Are High Bond Yields Good or Bad?

When interest rates are low, high bond yields can be very attractive. But investing in high-yield bonds is not for unsophisticated investors. This is an arena best left to investors who are able to interpret the financial statements of publicly-traded corporations in order to determine which companies are likely to continue paying a high yield on their bonds and which companies might be headed down the slippery slope to bankruptcy.

Bond Ratings

Moody's and Standard & Poor's are considered to be the best-known bond rating agencies. They rate bonds according to the financial strength of the companies that issue them. Bond ratings of AAA, AA, A and BBB are considered to be the highest investment-grade quality. Bonds with ratings below BBB are considered high-yield bonds -- or junk bonds -- and are very speculative. Companies issuing high-yield bonds have a greater likelihood of defaulting on their interest and principal payments.

Benefits of High-Yield Bonds

When yields on investment-grade bonds are hovering around 2 percent or 3 percent, high-yield bonds can often pay investors 10 percent or more. Also, the value of bonds paying a high yield can increase if the company issuing the bond reports improved earnings or it acquires or merges with another highly profitable company. High-yield bonds perform best when the economy is growing and interest rates are stable or declining. But even if a company issuing high-yield bonds goes belly up, bondholders are first in line ahead of stockholders and others creditors to receive what is left of the company's liquidated assets.

High-Yield Bond Risk

There is always the chance that a company issuing a high-yield bond could fall on hard times and the value of its bonds could tank. If that happens, investors could lose a chunk of their initial investment, which is not a good scenario for usually conservative bond owners. Investors who buy high-yield bonds also face the risk that during dramatic sell-offs in the high-yield bond market there may not be any buyers for their bonds.

Diversifying Your Portfolio

A high-yield bond purchase is often recommended as a way to lower your risk. If you don't have enough money to buy high-yield bonds from many different companies, you may invest in a high-yield bond mutual fund to achieve the diversification you need. Limiting the amount of money you invest in high-yield bonds to a small percentage of your investment portfolio may help you avoid the potential for heavy losses.

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