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Multiple Choice
Which of the following debt instruments trades with accrued interest?
A
Bankers' acceptances
B
Commercial paper
C
Treasury bills
D
Corporate bonds
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of accrued interest: Accrued interest refers to the interest that has accumulated on a debt instrument since the last interest payment date. Debt instruments that pay periodic interest typically trade with accrued interest.
Analyze the characteristics of each option: Bankers' acceptances, commercial paper, and treasury bills are short-term debt instruments that typically do not pay periodic interest. Instead, they are issued at a discount and redeemed at face value, meaning they do not trade with accrued interest.
Focus on corporate bonds: Corporate bonds are long-term debt instruments that usually pay periodic interest (coupon payments) to bondholders. When these bonds are traded between interest payment dates, the buyer compensates the seller for the accrued interest since the last payment.
Relate accrued interest to trading: When corporate bonds are traded, the price includes the accrued interest, which is calculated based on the number of days since the last coupon payment and the bond's annual coupon rate.
Conclude why corporate bonds trade with accrued interest: Corporate bonds are the correct answer because they involve periodic interest payments, and accrued interest is added to the bond's price during trading to ensure fair compensation for the seller.