The AI (ChatGPT) Bond Investing Handbook: Yield to Maturity

Here is the response from ChatGPT for the prompt bond yield to maturity entered on February 15, 2023.

Bond yield to maturity (YTM) is the total return that an investor can expect to receive from a bond if they hold it until it matures. It is the average annual rate of return that takes into account the bond's coupon payments, its price, and the time to maturity. The yield to maturity is expressed as a percentage and represents the interest rate that equates the bond's present value to its market price.

To calculate the yield to maturity of a bond, the following steps can be taken:

1. Determine the bond's market price, which is the price at which the bond is currently trading in the market.

2. Determine the bond's face value, which is the amount that will be paid to the investor at maturity.

3. Determine the bond's coupon rate, which is the annual interest rate that the bond pays.

4. Determine the number of years until the bond matures.

5. Calculate the bond's current yield, which is the bond's annual coupon payment divided by its current market price.

6. Estimate the expected future cash flows that the bond will generate, which include the coupon payments and the repayment of the face value at maturity.

7. Determine the discount rate that equates the present value of the expected future cash flows to the bond's current market price. This is the yield to maturity.

The yield to maturity is a useful measure of the bond's expected return, as it takes into account both the interest payments and the capital gain or loss that the investor will receive if they hold the bond until maturity. However, it is important to note that the yield to maturity assumes that all the coupon payments will be reinvested at the same rate as the yield to maturity, which may not be realistic in practice. In addition, the yield to maturity does not take into account any changes in the bond's price due to changes in interest rates or credit risk over the life of the bond.

Bond Yield to Maturity Calculator (from buyupside.com)