The corporate bond credit spread puzzle

Jens Christensen

FRBSF Economic Letter, 2008, issue mar14

Abstract: It is common to view interest on a corporate bond as reflecting the risk-free, longer-term interest rate, such as that on a 10-year Treasury bond, plus a spread related to the credit risk of the corporation issuing the bond. However, empirical analysis of the determinants of corporate bond rates has turned out to be more demanding than it appears on the surface. This has led researchers to talk about a credit spread puzzle. In this Economic Letter we will first detail the evidence for the existence of such a credit spread puzzle. In a second step we will take a closer look at some of the pieces that go into explaining the puzzle.

Keywords: Corporate; bonds (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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