Retirement of Bonds
The retirement of bonds refers to the repayment or settling of a bond’s principal amount by the issuer at or before the bond’s maturity date. Bonds are issued as a form of debt financing, and when the bond reaches its maturity date, the issuer is obligated to pay back the bondholders the face value (or par value) of the bond. This repayment is what’s termed as the “retirement” of the bond.
Bonds can be retired in several ways:
- Maturity: This is the most straightforward way. When the bond matures, the issuer pays back the face value of the bond to the bondholders and no longer owes any obligations related to that bond.
- Call Provision: Some bonds have a call feature, which allows the issuer to repay or “call” the bond before its official maturity date. This is usually done when interest rates fall, and the issuer can refinance the debt at a lower cost. Typically, callable bonds will offer a slightly higher yield to compensate the investor for the risk of the bond being called early.
- Purchase in the Open Market : Sometimes, an issuer might decide to buy back its bonds from the open market before they mature. This could be done for various reasons, including taking advantage of market conditions or managing interest expense.
- Sinking Fund: Some bonds come with a sinking fund provision, which requires the issuer to set aside a certain amount of money at regular intervals to repay bondholders. This provision reduces the risk for bondholders as it ensures that the issuer is actively preparing for the bond’s eventual repayment.
- Conversion: Convertible bonds allow bondholders to convert their bonds into a specified number of shares of the issuer’s common stock. When bondholders opt for this, the bond is effectively “retired” as it’s exchanged for stock.
When bonds are retired, the issuer typically removes the associated liability from its balance sheet, and any difference between the repurchase price and the book value of the bond liability may be recognized as a gain or loss in the income statement.
Example of the Retirement of Bonds
Let’s walk through an example of bond retirement involving the call provision.
Scenario: ABC Corporation’s Callable Bonds
ABC Corporation issues a 10-year bond with a face value of $1,000,000 and an annual interest rate (coupon rate) of 6%. The bond is callable after 5 years at a call price of $1,050,000.
Five years later, due to favorable economic conditions, interest rates in the market have dropped to 4%. ABC Corporation realizes that it could reduce its interest expense by refinancing its debt at the current lower market rates.
Given the circumstances, ABC Corporation decides to call its bonds. This means the company will pay bondholders the call price of $1,050,000 to retire the bonds early.
Accounting Entries:
- Interest Payment (up to the call date)
- Debit: Interest Expense $60,000 (6% of $1,000,000)
- Credit: Cash $60,000
- Calling the Bond
- Debit: Bonds Payable $1,000,000 (to remove the bond liability)
- Debit: Premium on Bonds Payable $50,000 (difference between call price and face value)
- Debit: Loss on Bond Call $50,000 (recognized because the company had to pay an extra $50,000 above the face value to call the bond)
- Credit: Cash $1,050,000 (actual cash paid to bondholders)
After these transactions, the bond liability is removed from ABC Corporation’s balance sheet, and the company would typically then issue new bonds at the lower interest rate of 4% to refinance its debt.
This example illustrates the financial decision-making process a company might undertake to capitalize on changing market conditions and manage its debt more efficiently. Calling the bond allows the company to retire high-interest debt and replace it with lower-interest debt, even if it incurs a one-time cost (the premium on bond callable).
