Investopedia

Continue to Site »

Death Spiral

Filed Under »
Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Death Spiral'

A type of loan investors give to a company in exchange for convertible debt, which, like convertible bonds, typically has provisions that allow investors to convert the bonds into stock at below-market prices. This can cause the original shareholders to lose control of the company.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Death Spiral'

This type of loan is undertaken by companies that desperately need cash. It is called a death spiral because companies' stocks often plunge drastically after they take on these types of loans. It is important to note that death spirals often allow buyers to convert the bonds into shares at a fixed conversion ratio in which the buyer has a large premium.

For example, a bond with a face value of $1,000 may have a convertible value of $1,500, which means that a bondholder will receive $1,500 dollars worth of equity for giving up the $1,000 bond.

However, upon a conversion, more shares are created, which dilutes the share price. This drop in price may cause more bond holders to convert, because the lower share price means that they will be receiving more shares. Any further conversions will cause more price drops as the supply of shares increases, causing the process to repeat itself as the stock's price spirals downward.

Articles Of Interest

  1.

    Haunting Wall Street: The Halloween Terminology Of Investing

    Beware of zombies and Jekyll and Hyde companies! Read about the spooky terms circulating Wall Street.

  2. What are 'death spiral' convertible bonds?

    Conventional convertible bonds give the bondholder the right to exchange the bond for a certain amount of the issuer's common shares, regardless of the current market price of those shares. The ...

  3. Short Selling Tutorial

    Want to profit on declining stocks? This trading strategy does just that.

  4. 5 ETFs Flaws You Shouldn't Overlook

    Despite their popularity, exchange traded funds have some drawbacks that investors should know about.

  5. Using The Price-To-Book Ratio To Evaluate Companies

    The P/B ratio can be an easy way to determine a company's value, but it isn't magic!

  6. Liquidity Vs. Solvency

    Learn about the differences between these two words and how each one is used in the stock market.

  7. Should You Invest Your Entire Portfolio In Stocks?

    It is true that stocks outperform bonds and cash in the long run, but that statistic doesn't tell the whole story.

  8. The Uses And Limits Of Volatility

    Check out how the assumptions of theoretical risk models compare to actual market performance.

  9. R-Squared

    Learn more about this statistical measurement used to represent movement between a security and its benchmark.

  10. Risk Tolerance Only Tells Half The Story

    Just because you're willing to accept a risk, doesn't mean you always should.
comments powered by Disqus
Marketplace
Hot Definitions

  1. Disaster Loss

    A special type of tax-deductible loss, similar to a casualty loss, where a loss has been incurred by taxpayers who reside in an area that has been designated as a federal disaster area by the President.

  2. Fool In The Shower

    The notion that changes or policies designed to alter the course of the economy should be done slowly, rather than all at once.

  3. Pattern Day Trader

    An SEC designation for traders who trade the same security four or more times per day (buys and sells) over a five-day period, and for whom same-day trades make up at least 6% of their activity for that period.

  4. Cost-Push Inflation

    A phenomenon in which the general price levels rise (inflation) due to increases in the cost of wages and raw materials.

  5. Happiness Economics

    The formal academic study of the relationship between individual satisfaction and economic issues, such as employment and wealth.

  6. Affluenza

    A social condition arising from the desire to be more wealthy, successful or to "keep up with the Joneses." Affluenza is symptomatic of a culture that holds up financial success as one of the highest achievements.
Trading Center