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find the approximate spread between AAA and BBB rated bonds. There are many sources you can...

find the approximate spread between AAA and BBB rated bonds. There are many sources you can utilize to find this data. Discuss why this spread exists. If a AAA and BBB rated bond have the same duration and convexity will they have the same level of interest rate risk? Why or why not?

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Answer #1

The credit ratings of AAA and BBB are the two ends of the ratings spectrum for investment-grade corporate bonds as provided by the Moody's rating agency. The yield difference between bonds with these ratings has historically indicated whether the economy was in a period of recession or expansion.

The credit-rating agencies Moody's and Standard & Poor's provide credit ratings on bond issuers and their bonds to give investors an idea of the investment reliability of the bonds, concerning the payment of interest and principal. AAA is the highest bond rating and indicates the safest bonds for investors. Bonds rated below BAA -- BBB from Standard & Poor's -- are considered to be non-investment grade. That makes the BBB rating the lowest investment grade rating. The lower the credit rating, the higher the yield a bond will pay.

Typical Yield Difference

If the economy is expanding at a normal rate, the yield spread between AAA and BBB bonds is usually in a range of 0.8 percent to 1.2 percent. From the start of 1960 through the end of 2010, the average spread between the two corporate bond rates was 1.02 percent. Using the monthly data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the minimum spread for that time period was 0.38 percent and the maximum spread was 3.38 percent.

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