11. As a general constitutional principle, the federal government cannot tax the states without their
consent if doing so would interfere with state government functions. At one time, this principle was
12. Lack of transparency means that a buyer or seller can’t see recent transactions, so it is much harder
to determine what the best bid and ask prices are at any point in time.
13. When the bonds are initially issued, the coupon rate is set at auction so that the bonds sell at par
value. The wide range of coupon rates shows the interest rate when each bond was issued. Notice
that interest rates have evidently declined. Why?
14. Companies charge that bond rating agencies are pressuring them to pay for bond ratings. When a
15. A 100-year bond looks like a share of preferred stock. In particular, it is a loan with a life that almost
certainly exceeds the life of the lender, assuming that the lender is an individual. With a junk bond,
16. a. The bond price is the present value of the cash flows from a bond. The YTM is the interest rate
used in valuing the cash flows from a bond.
b. If the coupon rate is higher than the required return on a bond, the bond will sell at a premium,
since it provides periodic income in the form of coupon payments in excess of that required by
17. A long-term bond has more interest rate risk compared to a short-term bond, all else the same. A low
coupon bond has more interest rate risk than a high coupon bond, all else the same. When comparing
a high coupon, long-term bond to a low coupon, short-term bond, we are unsure which has more