A bond fund manager has a four year time horizon, and is considering two bonds. The first is a 15-year to maturity bond with a 6.60% coupon rate, paid annually. The price of this bond today is 100% of face value. The second bond is a 20-year to maturity bond issued 7% coupon rate, paid annually. The price of this bond is 101.05% of face value.
a. Calculate the yield to maturity for each bond.
The bond fund manager forecasts that, in four years, the 15-year bond will sell at a yield to maturity of 6.45% and the 20-year bond will sell at a yield to maturity of 6.70%. The bond fund manager also expects that the coupons can be reinvested at an annual rate of 4.75% over the period. Calculate the expected annualized compound rate of return over the five years for each bond. Which bond offers the higher expected compound rate of return?