Long-Term Financing: Bonds

A company can purchase bonds as an investment or can issue bonds as a mechanism to raise capital. It is important to understand the different types of bond issues that a company can use, and the impact of interest rates on those bonds. After this reading, you will be able to explain how a company can use long-term bonds as part of their capital budget.

The time value of money

The concept of the time value of money stems from the logical reference for a dollar today rather than a dollar at any future date. Most individuals prefer having a dollar today rather than at some future date because (1) the risk exists that the future dollar will never be received; and (2) if the dollar is on hand now, it can be invested, resulting in an increase in total dollars possessed at that future date.

Most business decisions involve a comparison of cash flows in and out of the company. To be useful in decision making, such comparisons must be in dollars of the same point in time. That is, the dollars held now must be accumulated or rolled forward, or future dollars must be discounted or brought back to the present dollar value, before comparisons are valid. Such comparisons involve future value and present value concepts.