Jonathon Silver, CFA, has a client, Alyce Grossberg, whose only current investment requirement is that she wants to buy a premium bond. The required market yield is currently 7.25% at all maturities. Which of the following $1,000 face value bonds should Silver select for Grossberg’s portfolio? 
 
 
| 
 A)  | 
15-year, zero-coupon bond priced to yield 9.00%. |    |  
| 
 B)  | 
10-year, 7.00% semi-annual coupon bond. |    |  
| 
 C)  | 
10-year, 8.00% semi-annual coupon bond. |    |    
 
A bond sells at a premium when the coupon rate is greater than the required market yield. Here, the 10-year, 8.00% semi-annual coupon bond would sell above par, or at a premium. 
The 15-year, zero-coupon bond priced to yield 9.00% would sell at a discount. Zero-coupon bonds sell at a discount from par, because they pay no coupon. (Coupon rate = 0.00%.) The 10-year, 7.00% semi-annual coupon bond would also sell at a discount, because the coupon rate is less than the required market yield. Note: The information that this is an annual coupon bond is not relevant for this question. 
For the examination, remember the following relationships: 
| Type of Bond | 
Market Yield to Coupon | 
Price to Par |  
| Premium | 
Market Yield < Coupon | 
Price> Par |  
| Par | 
Market Yield = Coupon | 
Price = Par  |  
| Discount | 
Market Yield> Coupon | 
Price < Par |    
   |