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Bonds

the fol]lowing are examples of bonds

CAT 1 - Discounted note 

A bond issued below face value (i.e., at a discount) and repaid at par (100%) on maturity.

Exchange Context:

  • Commonly short-term instruments (e.g., commercial paper, treasury bills).

  • No periodic interest payments (zero-coupon).

  • Return is the difference between the purchase price and face value.

  • Listed with implied yield or discount margin.

  • Price discovery is driven by interest rate expectations and liquidity.

📌 Example: Buy at R95, maturity at R100 → you earn R5 "interest".

CAT 2 - Fixed

A bond with a fixed interest (coupon) rate paid at set intervals (typically semi-annual or annual).

Exchange Context:

  • Most common type of listed bond.

  • Predictable cash flows make it easier to price and trade.

  • Used by corporate and government issuers.

  • Displayed with clean price (excluding accrued interest) and yield to maturity (YTM) on trading platforms.

📌 E.g., 8% fixed coupon, paid every 6 months.

CAT 3 - Floating

A bond where the coupon is tied to a benchmark rate (e.g., JIBAR, SOFR, Prime) plus a fixed spread.

Exchange Context:

  • Reduces interest rate risk.

  • Useful in rising interest rate environments.

  • Less price volatility than fixed bonds.

  • Coupons adjust on reset dates (monthly, quarterly).

📌 Example: “JIBAR + 150bps” resets every 3 months.

CAT 4 -Index 

Typically refers to index-linked instruments, where return is linked to inflation, CPI, or another index.

Exchange Context:

  • Protects investors against inflation.

  • The principal and/or coupon increases with the index.

  • Often used in inflation-linked retail savings or sovereign instruments (e.g., RSA Retail Bonds).

📌 Example: “CPI + 3%” → both capital and interest track inflation.

Summary Table:

Category Type Pays Interest Rate Type Risk Type Exchange Features
Cat 1 Discounted Note No N/A (zero) Low rate risk Traded on yield, short-term
Cat 2 Fixed Rate Note Yes Fixed High rate risk Clean price, YTM shown
Cat 3 Floating Rate Note Yes Variable Low/Moderate Reset frequency & reference rate disclosed
Cat 4 INTEX Note Yes/Variable Indexed Inflation hedge Requires CPI/index tracking