Conflict of Interest in Investment Banking
February 12, 2025
Companies all across the world use financial modeling. As we have discussed in several articles in this module, financial modeling solves many business problems. However, just like every other science, financial modeling too has evolved! The art and science of financial modeling have been mostly developed on a tool called Microsoft Excel. However, over time, […]
In every public-private partnership, it is the job of the public party to provide remuneration to the private party. There are various mechanisms in which this payment can be provided. In this article, we will discuss the mechanisms which are commonly used in public-private partnerships. User Charges User charges are a commonly used mechanism when […]
As asset class is a group of assets that have similar investment characteristics amongst themselves. At the same time, their investment characteristics are different from other asset classes. For instance, all stocks share certain characteristics amongst themselves, which they do not share with bonds. Similarly, there are certain characteristics that infrastructure also has as an […]
The era of big corporations started during the industrial revolution. The past couple of centuries have witnessed the rise of these mega-corporations, particularly in the developed western world. In many cases, these corporations have become extremely powerful and have behaved aggressively with weaker nation-states as well. The idea that some private individuals can amass more […]
In the previous articles, we have already read about commercial papers and why they are an important segment of the money market. In most cases discussed earlier, commercial papers were related to unsecured debt. However, this need not always be the case. It is possible for commercial paper to be backed by other securities or […]
Investment bankers help their clients raise money by selling equity as well as bond securities on the securities markets. Investors know that equity securities are risky by their very design. However, when investors think about debt, they often think about secure investments, which are almost certain to pay a fixed rate of return. Debt is usually secured with collateral, and hence it is considered to be investment grade. However, there are certain types of debt, which are not considered to be investment grade. In investment banking parlance, these types of bonds are called “junk bonds.” In this article, we will explain what “junk bonds” are and how the investment banking community has turned these types of bonds into major sources of revenue.
There are credit rating agencies that study the investment profile of various bonds issued. Before the bonds are issued, it is compulsory for credit rating agencies to grade these bonds so that investors are aware of their inherent riskiness. Rating agencies classify bonds into three categories.
There are many investors who have made a lot of money investing in junk bonds. This is because junk bonds provide yields that are much higher as compared to regular bonds.
The term junk bonds can be somewhat misleading. It makes one believe that the bonds are worthless. This is not the truth. There are some facts about junk bonds that debunk this myth.
Investment bankers are actively involved in the issuing of junk bonds. Over the years, issues and sales of junk bonds have accounted for a significant portion of the income generated by investment bankers. The reasons for the same are as follows:
The bottom line is that despite their inherent riskiness and speculative nature, junk bonds are major sources of revenue for investment banks all over the world.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *