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Conversion Feature: Definition & Meaning | Bondfish

What it means

The conversion feature is what turns an ordinary bond into a convertible bond — a hybrid that behaves like debt but carries an embedded equity option. Two numbers, fixed at issue, define it. The conversion ratio is how many shares one bond converts into; the conversion price is the effective share price that ratio implies. They are linked by the bond’s face value:

Conversion Ratio = Face Value ÷ Conversion Price

Because the ratio is fixed, the bond’s conversion value (shares received × current share price) rises and falls with the stock. When the share price sits well below the conversion price, the feature is worth little and the security trades on its yield, like any bond. When the shares climb above the conversion price, the equity option moves into the money and the bond starts to track the stock. Many convertibles are also callable, which lets the issuer engineer a forced conversion: once the conversion value tops the call price, calling the bond pushes rational holders to convert rather than accept redemption.

Why it matters for bond investors

The conversion feature is the reason a convertible pays a lower coupon than the issuer’s plain bonds — you accept less income in exchange for equity upside. It gives you a degree of downside protection from the bond floor while keeping a call on the shares, but that trade only pays off if the stock performs; otherwise you have simply lent money cheaply. Watch the conversion premium (how far the market price sits above conversion value), whether the bond is callable, and any dilution the shares would cause on conversion.

Example

A bond with a €1,000 face value and a €50 conversion price has a conversion ratio of 20 shares (1,000 ÷ 50). If the stock trades at €60, the conversion value is 20 × €60 = €1,200 — above par, so converting is worth considering. At €40 a share, conversion value is €800 and the holder simply keeps the bond for its coupon and principal.

Related terms

This definition is for general information only and is not investment advice. Bond investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.