Accounting For Convertible Bonds

Abstract

First, various views of convertible bonds (CBs) are analyzed along with current professional standards of accounting. Present rules are found to be flawed because they do not properly: (1) measure the interest cost of the CB and the total financing cost resulting from the issuance of debt and conversion commitments inherent in the CB; (2) classify the commitments arising from the CB; and (3) account for the conversion of the CB. Based on deductive reasoning and theoretical and empirical evidence, an accounting methodology for CBs is proposed that: (1) recognizes separately the debt and conversion commitments of the CB at date of issuance; (2) recognizes the total financing expense on the CB arising from the interest cost and in the increase in the fair value of the conversion commitment; and (3) accounts for the conversion under the market value method.