A bond that pays small coupons over its life, but requires a large payment of principal atmaturity. This bond, therefore, allows its holder to receive capital gains in consideration for invested funds. By nature, low coupon bonds trade at a deep discount to par. A deep discount bond with a low coupon rate means that the bond’s return will essentially consist of capital gains (since the holder paid a low price and will receive a higher price upon maturity). By holding low coupon bonds, an investor can enhance his after-tax yield because capital gains are typically taxed at a much lower rate than interest income.

This bond is also known as a low-rate bond.