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The slope of the credit yield curve for speculative-grade issuers

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  • Jean Helwege
  • Christopher M. Turner

Abstract

Many theoretical bond pricing models predict that the slope of the credit yield curve facing highly leveraged firms is negative. Previous empirical research by Sarig and Warga (1989) and Fons (1994) confirms this view of high yield bonds. We show that these results largely owe to sample selection bias associated with the debt maturity choice. When the credit quality of the issuer is held constant, as in the case of matched bond samples, the typical credit yield curve facing speculative-grade issuers is upward-sloping.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean Helwege & Christopher M. Turner, 1997. "The slope of the credit yield curve for speculative-grade issuers," Research Paper 9725, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fednrp:9725
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Leland Crabbe, 1991. "Callable corporate bonds: a vanishing breed," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 155, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    2. Robert A. Jarrow & David Lando & Stuart M. Turnbull, 2008. "A Markov Model for the Term Structure of Credit Risk Spreads," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Financial Derivatives Pricing Selected Works of Robert Jarrow, chapter 18, pages 411-453, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Merton, Robert C, 1974. "On the Pricing of Corporate Debt: The Risk Structure of Interest Rates," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 29(2), pages 449-470, May.
    4. Longstaff, Francis A & Schwartz, Eduardo S, 1995. "A Simple Approach to Valuing Risky Fixed and Floating Rate Debt," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(3), pages 789-819, July.
    5. Leland E. Crabbe & Jean Hewlege, 1994. "Alternative Tests of Agency Theories of Callable Corporate Bonds," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 23(4), Winter.
    6. 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.
    7. Pitts, C G C & Selby, M J P, 1983. "The Pricing of Corporate Debt: A Further Note," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 38(4), pages 1311-1313, September.
    8. Sarig, Oded & Warga, Arthur, 1989. " Some Empirical Estimates of the Risk Structure of Interest Rates," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 44(5), pages 1351-1360, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dan Saar & Yossi Yagil, 2018. "Predicting Growth Components ¨C Unemployment, Housing Prices and Consumption Using Both Government and Corporate Yield Curves," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 10(6), pages 180-192, June.

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    Keywords

    Corporate bonds; Corporations - Finance;

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