Question

1) Why might investors prefer floating rate notes over a fixed rate bond?

Answer 1

Answer:

These questions are incomplete since the article relating to Hologen company is not attached. However, I would answer them this way.

Explanation:

1) A floating rate bond has a shorter duration; almost zero and it has lower sensitivity to interest rates compared to a fixed rate bond.This means that the former has a lower interest rate risk. Investors tend to demand floating rate bonds when they expect future interest rates to rise because their prices would be close to their par values as their interest rates would also increase. On the other hand, fixed bond's interest rates are inversely related to their prices.

2)

For an issuing company, borrowing money floating rates terms could be riskier for cashflow management purposes . Every time interest rates increases, it means that the company would pay higher interests to lenders which could hurt its profitability. The fluctuations could also negatively affect future financial planning unlike issuing fixed rate bonds whose coupon payments are constant hence decreasing the volatility of earnings.