Question

Compared to bonds with longer maturity, bonds with shorter maturity respond _______ dramatically to changes in interest rates.

Answer 1

Answer:

less.

Explanation:

A bond can be defined as a debt or fixed investment security, in which a bondholder (investor or creditor) loans an amount of money to the bond issuer (government or corporations) for a specific period of time. The bond issuer are expected to return the principal (face value) at maturity with an agreed upon interest (coupon), which are paid at fixed intervals.

A yield to maturity can be defined as the bond's total rate of return required by the secondary market.

For instance, when a bond is issued at a par or face value of £1,000, at maturity the investor would be paid £1,000. However, because bonds are being sold before maturity, it would trade below its face value.

Generally, most bonds with shorter maturity time respond less dramatically to changes in interest rates when compared to bonds having longer maturity. Thus, the risk associated with short bonds isn't really significant because their interest rates are less likely to change substantially within that short period of time unlike bonds with longer maturity.