Why Does the Yield to Maturity of a Firm's Debt

question 60

Essay

Why does the yield to maturity of a firm's debt generally overestimate its debt cost of capital?

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Definitions:

Liquidation

The process of winding up a company's financial affairs by selling off assets to pay creditors and distributing any remaining assets to the shareholders.

Chapter 7

A chapter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code that deals with the process of liquidation, where a debtor's non-exempt assets are sold off to pay creditors.

Nonexempt Assets

Assets that can be seized in a bankruptcy proceeding because they are not protected by exemption laws.

Avoidance Powers

Legal abilities granted typically to a trustee in bankruptcy to nullify certain transactions made by the debtor before bankruptcy to ensure equitable distribution of assets to creditors.