In investment, the term risk can be defined as the possibility of the investor losing all or part of their capital in a given venture. High quality bonds are considered lower risk because the the investor is promised to receive face value after a certain period unlike stocks that do not carry the same promise. Returns on high quality bonds are also guaranteed in the form of fixed interest rates whereas in stocks, a company may pay dividends but this is not an obligation on their part. Lastly bonds are safer investment as they are less susceptible to abnormal price changes unlike stocks whose prices can easily swing in either direction.