FI - EOC question 13 - Ch 44 - page 378

It asks which bonds effective duration will lengthen if interest rates rise:

The options are an option free bond, callable bond and a putable bond.

I get that a putable bond is in the money as interest rates rise so the effective duration decreases. The answer is Callable Bond and it is true that the effective duration will lengthen but so does the Option free bond. I always thought as interest rates rise for a callable bond the price change would match that of a straight bond. In the answer it says the effective duration of an option free bond changes very little in response to interest rate movements.

That makes little sense to me because the effective duration for a straight bond is always greater then the effective duration for a callable or putable bond.

I must be misreading something but I’m not getting this.

For a callable bond effective duration decreases as interest rates fall (Reacts to interest changes with little effect) so as the interest rate rises this effective duration increases or lengthens. And with option free bonds, effective duration is constant throughout so it doesn’t lengthen or decrease throughout the yield change. Good? I’m assuming they’re not talking about price change which is what I’m thinking. Does this make sense for the answer?