The Bond Market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Bond Market - Research Paper Example On the other hand, corporate debt refers to the property owned by a business, which can serve as an income distress absorber to a specific class of stakeholders. This paper intends to outline the issues that surround bond market in the current market. The U.S. Federal Reserve (â€Å"the Fed†) plays a progressively active role in the performance of the economy and financial markets with its numerous tools. How does Federal Reserve policy affect the bond market? Essentially, the Federal Reserve plays a key role in providing a monetary climate, which is intended in promoting economic stability and simultaneously maintaining consistent economic growth. The Federal Reserve strives to maintain the peaks and troughs at minimum levels. It is impertive3 to note that the Federal Reserve accomplishes their role through manipulation of two interest rate levels (Brett, 17). They include the Federal Funds rates and the Discount Rate. The Federal Funds rate refers to the rates banks charge e ach other to borrow reserves overnight while refers to rate the Federal charges for bank reserve borrowing. It is significant that, changes in both rates have a direct impact on the bond market, yield levels. It is imperative to note that, the corporate bonds always yield more than the government bonds. This is to account for the risk. The Federal Reserve plays a key role in influencing the bond market by controlling the prices and rates of bonds. This enhances controlling of the inflations rates. For instance, investors who buy bonds with a maturity period longer than a couple of years ago have augmented risk disclosure to the level of inflation and its attrition of prospect cash flow values (Brett, 15). However, the Federal Reserve moderates this situation by targeting the level of inflation because inflation expectations have bigger shock on the echelon of interest rates for prolonged maturity bonds than shorter outcome consequently, regulation of the bond market. For the case of bonds with long maturity number of years, the Federal Reserve endeavors to regulate inflation rates. This is because, the levels of inflation directly affects the inflation of expectations consequently increased level of interest rates for longer maturity bonds than shorter maturity bonds (Brett, 16). Fundamentally, the Federal Reserve directly controls the shorter maturity yield levels. The influence caused by the Federal Reserve on the interest rates consequently, significant change is indicated in the levels of yields. The yield curve normally represents the yield market levels. More over, Brett asserts that, the current bull market in bonds will only end if inflation rates rise. This implies that, the current economic status is sluggish and it is characterized by unemployment and high rate of inflation. Bibliography Brett Arends. Bonds- Heading from Bull Market to Bubble. The Journal of The Wall Street. 15.9 (2012): 15- 19. Print. What happens to interest rates as bond prices r ise? The bond markets are extremely active. The interest rates are constantly changing in response to numerous factors, which include changes in demand and supply of credit, market psychology, economic conditions, fiscal policy, Federal Reserve policy and exchange rates. It is significant to note that, as interest rates change, a consequent change in values of all bonds in the market place is expected. For instance, when, interest rates increase bonds with longer maturity periods are immensely affected compared with those