CP is normally issued with maturities of 270 days or less, though most CP has maturities of 90 days or under. Yields vary with maturity and credit quality, but CP normally offers a higher yield than Treasuries or agencies. Because CP has such a short maturity, the companies that issue it are almost constantly raising money in the market, rolling over or replacing CP that has just matured, as part of a commercial paper program. Since the CP market is generally open only to issuers with strong credit ratings, there have been few defaults over the years—but there have been some. As a result, credit analysis is important.
