Corporate and Agency Bond Data Glossary
Data Definitions for Corporate and Agency Bonds.
| Data field | Definition | Why we share this data |
|---|---|---|
| Callable | A callable bond is one where the issuer reserves the right to buy back the bond from you at a set price and time prior to its maturity date. Not all bonds are callable, though call features are fairly common and are explained in a bond’s prospectus. If the bond is called, the issuer will buy the bond back at the price and date set forth in the prospectus and you will not receive any additional interest payments on the bond. | So that investors can search for bonds that are or are not callable according to their investment goals. |
| Convertible | Used to indicate if the bond is convertible. A convertible bond is a corporate debt security that can be converted into equity at specific times during the bond's lifcycle usually at the discretion of the bondholder. | So that investors understand the nature of the bond. |
| Coupon Rate | A coupon rate is the annual interest rate paid by the issuer to you when you hold a bond that you have purchased. These interest payments are generally made semiannually, although some bonds may pay interest more or less frequently. The coupon multiplied by the par value is the dollar amount the issuer pays annually. For instance, the issuer of a bond with a par value of $1,000 and a coupon rate of 4.5 percent ($45) would make two semiannual coupon payments of $22.50 each to each bondholder. Generally, the higher the coupon rate, the higher your return on investment but the greater the risk you incur. Coupon payments are paid until the maturity date, at which time the par value for each bond will be paid back by the issuer along with the final interest payment. If the coupon rate is zero percent, the bond is likely a zero coupon bond: Instead of the issuer paying interest payments, you buy the bond at a discount from the par value and are paid the par amount when the bond matures. 9.455% | So that investors can understand the potential bond returns. Learn more about Investing in Bonds. |
| Coupon Type | Coupon types can be fixed or floating rate typically paid annually or semiannually during the lifetime of the bond. In fixed-rate bonds, the coupon rate does not change during the life of the bond, whereas, in the case of floating rate bonds, the coupon rate is reset at certain times or periodically (for example, semi-annually) and the next coupon can be higher or lower than the previous one. | So that investors can understand the way payments are calculated for a bond. |
| CUSIP | A unique identifier used for US and Canadian registered stocks, US government and municipal bonds, exchange traded funds, and mutual funds assigned by the CUSIP committee. It is a nine-digit alphanumeric code. The issuer is identified in the first six characters, the next two positions identify the specific asset and the last digit is a check digit. Brokerage firms must have a daily license in place with Standard & Poor's CUSIP Bureau to acquire a full list of reportable bonds by CUSIP number. | It is a unique identifier for securities. |
| Issuer Name | The name of the corporation or agency that issued the bond. | So that investors know the bond origin. |
| Industry Group | The type of industry that issued the bond, which may include:
| So that investors can research bonds by industry. |
| Latest Sale Price | The Price figure is the all-in price for a trade, inclusive of a mark-up or markdown and is updated from 8:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Eastern Time. If there is a commission on the trade, it will be entered in a separate field on the trade report, but will be disseminated as the combined price. Price data is disseminated on executed bond trades, not bond quotes. The TRACE system has no execution capability, nor can it accept quotations. | To learn more about bond prices, see Bond Basics To learn about how to buy and sell bonds, see Buying and Selling Bonds. |
| Latest Sale Yield | Yield is a general term that relates to the return on the capital you invest in a bond and is expressed as a percentage. There are different ways to calculate yield. We share the lower of Yield to Call (retirement of the bond at a date prior to maturity) or Yield to Maturity. This type of yield is called Yield to Worst (YTW) and is generally used to provide the most conservite potential return a bond can give you. For certain variable-rate securities and defaulted bonds trading flat of accrued interest, no yield will be displayed. For certain bonds with unknown variables, yield is not required. For example, yield is not required for floating rate notes (FRNs), step-up or step-down bonds for which the steps are not known, Pay-in-Kind (PIK) bonds, perpetual bonds, or index-linked bonds. | To learn more about yield and return, see Understanding Bond Yield and Return |
| Latest Trade Date | The date of the lastest trade. | So that investors know how recently a bond traded. |
| Maturity Date | A bond’s maturity date is the date the issuer is committed to paying you the par value of the bond, unless the bond is callable and is redeemed on an earlier date. At the maturity date, the issuer redeems each bond at the par amount. Matured bonds have already reached their maturity date and may have already been redeemed by the issuer. It is also possible that the security has not yet been redeemed for several reasons. Please contact your financial professional on the status of this bond. | So that investors know when the issuer committed to paying the value of the bond. |
| Next Call Date | Next call date is available for callable bonds and is the next date at which the issuer may buy back the bond from you at a set price and time prior to its maturity date. | So that investors know when their bond may be called. |
| Perpetual | Used to indicate if the bond is a perpetual bond. Perpetual bonds do not have a set date on which the issuer redeems the bond. However, the bond may have other features, such as call features, under which the security could be redeemed by the issuer. Unless the bond is called or redeemed under other features of the bond, a perpetual bond will continue to pay interest and the issuer is not required to pay you the par value of the bond. Possible values are:
| So that investors can understand the potential bond interest payments. |
| Price Change Number | The value of the price change between the prior and most recent trade. | So that investors can research how a bond price is trending. |
| Price Change Percent | The percentage change of the prior and most recent trade price. | So that investors can research how a bond price is trending. |
| Product Subtype | The type of corporate or agency bond. Possible values include:
| So that investors can research bonds by subtype. |
| Symbol | Security symbol assigned by FINRA for trade reporting purposes. The FINRA proprietary symbol is offered free of charge. | So that investors and markets have a free unique identifier for fixed income securities. |
| TRACE Grade | TRACE Grade groups bonds into two categories: high-yield and investment grade. High-Yield: Rated as speculative grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating agency (i.e., Ba1 or lower by Moody's Investors Services or BB+ or below by Standard & Poor's Corporation). Investment Grade: Rated in one of its four highest generic rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating agency (i.e., Baa3 or better by Moody's Investors Service or BBB- or better by Standard & Poor's Corporation). | To help investors form an opinion about a bond's risk. Learn more about Investing in Bonds. |
| 144A | Used to indicate if the bond is a effected pursuant to SEC Rule 144A, which rules private placements offered in the United States. | So that investors understand the nature of the bond. |