-free, longer-term interest rate, such as that on a 10-year Treasury bond, plus a spread related to the credit risk of the corporation issuing the bond. However, empirical analysis of the determinants of corporate bond rates has turned out to be more demanding than it appears on the surface. This has led researchers to talk about a credit spread puzzle. In this Economic Letter we will first detail the evidence for the existence of such a credit spread puzzle. In a second step we will take a closer look at some of the pieces that go into explaining the puzzle.

Suggested Citation

  • Jens H. E. Christensen, 2008. "The corporate bond credit spread puzzle," FRBSF Economic Letter, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue mar14.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedfel:y:2008:i:mar14:n:2008-10
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Houweling, Patrick & Mentink, Albert & Vorst, Ton, 2005. "Comparing possible proxies of corporate bond liquidity," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 1331-1358, June.
    2. Edwin J. Elton & Martin J. Gruber & Deepak Agrawal & Christopher Mann, 2001. "Explaining the Rate Spread on Corporate Bonds," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 56(1), pages 247-277, February.
    3. Joost Driessen, 2005. "Is Default Event Risk Priced in Corporate Bonds?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 165-195.
    4. Gregory R. Duffee, 1998. "The Relation Between Treasury Yields and Corporate Bond Yield Spreads," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 53(6), pages 2225-2241, December.
    5. Pierre Collin-Dufresn & Robert S. Goldstein & J. Spencer Martin, 2001. "The Determinants of Credit Spread Changes," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 56(6), pages 2177-2207, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Krylova, Elizaveta, 2016. "Leading indicator properties of corporate bond spreads, excess bond premia and lending spreads in the euro area," Working Paper Series 1911, European Central Bank.
    2. Markus Hörmann & Andreas Schabert, 2015. "A Monetary Analysis of Balance Sheet Policies," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 125(589), pages 1888-1917, December.
    3. Krylova, Elizaveta, 2016. "Determinants of euro-denominated corporate bond spreads," Working Paper Series 1912, European Central Bank.
    4. Remy Beauregard & Jens H. E. Christensen & Eric Fischer & Simon Zhu, 2021. "Inflation Expectations and Risk Premia in Emerging Bond Markets: Evidence from Mexico," Staff Reports 961, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    5. Samir Kadiric & Arthur Korus, 2019. "The effects of Brexit on credit spreads: Evidence from UK and Eurozone corporate bond markets," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 65-102, March.
    6. Samir Kadiric & Arthur Korus, 2018. "Effects of Brexit on Corporate Yield Spreads: Evidence from UK and Eurozone Corporate Bond Markets," EIIW Discussion paper disbei251, Universitätsbibliothek Wuppertal, University Library.
    7. Christensen, Jens H.E. & Gillan, James M., 2022. "Does quantitative easing affect market liquidity?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).

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    Keywords

    Corporate bonds;

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