Corporate bonds are debt instruments that are issued by corporations considered to be publicly held. Generally, a corporate bond is issued as a means of raising necessary funds to allow the company to engage in an expansion project, or to address other corporate projects that are anticipated to increase the profitability of the company over the long term. The expectation is that the corporation will begin to benefit from the project before the bond issue matures, allowing the company to comfortably honor both the face value of the bond and any accrued interest due to the bondholders.
In most areas of the world, a corporate bond is likely to pay a higher rate of interest than bonds issued by local or national governments. However, it is important for the investor to note that the purchase of a corporate bond usually does not allow for the interest generated by the bond to be tax exempt. Many examples of the corporate bond include terms and conditions that allow for the issuance of interest payments on an annual or semiannual basis, which must be accounted for on annual tax returns.
Purchasing a corporate bond is usually accomplished through investment brokers. However, it is also possible to acquire a bond issue from a secondary market as well. In general, choosing to purchase the corporate bond through a broker will mean paying the current par value associated with the bond. When purchasing the corporate bond from a secondary market, the price may be higher or lower than the par value.
A third option is to invest in a mutual fund that focuses on the purchase of corporate bonds as part of the fund strategy. Investors who prefer to leave most of the investigation into bond issues with the managers of the mutual fund often favor this approach. Assuming that the corporate bond or bonds selected for inclusion in the mutual fund are performing well, an investor will realize a significant return.
The corporate bond can be a short term or a long term bond issue. There are examples of a corporate bond that matures from one to five years, while other examples may be structured to mature anywhere from thirty to forty years from the date of issue. Various rates of maturation will present advantages to the investor, depending on what the investor hopes to gain from the purchase of the bond.