yield to maturity (YTM)

yield to maturity (YTM)

The annual return on a bond held to maturity when interest payments and price appreciation (if priced below par) or depreciation (if priced above par) are considered. When a bond sells at par, the yield to maturity is the same as the current yield because price appreciation or depreciation is zero if the security is held to maturity. Bond quotations are generally on a yield-to-maturity basis, although an investor who sells a bond before maturity may earn a yield different from the yield to maturity as calculated at the time the security was purchased. See also internal rate of return (IRR), maturity basis.