Disappearing Call Delay and Dividend-Protected Convertible Bonds

Abstract

Firms do not historically call their convertible bonds as soon as conversion can be forced. A number of explanations for the delay rely on the size of the dividends that bondholders forgo so long as they do not convert. We investigate an important change in convertible security design, namely, dividend protection of convertible bond issues. Dividend protection means that the conversion value of the convertible bond is unaffected by dividend payments and thus dividend-related rationales for call delay become moot. We document that call delay is near zero for dividend-protected convertible bonds.