A study on the factors that governs US and EU YTM

Abstract

This paper analyzes the factors that contribute to the government obligations yield to maturity on the EU and US markets. Both, the bond characteristics and macroeconomic factors are taken into account, and the magnitude of each of the factor is provided which compose the average yield to maturity. Due to a severe financial crisis in the past years, economies are still recovering from the effects what makes investors to look for the stable investment instruments. Results of this study are a good fundamental for private investors that desire a stable return with a low-risk exposure. The factors and obtained coefficients included in the paper, can be used by investors, both private and institutional, to understand the magnitudes of the premiums that they can take on by varying the bond characteristics which account to the bond yield to maturity. Investors can decide at which premiums they are willing to focus, to obtain the desired expected returns.