A bond is a loan note issued by a business or government to raise capital. Like placing a deposit on a house, the borrower offers a guarantee to the investor to pay back the value of the loan plus interest by a certain date. The investor then receives dependable revenue in monthly repayments and interest charges, and the borrower is able to quickly raise capital without having to sell off his other investments.
The value of bonds is linked to both the supply and demand for the type of bond in question as well as movements in interest rates. Bonds are usually more readily available when interest rates are high.
How are bond CFDs different?
When you own a bond you earn interest on the borrowed sum and will be fully reimbursed by the time it reaches maturity, assuming all the loan repayments have been made. You can also sell the bond prior to maturity to make a profit.
Bond CFDs allow you to trade on the value of the bond without actually owning it. This means that, unlike those who actually own bonds, as a CFD holder you won’t receive interest payments as you will simply be trading the movements of the price of the bond, as opposed to buying and selling the actual asset.
For example, the German Bund is trading at 12326/12328 and you believe its value will rise, so you decide to buy three contracts at 12328. A one point movement is worth EUR10, so if the Bund rises by one point you will earn EUR10 for every contract, and if it falls by one point you will lose EUR10 for every contract.
Within a few days the Bund rises and is now priced at 12364/12366. You sell, making a profit of EUR1,080 (closing level 12364 – opening level 12328 = 36, 36 points x 3 contracts x EUR10 per point = EUR1,080).
Trading Bonds is useful as part of a solid trading portfolio, both to hedge against interest rate fluctuations and to significantly leverage your gains. My favourite CFD provider offers CFDs on a wide range of markets, all accessible at all hours from an online platform.
Bond CFDs are geared products and may result in losses larger than your original deposit. As CFD trading may not be suitable for everybody, please research the risks involved.