What are Treasury STRIPS?
Treasury STRIPS are zero-coupon bonds sold for less than par and pay no interest because the cash flow component was carved out to be separately traded in the secondary markets.
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Treasury STRIPS Government Bond Features
STRIPS are created from the separation of sale of individual parts of government-issued securities, namely Treasury bonds.
STRIPS stands for “Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities,” a government program where investors can own parts of eligible Treasury issuances (e.g. notes, bonds).
The components of Treasury notes and bonds – the principal and interest of the securities – are separated into distinct holdings, in what is referred to as “coupon stripping.”
- Principal: The face value (FV) of the bond, i.e. the amount due at maturity.
- Interest: The periodic interest expense payments due before maturity.
Each component can be purchased and sold as individual securities on the secondary markets upon separation.
Therefore, STRIPS are bonds in which the coupon (interest) component was removed to be sold separately, so the only source of income stems from the payment made at maturity.
Treasury STRIPS Price and Yield
Since no interest is paid throughout the borrowing term, STRIPS are sold below par, making them a zero-coupon bond.
- Treasury STRIPS are sold at a discount to par, i.e. the face value.
- No coupons (interest payments) are paid to the owners of STRIPS throughout the borrowing period.
- The full face value (FV) of the STRIP is repaid at maturity.
- Brokers and dealers actually facilitate the purchase of “Treasury” STRIPS rather than the Federal Reserve (or central government).
- The difference between the purchase price and the par value is the return earned by the investor.