Abstract:
There is provided a financial unit security. The financial unit security includes a secured debt security and an option. The secured debt security and the option are coupled together as a unit.

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/322,085, filed Dec. 23, 2002 now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to financial securities, and more particularly, to a financial unit security having a debt component and an option component. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A financial unit security is a combination of two or more individual securities that are coupled together and issued as a single unit. One example of a financial unit security is a combination of a debt instrument and an option instrument into a single structure. 
     A traditional convertible bond is a single debt instrument, i.e., non-unit. A holder of a convertible bond may have a right to receive interest until the maturity of the bond or an earlier redemption event, and has a right to receive the stated principal amount of the bond at maturity. Also, the holder may choose to convert the bond into shares of common stock or other specified equity interests of a corporate entity at a predetermined ratio at anytime. The ratio or “conversion ratio” is determined at the date of issue of the convertible bond by dividing the issue price of the bond by a conversion price determined by the issuer of the convertible bond at the time of issue. This ratio usually does not change during the life of the security absent so-called anti-dilution adjustments. 
     A secured debt security, e.g., an asset-backed security (ABS), is a security in which payment rights are secured by a pledge of specified assets of the issuer of the security. Each investor in the security has a secured claim against these pledged assets. 
     Issuers in the secured debt markets may not find sufficient buyers for their secured debt. The present inventors recognize an opportunity for these issuers to issue their secured debt by providing a product to sell to an alternative market, the unit investor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides for a financial unit security. The financial unit security includes a secured debt security and an option. The secured debt security and the option are coupled together as a unit. 
     The secured debt security may entitle a holder of the financial unit security to receive interest payments and will entitle the holder of the financial unit security to receipt of the payment of the secured debt security&#39;s stated principal amount at maturity, which payments are secured by an asset or assets of the issuer of the secured debt security. 
     The option entitles the holder of the financial unit security to buy some other security or some other asset at a specified price by a set time. For example, the option may be a warrant that entitles the holder of the financial unit security to purchase shares of common stock, or other specified equity interest, of the issuer of the warrant. 
     The financial unit security is valued based on a number of factors, which may include: (1) volatility of the asset that is the subject of the option; (2) yield for a comparable secured debt security; (3) interest rates in a debt market at a time of issuance of the financial unit security; (4) stated maturity date of the financial unit security; (5) price at which the option may be exercised; and (6) interest paid on the secured debt security that is part of the financial unit security. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cash flow schematic diagram of activity during issuance of a financial unit security in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cash flow schematic diagram of activity at maturity of the financial unit security shown in  FIG. 1 , in a case of the financial unit security being “out-of-the-money”. 
         FIG. 3  is a cash flow schematic diagram of a physical cash settlement at maturity of the financial unit security shown in  FIG. 1 , in a case of the financial unit security being “in-the-money”. 
         FIG. 4  is a cash flow schematic diagram of a net asset settlement at maturity of the financial unit security shown in  FIG. 1 , in a case of the financial unit security being “in-the-money”. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides for a financial unit security having a secured debt component and an option component. The financial unit security is also referred to herein as an asset-backed convertible (ABC) unit. One or more certificates evidencing the secured debt are issued to the issuer of the unit by the issuer of the secured debt security. These secured debt certificates are issued against payment by the unit issuer to the secured debt issuer. One or more certificates evidencing the option are issued to the unit issuer by the option issuer. These option certificates are issued against payment by the unit issuer to the option issuer. The unit issuer issues one or more certificates representing the unit securities. These certificates are deposited with a depositary such as The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its agent. DTC acts as securities depositary for the financial unit securities, each of which is registered for credit to an account of a direct or indirect participant in DTC. These direct and indirect participants in DTC are, or act as agents for, the investors in the unit securities. 
     One example of the ABC unit comprises a secured note and a warrant. The note may entitle the holder of the ABC unit to a payment at a stated yield and will entitle the holder to receipt of the note&#39;s stated principal amount at a maturity date. The warrant entitles the holder of the ABC unit to buy some other security, e.g., common stock, or some other asset at a specified price by a set time. 
     In the ABC unit, the note and the option represent rights and obligations that are generally independent of each other. However, in the ABC unit, these rights and obligations can overlap. The ABC unit can be issued by an issuer of either the secured debt security or the option, or by a third party. 
     Because the note component of the ABC unit is a secured obligation, the holder, i.e., investor, of the ABC unit has a right to a payment with respect to the note, which obligation is secured by a pledge of specified assets of the issuer of the note. Each investor in the ABC unit has a secured claim against these pledged assets. Depending upon the specific terms of the ABC unit, the investor may or may not also have a claim, with respect to the note, against the issuer of the ABC unit, or the ABC option, directly, independent of the pledged assets. In a conventional unsecured convertible note instrument, investors only have a claim against the issuer of the convertible note, and no secured claim against any pledged assets exists. The effect of the corporate debt risk of the issuer of the note, which is inherent in unsecured convertible debt, is significantly reduced or eliminated with the ABC unit. 
     The option component of the ABC unit entitles its holder to buy some other security or some other asset at a specified price by a set time. An example is a warrant entitling the holder of the ABC unit to purchase shares of common stock, or other equity interest, of the issuer of the warrant at a specified exercise price at any time before a specified expiration date. Investors exercise options when the exercise price of the option for the assets is lower than the price of the assets on the open market. If the exercise price of the option for the assets is not less than the price of the assets on the open market at the maturity of the option, the option will expire worthless. 
     The ABC unit structure need not be used exclusively to monetize assets that are routinely issued in the secured debt market. Any secured debt security can be included in this structure, and the ABC unit can also incorporate securities that either are or are not rated by a securities ratings agency. The ABC unit broadens demand for secured debt beyond traditional investors in secured debt securities by providing an option component. Therefore, the ABC unit structure has application to secured debt that is not otherwise sold to traditional investors in secured debt securities. 
     The ABC unit is valued according to a number of factors. For example, if the option were a warrant to purchase equity in company XYZ and the note were secured by assets in the same company, the following factors would be considered in a determination of a specific value of the ABC unit; (1) volatility of common stock of XYZ; (2) yield for a comparable secured debt security; (3) interest rates in the debt market at the time of issuance of the ABC unit; (4) stated maturity date of the ABC unit; (5) price at which the option may be exercised; and (6) interest paid on the note that is part of the unit. 
       FIGS. 1-4  are cash flow schematics of various activities relating to management of an ABC unit  30  in accordance with the present invention. ABC unit  30  is a financial unit security having a secured debt component (ABS note  25 ) and an option component (option  35 ). ABS note  25  is a secured debt security. Option  35  is an option entitling the holder of ABC unit  30  to purchase an asset at a specified price by a set time. 
     Several entities are involved, namely an investor  20 , an asset holder  15 , and an option issuer  10 . Investor  20  is an investor in ABC unit  30 . Asset holder  15  is the holder of assets that secure the obligations of ABS note  25 . Option issuer  10  is an issuer of option  35 . For example, asset holder  15  and option issuer  10  might be public corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange or quoted on the NASDAQ national market. 
     The activities relating to management of ABC unit  30  are described herein as steps and are represented by vectors directed from one entity to another. For purpose of explanation, the steps are described in a particular sequence, but in practice the actual sequence may vary depending on local customs or on agreements between option issuer  10 , asset holder  15  and investor  20 . Note also that  FIGS. 1-4  do not represent an exclusive manner by which the ABC unit can be managed. Other parties, for example a transfer agent (not shown), a unit issuer (not shown) and a paying agent (not shown), and other steps, can be involved in the management of the ABC unit. 
       FIG. 1  is a cash flow schematic diagram of activity during issuance of ABC unit  30 . In step  105 , investor  20  delivers a payment for option  35  to option issuer  10 . This payment is for the initial value of option  35 . In step  110 , investor  20  delivers payment for ABS note  25  to asset holder  15 . This payment is for the initial value of ABS note  25 . In step  115 , option issuer  10  issues option  35  for contribution to ABC unit  30 . In step  120 , asset holder  15  issues ABS note  25  for contribution to ABC unit  30 . In step  125 , and ABS unit  30  is delivered to investor  20 . 
     ABC unit  30  is constructed by coupling ABS note  25  to option  35  together as a unit. In one embodiment of ABC unit  30 , option  35  and ABS note  25  are attached to one another. In another embodiment, ABC unit  30  is a stand-alone certificate that represents, or has provisions for, underlying obligations of ABS note  25  and option  35 . 
       FIG. 2  is a cash flow schematic diagram of activity at maturity of ABC unit  30 , in a case of ABC unit  30  being “out-of-the-money”. That is, option  35  has matured and expired worthless. In step  205 , investor  20  delivers ABS note  25  to asset holder  15 . ABS note  25  is retired. In step  210 , asset holder  15  delivers the stated principal amount of ABS note  25  to investor  20 . 
       FIG. 3  is a cash flow schematic diagram of a physical settlement at maturity of ABC unit  30 , in a case of ABC unit  30  being “in-the-money”. That is, ABS note  25  has matured, and option  35  is in-the-money, and hence, option  35  has value. In physical settlement, investor  20  pays the exercise price of option  35  to option issuer  10  and, in return, receives exercise ratio assets. “Exercise ratio assets” refers to the amount of assets deliverable to investor  20  as determined at issuance by dividing the issue price of the ABC unit by the exercise price of the option. 
     In step  305 A, investor  20  delivers option  35  to option issuer  10 . Additionally, in step  305 B, investor  20  delivers the exercise price of option  35  to option issuer  10 . In step  310 , option issuer  10  delivers exercise ratio assets to investor  20 . In step  315 , investor  20  delivers ABS note  25  to asset holder  15 . In step  320 , asset holder  15  delivers to investor  20  the stated principal amount of ABS note  25 . 
       FIG. 4  is a cash flow schematic diagram of a net asset settlement at maturity of ABC unit  30 , in a case of ABC unit  30  being “in-the-money”. That is, ABS note  25  has matured, and option  35  is in-the-money, and hence, option  35  has value. In “net asset settlement” the investor receives an amount of assets that is equal to the amount the exercise ratio assets exceed the strike price of the option. The investor does not pay cash to exercise his option. 
     In step  405 , investor  20  delivers option  35  to option issuer  10 . In step  410 , option issuer  10  delivers the net assets to investor  20 . In step  415 , investor  20  delivers ABS note  25  to asset holder  15 . ABS note  25  is retired. In step  420 , asset holder  15  delivers the stated principal amount of ABS note  25  to investor  20 . 
     It should be understood that various alternatives and modifications of the present invention could be devised by those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims.