04 January 2010
A financial marketplace where debt instruments, primarily bonds, are bought and sold is called a bond market. The dealings in a bond market are limited to a small group of participants. Contrary to stock or commodities trading, the bond market (also known as the debt market) lacks a central exchange.
04 January 2010
The bond market involves transactions among three key players:
Issuers: They comprise of organizations and other entities that sell bonds to raise funds to finance their operations. These include banks, both local and multinational, as well as the government as an issuing entity.
Underwriters: This segment consists mainly of investment banks and institutions that are leaders in the investing business. They help the issuer to raise funds by selling bonds. Also, they perform the key role of middlemen and undertake crucial activities, such as preparing legal documents, prospectus and other collaterals to simplify transactions.
Purchasers: This is the group that buys the debt instruments. In addition to the government and corporations, this section consists of individual investors who invest in the bond market through unit-investment trusts, close-ended funds and bond funds.
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