Inflation-Linked Bonds have coupons that depend on the rate of inflation or a related index. They have two main structures.
1. Capital Indexed Bonds. The principal accretes according to the CPI or another price index or deflator. The bond's coupon is a fixed percent of the accreted principal.
2. Floating Rate Bonds. The principal is fixed, but its coupon floats. The floating rate depends on inflation or something related, such as the rate of change in the CPI or on the Treasury Inflation Protected Security (TIPS) variable coupon rate.
A flurry of issues have hit the market in 1997. Issuers include Federal Home Loan Banks, JP Morgan & Co. Inc., Sallie Mae, Salomon Brothers, Toyota Motor Credit Corporation, the U.S. Treasury.
The two main unresolved issues of Inflation-Linked Bonds are how large and variable (1) the coupon and (2) the market price should be.The real yields on Inflation-Linked Treasury Bondsbegan large enough to surprise many observers, and has fallen little in a few months. Some observers believe that these high real rates are sustainable and have historical precedent. Others believe that they are the result of investor uncertainty about the market and will fall over time. (Jonathan Clements, "Second Thoughts: Inflation-Tied Bonds Offer an Intriguing Option for Investors," Wall Street Journal, 3/11/97.)
Advocates for the U.S. market envisioned a bond with a variable coupon and a stable price. However, the experience with Australian Capital Indexed Bonds is that the price varies significantly
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