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Sure, I bought a Delta Airlines bond with a 3.4% coupon for 93 cents on the dollar due in a year from now. Provided Delta doesn't go bankrupt in a year I will make 10%.

They have a pretty healthy balance sheet compared to their peers and I don't expect the government to let the sector fail in such a way that bondholders get wiped out.




I would of thought holding Delta stock would have more than 10% upside if they don’t go bankrupt


The stock probably does have a bigger potential upside, but also a more probable (than the bond) downside. The stock could drop quite a bit while the bond remains solvent. Bankruptcy and declining stock are not (completely) correlated positions to take. It's always a risk trade off.


Even if they don't go bankrupt, the equity has a much higher risk. The gov't could take massive warrants or preferreds etc. in exchange for needed money. That sort of dilution can be profound. Look at a 10 year chart of AIG. Yahoo chart says all time high was 1971 (by eye), currently trading at 23. Of course the stock was never actually trading at almost 2000/share, that's just the dilution factored in.


Guess who gets paid first if the company collapses.


He’s not talking about stock, and you’re right - their stock would have a far greater return. Potentially over 100% within a year.


But also far more likely to go to zero.




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