debenture (redirected from Debentures)

Debenture

Any debt obligation backed strictly by the borrower's integrity, e.g. an unsecured bond. A debenture is documented in an indenture.

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debenture

A corporate bond that is not secured by specific property. In the event that the issuer is liquidated, the holder of a debenture becomes a general creditor and therefore is less likely than the secured creditors to recover in full. Because of their high risk factor, debentures pay higher rates of interest than secured debt of the same issuer. See also subordinated debenture.

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Debenture

A debt security, issued by a government or large company, that is not secured by an asset or lien, but rather by the all issuer's assets not otherwise secured. That is, a debenture carries no collateral and is considered unsecured; in case of bankruptcy, the debenture holder is considered a general creditor. A debenture can be traded, and the term is often interchangeable with a bond. Debentures issued by governments are considered risk-free. See also: Treasury security.

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Debenture. A debenture is an unsecured bond. Most bonds issued by corporations are debentures, which are backed by their reputation rather than by any collateral, such as the company's buildings or its inventory.

Although debentures sound riskier than secured bonds, they aren't when they're issued by well-established companies with good credit ratings.

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debenture

An unsecured note or bond.

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Debenture

What Does Debenture Mean?

A debt instrument that is not secured by a physical asset or collateral. Debentures are backed only by the general creditworthiness and reputation of the issuer. Both corporations and governments frequently issue this type of bond to secure capital. Like other types of bonds, debentures are documented in an indenture.

Investopedia explains Debenture

Debentures have no collateral. Bond buyers generally purchase debentures when they believe that the bond issuer is unlikely to default on the repayment. An example of a government debenture would be any government-issued Treasury bond (T-bond) or Treasury bill (T-bill); these generally are considered risk-free because governments, at worst, can print more money or raise taxes to pay these types of debts.

Related Terms:
• Bond
• Convertible Bond
• Corporate Bond
• Debt
• Liability