Prices and Yields

The face value of the government security is Rs.100 or Rs.1,000. Earlier, that is, before 1950s the government bonds were issued at a discount. There was no fixed relation between the maturity pattern and the discount offered. A discount was availed from the state government securities due to the great need for the funds. The minimum price of issue being 97 percent, the majority of the issues by the state government securities were below par. But after the 1980s all the issues were being made at par. Only in one instance, that is, in 1980 the bonds were issued above the par.

The coupon rate or the bond rate is the interest rate mentioned on the bond, and paid on its face value. If the value on issue and redemption are the same, the coupon rate is equal to the redemption yield. The redemption yield would be higher than the bond rate when the investor purchases the bond at a value lesser than the face value or the bond rate, that is, at a discount. Running yield is obtained by correlating the market price of the bond with the bond rate and the discount or premium. The redemption yield represents the return available to the investor if he retains the bond till maturity and the running yield is the return available when the investor sells it in the secondary market at the current price.