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A sort of financial instrument known as a debenture is one that is only protected by the issuer's overall creditworthiness and reputation and not by any physical assets or collateral. When a large company needs to borrow money, they employ debentures, a medium- to long-term loan product with a set or variable interest rate. In law, a "debenture" is an instrument that either creates or acknowledges a debt; however, in some nations, the terms "bond" and "loan stock" are now interchangeable.
A holder of a debenture is a creditor of the issuer with a contractual right to interest payments and principal repayment at a set date or in the event of a default. Unlike a shareholder, a holder of a debenture has no ownership or voting rights in the issuer. In the event of insolvency or liquidation of the issuer, debenture holders may also be entitled to certain rights and remedies, such as the power to appoint a receiver or take part in the distribution of assets.
Debenture types include convertible and non-convertible. A convertible debenture can be converted into equity shares of the issuer at a set price or ratio, either at the holder's or the issuer's discretion or under specific circumstances. Due to the possibility of the holder participating in equity, convertible debentures often have lower interest rates than non-convertible debentures. Because it does not grant the bearer any equity participation, a non-convertible debenture has a higher interest rate than a convertible debenture and cannot be converted into equity shares.
Both registered and bearer debentures are possible. A registered debenture is created in the holder's name and can only be transferred by completing a transfer document and registering the transfer with the issuer. With a registered debenture, the issuer can more easily pay interest and principal as well as safeguard the holder from loss, theft, or destruction of the debenture. A bearer debenture is one that has no name on it and can be transferred by simple delivery or endorsement. The anonymity and convenience of transfer that come with bearer debentures are counterbalanced by the danger of loss, theft, or destruction of the debenture and the difficulty in recovering interest and principal from the issuer.
For large businesses, debentures are a crucial form of funding since they enable them to raise money from a variety of investors at a lower cost of capital than equity. Because it may be customized to meet the interests and preferences of the issuer and the investors, a debenture also adds flexibility and diversity to the issuer's capital structure. A debenture does, however, come with a number of risks and drawbacks for both the issuer and the holder, including the danger of default, the risk of interest rate changes, the risk of dilution, the risk of subordination, and the risk of prepayment or redemption.
