All that you wanted to know about perpetual bonds (2024)

If you are an investor who is not comfortable with the volatility of stock markets and wants to get a higher return, there are many investment avenues. You can take advantage of recent hikes in interest rates and invest in bank fixed deposits (FD) or in small savings schemes. Though debt mutual funds have lost the sheen after the indexation benefits were scrapped, you can still invest in them for liquidity and returns. There are company FDs that offer a slightly higher interest rate but have default risk. There are perpetual bonds that banks have been issuing in recent months- many of them offering interest rates upwards of 9%. It is always better to have a diversified portfolio consisting of many fixed-income instruments. Here’s a primer on perpetual bonds.

What are perpetual bonds?

Bonds are debt instruments issued by corporates, banks and governments to meet their funding requirements. Some of the bonds available for investment are: bearer bonds, inflation-indexed bonds, zero coupon bonds, green bonds, or perpetual bonds. While all of them have a tenure and maturity, perpetual bonds have no maturity date and exist in perpetuity. The issuer pays interest or coupon to the holder of the bonds perpetually. For the issuer, they become quasi-equity since they do not have to be repaid and for the investors, they can get coupons or interest payments perpetually. Perpetual bonds are not so “perpetual” as they are generally issued with a call option, which essentially means that these bonds can be called back by the issuer at any point in time after a defined period, which is usually five or ten years from the date of issue. When the issuer exercises the call option, he recalls the bond and pays back the principal amount to the investor.

Also Read | Do government bonds put Indian banks at risk, a la Silicon Valley Bank?

Banks need to maintain a total capital ratio of 11.5% to meet Basel III norms. Banks need to maintain 9% in tier 1 and the remaining 2.5% in tier 2. Perpetual bonds or additional tier 1 bonds (AT1 bonds) are part of tier 1 capital along with equity and reserves. Banks offer high-interest rates on perpetual bonds to attract investors.

Can retail investors invest in these bonds?

Normally the funds are raised by the banks through a private placement route. The only option for a retail investor is to buy these bonds through a broker in the wholesale debt market. The only deterrent for a retail investor is that the face value of each bond is normally Rs 10 lakhs and so the minimum investment is Rs 10 lakhs. The investor will have to buy these bonds at the prevailing market price and not the face value. For the investor buying them from the secondary market the yield will be different from the coupon rate. The yield on these bonds depends on the price that the investor pays. So, if you bought a perpetual bond having a face value of Rs 10 lakhs and with a coupon of 10% for Rs 10.25 lakhs, the yield will be 9.75%.

What are the risks for an investor?

The biggest risk is the default risk. Since the instruments are unsecured, an investor is exposed to the default of interest and principal payments by the issuing bank. Investors can take a call based on the ratings assigned to these bonds by credit rating agencies. Investors should know that the issuer (banks) has the right to postpone making interest payments on the bonds. The central bank can also ask the issuing bank to write down the entire outstanding amount as it happened in the case of Yes Bank under AT1 bonds even without taking the consent of the investor/lender.

An investor is also exposed to liquidity risk. Since perps are not traded regularly, it could be difficult to find a buyer for the price that he/she wishes to sell. The other option for investors is to wait for the issuer to exercise the call option. In case of liquidation, perpetual bondholders appear before equity shareholders in the sequence for payment.

Taxation of Perpetual Bonds

Interest income and short-term capital gains on perps are added to the total income and taxed as per the income tax slab of the investor. If the bonds are sold in the secondary market and the investor makes long-term capital gain i.e, holding it for more than 12 months, then he must pay tax of 10% without indexation.

(The writer is a CFA, a former banker and currently teaches at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Bengaluru)

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23 April 2023, 15:32

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All that you wanted to know about perpetual bonds (2024)

FAQs

What are the problems with perpetual bonds? ›

One drawback for investors in perpetual bonds is the fact that they are exposed to the credit risk of the issuer. The credit risk exposure is just as perpetual as the bonds themselves.

Are perpetual bonds a good investment? ›

Perpetual bonds are of interest to investors because they offer steady, predictable sources of income, with payments made on a set schedule. Furthermore, some perpetual bonds boast “step-up” features that increase the interest payment at predetermined points in the future.

What are the characteristics of perpetual bond? ›

Perpetual bonds, also known as perps or consol bonds, are bonds with no maturity date. Although perpetual bonds are not redeemable, they pay a steady stream of interest in forever. Because of the nature of these bonds, they are often viewed as a type of equity and not a debt.

Are perpetual bonds sensitive to interest rates? ›

Investors in perps are exposed to the credit risk of the issuer. Perpetual bonds are classified as deeply subordinated instruments. Liquidity risk due to the limited trading market for these instruments. Sensitive to changes in interest rates.

What is the yield to worst of a perpetual bond? ›

Yield to worst is a measure of the lowest possible yield that can be received on a bond that fully operates within the terms of its contract without defaulting. It is a type of yield that is referenced when a bond has provisions that would allow the issuer to close it out before it matures.

Why bonds are not a good investment? ›

The interest income earned from a Treasury bond can result in a lower rate of return versus other investments, such as equities that pay dividends. Dividends are cash payments paid to shareholders from corporations as a reward for investing in their stock.

Are perpetual bonds taxable? ›

4. Taxation on perpetual bonds. Interest earnings and short-term capital gains from perpetual bonds are included in the investor's total income and taxed according to their income tax slab.

How to exit a perpetual bond? ›

However perpetual bonds issued can be traded, thus investors can liquidate their holdings by selling their bonds on exchanges.

What is an example of a perpetual bond? ›

Examples. Consols that were issued by the United States and the UK governments. War bonds issued by a number of governments to finance war efforts in the first and second world wars. The oldest example of a perpetual bond was issued on 15 May 1624 by the Dutch water board of Lekdijk Bovendams.

How do you value a perpetual bond? ›

It is computed as the sum of future investment returns discounted at a certain rate of return expectation. read more concept. Hence the perpetual bond price is presented as the present value of the fixed interest income or the periodic coupon payment (D), dividing D by the discount rate, r.

Do perpetual bonds have yield to maturity? ›

However, since a perpetual bond does not have a maturity date, it does not have YTM either. No return of the principal: The lack of a redemption facility means that investors will never receive the principal amount invested.

What is the cost of perpetual debt? ›

After tax cost of perpetual debt can be calculated by adjusting the corporate tax with the before tax cost of capital. The debt may be issued at par, at discount or at premium. The debt may Also be Redeemed at par, at discount or at premium. The cost of debt is the yield on debt adjusted by tax rate.

Which banks issue perpetual bonds? ›

Most banks like SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank issue perpetual bonds, also called Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds. Banks issue perpetual bonds to strengthen their financial position and meet capital adequacy requirements that protect the depositors of the bank.

Which type of bond generally offers the highest yield? ›

High-yield bonds are debt securities, also known as junk bonds, that are issued by corporations. They can provide a higher yield than investment-grade bonds, but they are also riskier investments.

What are the disadvantages of perpetual SIP? ›

Drawbacks of Perpetual SIP

Over time, you may not notice a continuous drop in the performance, and you continue to invest. You will suffer losses if you continue to invest month after month, without seeing the recent lousy performance. Hence, you must regularly monitor fund performance.

What is the problem with perpetual energy? ›

There is a scientific consensus that perpetual motion in an isolated system violates either the first law of thermodynamics, the second law of thermodynamics, or both. The first law of thermodynamics is a version of the law of conservation of energy.

Why are perpetual shares falling? ›

Perpetual has decided to sell its wealth management and corporate trust businesses and focus solely on being a global multi-boutique asset manager. The company has signed an agreement to sell those businesses to private equity giant KKR for a total cash consideration of $2.175 billion.

What if a perpetual bond does not have a fixed date? ›

Perpetual bonds do not have a set maturity date but can be redeemed at any time by the issuer thanks to a “call” provision. Financial firms or governments issue these bonds to raise money at predetermined interest rates, called coupons.

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