ch2 problem sets
ch2 problem sets
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Varieties: Includes convertible (can be converted to common stock) and adjustable-rate
(dividends may change with interest rates).
7. Stock Market Indexes
Purpose: Stock market indexes track the performance of selected groups of stocks, serving as
barometers for the overall market or specific sectors.
Key Types:
o Price-Weighted Index: (e.g., Dow Jones Industrial Average) calculated by averaging
stock prices; stocks with higher prices have more impact.
o Market Value–Weighted Index: (e.g., S&P 500, NASDAQ) based on the market
capitalization of constituent stocks; larger companies have more influence.
Examples of Indexes: Includes U.S.-based indexes (S&P 500, Wilshire 5000) and international
indexes (Nikkei, FTSE, DAX).
Key Terms
1. Bankers' Acceptance: A short-term debt instrument often used in international trade.
2. Call Option: Right to buy an asset at a specified price by a certain date.
3. Put Option: Right to sell an asset at a specified price by a certain date.
4. Futures Contract: An obligation to buy or sell an asset at a future date at a predetermined price.
The buyer (long) benefits if the asset’s price rises; the seller (short) benefits if it falls.
Key Differences Recap:
1. Short-term vs. Long-term Debt:
o Money market securities are very short-term, while Treasury bonds and municipal bonds
are longer-term.
2. Tax Treatment:
o Municipal bonds offer tax-exempt interest, whereas Treasury bonds and corporate bonds
are typically taxable.
3. Ownership and Claims:
o Common stock represents ownership and includes voting rights, unlike bonds or
preferred stock.
4. Risk Level:
o Treasury bonds are considered very low risk. Private-label mortgage pass-throughs and
common stocks generally involve more risk.
5. Index Weighting:
o Indexes differ in weighting: price-weighted (Dow Jones) vs. market value–weighted
(S&P 500).
Problem sets
1. Key Differences Between Common Stock, Preferred Stock, and Corporate Bonds
Common Stock: Represents ownership in a company, with voting rights. Dividends are not
guaranteed and depend on company performance.
Preferred Stock: Also represents ownership but typically lacks voting rights. Preferred
shareholders have priority over common shareholders for dividends, which are usually fixed.
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Corporate Bonds: Debt instruments where investors lend money to the company. Bondholders
receive fixed interest payments and have priority over both common and preferred shareholders
in asset claims if the company liquidates.
2. Wilshire 5000 vs. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) as a Market Index
The Wilshire 5000 includes a vast number of U.S. stocks across various industries, providing a
broad market view, whereas the DJIA includes only 30 large U.S. companies, primarily
industrials. This broader coverage makes the Wilshire 5000 a more comprehensive reflection of
the overall market performance.
Money Market Securities: Characterized by short maturities (usually less than one year), high
liquidity, low default risk, and typically issued in large denominations. Examples include
Treasury bills, commercial paper, and certificates of deposit.
Municipal Bonds: Often provide tax-exempt income, which is more beneficial for high-tax-
bracket investors since the tax-exemption increases their after-tax yield compared to taxable
bonds.
LIBOR (London Interbank Offer Rate): The rate at which banks lend to each other in the
London market, used as a reference for many financial products.
Federal Funds Rate: The rate at which U.S. banks lend excess reserves to each other overnight,
directly influencing U.S. monetary policy.
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8. Municipal Revenue Bond vs. General Obligation Bond
Corporate Preference for Preferred Stock: Corporations may invest in preferred stock because
of preferential tax treatment for dividends, where a portion of dividends received by a corporation
may be tax-exempt.
Limited Liability: Investors in common and preferred stock are not personally liable for the
company's debts beyond their investment amount. This structure limits investor risk.
Answer: (a) A repurchase agreement is the sale of a security with a commitment to repurchase
the same security at a specified future date and a designated price.
12. Why are Money Market Securities Sometimes Referred to as “Cash Equivalents”?
Answer: Money market securities are short-term, low-risk, and highly liquid, making them easily
convertible to cash with minimal loss. These characteristics make them suitable as near
substitutes for cash, hence the term "cash equivalents."
Problem: A municipal bond with a coupon rate of 6¾% (6.75%) trading at par, for an investor in
a 35% tax bracket.
Solution: Equivalent Taxable Yield=Municipal Yield/ (1−Tax Rate) =6.75%/(1−0.35) =10.38%
Problem: Compare after-tax yields for a 4% municipal bond versus a 5% taxable bond for
various tax brackets.
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Solution: Calculate after-tax yield for the taxable bond:
Problem: For an investor in a 30% tax bracket, what yield must municipals offer to be preferred
over 9% taxable bonds?
Solution: Rearrange the formula to find the municipal yield:
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o (b) 10%: 4%/1−0.10=4.44%
o (c) 20%: 4%/1−0.20=5%
o (d) 30%: 4%/1−0.30=5.71%
Solution Steps:
o (a) Calculate purchase price based on bond listing.
o (b) Find coupon rate directly from listing.
o (c) Calculate current yield: Current Yield=Coupon PaymentBond Price\text{Current
Yield} = \frac{\text{Coupon Payment}}{\text{Bond
Price}}Current Yield=Bond PriceCoupon Payment
Solution Steps:
o (a) Use closing price from listing.
o (b) Calculate number of shares: Shares=5000Price per Share
o (c) Annual dividend income:
o Dividend Income=Shares×Dividend per Share.
o (d) Earnings per share (EPS) from listing.
Solution Steps:
o (a) Calculate rate of return for a price-weighted index.
o (b) Adjust divisor after stock split.
o (c) Calculate return for the second period using the adjusted divisor.
Solution Steps:
o (a) Market value–weighted index: Use share price and outstanding shares for weights.
o (b) Equally weighted index: Calculate average return across stocks.
Answer: Equally weighted funds need frequent rebalancing, incurring higher transaction costs
and complexities in managing capital allocation due to the need to maintain equal weights.
Answer: If a high-priced stock like FedEx replaced a low-priced one like AT&T, the DJIA
divisor would be adjusted downward to maintain index consistency.
Solution Steps:
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o (a) Calculate price using the bank discount formula.
o (b) Calculate bond-equivalent yield for comparability with other investments.
a. 10-year T-bond with a 10% coupon - A bond with a higher coupon rate is more valuable as it pays
more interest.
b. Three-month call option with exercise price of $35 - The lower the exercise price, the more valuable
the call option, as it has a greater chance of being in the money.
c. Put option on the stock selling at $60 - The put option on the stock selling at a higher price is more
valuable, as it allows the holder to sell at a higher market price.
a. If you buy one contract for December 2015 delivery and it closes at $3.95 per bushel, your profit or
loss would be calculated as follows:
Assuming you bought the contract at a different price, you would need that purchase price to calculate
your exact profit or loss.
b. To determine the number of December 2015 maturity contracts outstanding, you would need to refer to
the specific figure or dataset mentioned (Figure 2.11) which you might not have provided here.
a. Exercise the call if stock price is $102 - You would profit by the difference between the stock price
and the exercise price minus the cost of the option:
b. If bought with exercise price $95 - You would also exercise this option, with a higher profit:
c. If bought an October put with exercise price $100 - You would not exercise this option if the stock
is at $102, as it’s out of the money. Profit = - option cost.
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b. Put Option - The right to sell an asset at a specified price.
c. Written Call Option - The obligation to buy an asset at a specified price (when shorting a call).
d. Written Put Option - The obligation to sell an asset at a specified price (when shorting a put).
Call options with higher exercise prices sell for positive prices because they still provide the right to buy
the underlying asset at a future date, which has value if the asset’s price increases above the exercise
price. They can also serve as a hedge against price movements, providing a safety net.
29. Profit Scenarios for Call and Put on Stock XYZ (LO 2-3)
30. Spread Between Yields on Commercial Paper and Treasury Bills (LO 2-1)
If the economy enters a steep recession, the spread between yields on commercial paper and Treasury
bills is expected to widen. During a recession, the risk associated with corporate debt increases, leading to
higher yields on commercial paper, while Treasury yields generally remain low due to their safe-haven
status.
To determine how many stocks have a 52-week high at least 40% greater than the 52-week low, you
would analyze the specific stocks in Figure 2.8. A greater difference indicates higher volatility,
suggesting that those stocks may have more price fluctuation over the year.
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Sale price = $40
Total income = $4 (since the sale price equals the purchase price)
Tax on dividend = 30% of $4 = $1.2
After-tax income = $4 - $1.2 = $2.8
After-tax return = After-tax income / Initial investment = $2.8 / $40 = 0.07 or 7%.
Taxable Return: 6%
Tax Rate: 28%
After-Tax Return on Taxable Bond:
After-Tax Return=6%×(1−0.28)=6%×0.72=4.32%
Equivalent Taxable Yield of Tax-Free Bond: Given a tax-free bond offering a 4% yield,
a. Prorated Share of Dividends: As a stockholder, you are entitled to a prorated share of IBM’s dividend
payments and the right to vote in stockholder meetings.
b. Potential Gain: Your potential gain is unlimited because the stock price can rise indefinitely.
c. Outlay Calculation:
Outlay=190×100=$19,000
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o Return = (130−125)/ 125=4%
Initial Portfolio Value: $100 million (XYZ) + $500 million (ABC) = $600 million
Final Portfolio Value: $110 million (XYZ) + $400 million (ABC) = $510 million
Loss:
Payoff=110−100=10
Put Option Payoff: Since the stock price exceeds the exercise price, the put expires worthless, so
the payoff is 0.
Summary of Results
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