Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC), a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, offered some securities for sale to the public on March 28, 2008. Under the terms of the deal, TMCC promised to repay the owner of each security $100,000 on March 28, 2038, but investors would receive nothing until then. Investors paid TMCC $24,099 for each of these securities; so they paid $24,099 on March 28, 2008 for the promise of a $100,000 payment 30 years later.
Why would TMCC be willing to accept such a small amount today ($24,099) in exchange for a promise to repay about four times that amount ($100,000) in the future?
A feature of this particular deal is that TMCC has the right to buy back the securities on the anniversary date at a price established when the securities were issued. What impact does this feature have on the desirability of this security as an investment?
