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Basis point

In the bond market, the smallest measure used for quoting yields is a basis point. Each percentage point of yield in bonds equals 100 basis points. Basis points also are used for interest rates. An interest rate of 5% is 50 basis points higher than an interest rate of 4.5%. Sometimes referred to as BPS, BIPS, and pronounced "Bips"

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basis point

A value equaling one one-hundredth of a percent ( ¹/₁₀₀ of 1%). Basis point is used to measure yield differences among bonds. For example, there is a 30 basis point difference between two bonds if one yields 10.3% and the other yields 10.6%.

Case Study On May 9, 2001, WorldCom, Inc., issued $11.9 billion of bonds in what at the time was the largest corporate debt issue in U.S. history. WorldCom's bond issue exceeded by $3.3 billion the previous largest issue, by Ford Motor Company two years earlier. Most of the proceeds from the WorldCom bond issue were to be used to pay down short-term debt, including $6 billion of commercial paper. The entire issue, which included maturities of 3 years, 10 years, and 30 years, was sold at an average interest cost of 7.6%. The 3-year bonds were sold to yield 6.566%, while the 10-year and 30-year bonds sold to yield 7.659% and 8.250%, respectively. The 30-year portion, maturing in May 2031, sold at a premium of 259 basis points, or 2.59 percentage points, above the 30-year Treasury yield of 5.66%. The 259 basis-point premium to long-term Treasuries indicated the substantial credit risk assumed by investors who purchased WorldCom bonds. The WorldCom issue took place during a painful period for telecom companies, and the firm's common stock price had declined by over 60% in the year prior to the debt issue. Intense competition caused the company's long distance operation to become a particular problem. The bonds were rated BBB+ by Standard & Poor's and A-3 by Moody's. Although the issue was a success, the firm's financial position continued to deteriorate, and a little more than a year later WorldCom was bankrupt.