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L.3 · INTERMEDIATE · 2 MIN

Corporate Bonds & Credit Risk

Corporate bonds pay higher yields than Treasuries because companies can default. The extra yield, called the credit spread, compensates investors for this risk.

Quiz · 5 questions ↓

Compare

Rating TierSpread RangeDefault RateExamples
AAA-AA (highest quality)0.3-0.8%<0.1%/yearMicrosoft, Johnson & Johnson
A-BBB (investment grade)0.8-2.5%0.1-0.5%/yearMost large corporates
BB-B (high yield/junk)2.5-6%1-5%/yearSmaller companies, leveraged firms
CCC and below (distressed)8%+15%+/yearCompanies facing financial stress

Try it

Explore the **Credit** view to see bond data organized by rating. Compare spreads across quality tiers.

Key insight

Credit spread movements are an early warning system. When spreads widen sharply, the bond market is pricing in rising default risk, often before the stock market reacts.

Check-in

A BBB-rated corporate bond trades at 180bp spread over treasuries. Historical average spread: 140bp. Disciplined read?
Check your understanding

Sit with the ideas.

An A-rated corporate bond yields 5.4%, and the comparable Treasury yields 4.2%. The bond has an estimated 0.5% annual default probability and 50% recovery rate. Is the spread adequate compensation for credit risk?

Why:
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