An Issue is a term that can refer to either a stock or a bond that has been offered to the public. Usually, an issue refers to the set of instruments released under one offering. For example, when a company goes public, it will release shares of stock in an initial public offering (IPO). The number of shares and the price per share are determined by the investment bankers handling the IPO. After the IPO, investors can buy and sell these shares on secondary markets like the New York Stock Exchange.Bonds are also issued in much larger numbers than stocks. When companies need to raise money for expansion or other purposes, they will often do so by issuing bonds. Like stocks, bonds are bought and sold on secondary markets after they are initially issued. The interest rate on a bond is determined by its coupon rate - which is set at issuance - and prevailing market conditions at the time it is traded.
