Variable Rate Securities
Variable rate securities are long-term bonds having interest rates that are reset on a short-term basis. Interest rates may be reset either at periodic time intervals or after the occurrence of specified events or conditions. They may be determined by an auction process or by some predetermined index, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR).
Until recently, the most commonly used type of variable rate bonds were auction rate securities (ARS). With auction rate securities, interest rates are reset by Dutch auction, usually every 7, 28, or 35 days. They trade at par and are callable at par on any interest payment date at the option of the issuer. With a Dutch auction, existing bondholders willing to sell and potential investors enter a competitive bidding process through sealed bids. Each bid specifies the number of shares (in $25,000 denominations) that the bidder is willing to purchase or sell at the lowe