Methods and apparatus for restructuring debt obligations

• US 4,739,478 A
• Filed: 09/26/1986
• Issued: 04/19/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lazard Freres & Company LLC (Lazard Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lazard Freres & Company LLC (Lazard Limited)
• Inventors: Finnerty, John D., Norton, Hamish W. M., Roberts, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Kim T.
• Application Number:
  US06/911,770
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/408, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 235/379
• US Class Current: 705/36.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for restructuring one or more debt obligations issued in the form of interest-bearing bonds into a serial issue of zero coupon bonds. The data processing system evaluates the cash flows and present value of an existing bond, then creates a serial issue of zero coupon bonds which provides pretax cash flows equivalent to those of the existing bond and determines a table of call yields for the serial issue of zero coupon bonds to replace the table of call prices for the old bond. The system evaluates the after-tax cash flows, and determines the after-tax present value to the issuer of the existing bond and the serial issue of zero coupon bonds. The system periodically determines the potential savings from calling the zero coupon bond issue, or selected bonds from the series, and refinancing the debt at the prevailing interest rates.

Claims

1. A system for implementing a debt-for-debt exchange comprising:

a memory for recallably storing information;

means for entering and storing a quantity of financial information regarding an existing debt issue in said memory;

means for entering input data representative of information regarding the debt-for-debt exchange to be implemented, including a settlement date on which said debt-for-debt exchange will take place and one of a current market price and a current market yield for said existing debt issue; and

data processing means for receiving and storing said entered input data, said data processing means including means for using said stored financial information and said entered input data for computing face values for a serial issue of zero coupon bonds to replace the existing debt issue, for generating a report comparing said serial issue of zero coupon bonds to said existing debt issue, and for printing certificates evidencing said serial issue of zero coupon bonds.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said data processing means further includes means for computing a table of call yields for said serial issue based upon a table of call prices for said existing issue.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said data processing means further includes means for computing a net present value of the debt-for-debt exchange.