Please answer all of the following questions

1) The CAPM implies that:

a. investors may invest in assets with expected returns lower than the riskless interest rate.

b. no investor should invest in the risk-free asset.

c. the only relevant measure of risk is standard deviation.

d. the expected return on an efficient portfolio may be lower than the riskless interest rate.

2) In case of a simple CAPM being used to estimate a time series data:

a. the mean of a residual risk should be equal to zero.

b. the regression coefficient should be equal to zero.

c. the difference between the market return and the riskfree rate of return should be equal to zero.

d. the beta of the portfolio should be equal to zero.

3)Which of the following statements is true?

a. An increase in coupons increases the duration of the bond.

b. The longer the maturity of a bond, the greater will be its duration.

c. An increase in the interest rate decreases the duration of the bond.

d. Duration is a measure of the sensitivity of the equities.

4) Which of the following investment strategies is inconsistent with a "contrarian" philosophy

a. buying low, selling high

b. buying when odd-lot buying is lower than normal

c. buying when mutual fund cash positions are low

d. buying when most investment advisory services are bearish

e. selling after a market crash or decline

5) All other things equal, which of the following bond price is more sensitive to interest rate changes?

a. a 10 year bond with a 10% coupon

b. a 20 year bond with a 7% coupon

c. a 20 year bond with a 10% coupon

d. a 30 year bond with 7% coupon

6) Studies of firms classified on the basis of P/E ratios come to the conclusion that low-P/E-ratio stocks earn much higher returns, after adjusting for risk, than high-P/E-ratio stocks. This is because

a. low-P/E-ratio stocks are riskier than high-P/E-ratio stocks.

b. investors like low-P/E-ratio stocks.

c. low-P/E-ratio stocks are more likely to be undervalued.

7) Tests of market efficiency tend to

a. look for statistical dependencies that exist in price changes over time.

b. measure the nature of the impact of new information on security prices as that new information becomes available.

c. search for trading systems that might be able to generate supernormal profits.

d. all of the above

1. Which of the following is true?

The corporation model can be used to value divisions and firms that do not pay dividends.
The discounted dividend model can be used to value divisions and firms that do not pay dividends.
For the discounted dividend model, a firm's weighted average cost of capital is used as the discount rate.
For the corporate valuation model, a firm's cost of equity is used as the discount rate.

Question 2.2. Which of the following is false?

For the constant growth model to hold, a firm's cost of equity needs to be smaller than its constant dividend growth rate (i.e., rs < g).
For the constant growth model to hold, a firm's cost of equity needs to be greater than its constant dividend growth rate (i.e., rs > g).
From the constant growth model, if the constant dividend growth rate is equal to zero, a firm's share price is equal to the constant dividend divided by the cost of equity (i.e., g=0).
If a company's constant dividend growth rate is negative, the formula for the constant growth model cannot be applied.

Question 3.3. From the discussion of a firm's capital budgeting problem in chapter 11, which of the following is false? (Points : 3.5)

The net present value method (NPV) assumes that cash flows are reinvested at the weighted average cost of capital (WACC).
The internal rate of return method (IRR) assumes that cash flows are reinvested at the internal rate of return.
The modified internal rate of return method (MIRR) assumes that cash flows are reinvested at the weighted average cost of cpaital.
For mutually exclusive projects, if there is a conflict between NPV and IRR, the project with the highest IRR is chosen.
The IRR is independent of a firm's weighted average cost of capital.

Question 4.4. Which of the following is true? (

As a firm's dividend payout ratio increases, the firm's WACC decreases.
The WACC only represents the "hurdle rate" for a typical project with average risk. Therefore, the project's WACC should be adjusted to reflect the project's risk.
Firms with riskier projects generally have a lower WACC.
Holding all else constant, an increase in the target debt ratio tends to lower the WACC.

Question 5.5. Which of the following is false?

If interest rates rise, the price of the bond will rise and its YTM (yield to maturity) will fall.
Short-term bond prices are less sensitive than long-term bond prices to interest rate changes.
Companies are not likely to call bonds unless interest rates have declined significantly. Thus, the call provision is valuable to firms but detrimental to long term investors.
On balance, bonds that have a sinking fund are regarded as being safer than those without such a provision.

Question 6.6. Which of the following is not true? (Points : 3.5)

According to SML (security market line), the risk premium on a high-beta stock would increase more than that on a low-beta stock.
If beta < 1.0, the security is less risky than average.
According to the Security Market Line (SML), in general, a companyâs expected return will double when its beta doubles.
According to the Security Market Line (SML), if a portfolio of real world stocks has a beta of zero, the required rate of return for the portfolio is equal to the risk-free rate.

Question 7.7. P&G Industries bonds have a maturity of 15 years with a $1,000 face value, have an 8% semiannual coupon, are callable in 10 years at $1,125, and currently sell at a price of $1,105. What is their nominal annual yield to call?

6.87%.
7.37%.
11.05%.
8.32%.

Question 8.8. Which of the following is not the flaw (weakness) of the discounted payback method? (Points : 3.5)

It does not tells us by how much the project should increase shareholder wealth, or by how much a project yields over the cost of capital; it merely tells us when we recover our investment.
It ignores cash flows occurring after the payback period.
It ignores the time value of money, that is, dollars received in different years are all given the same weight.

Question 9.9. Jermey Lin has $52,500 invested a stock with a beta of 0.80 and another $47,500 invested in a stock with a beta of 3.2. If these are the only two investments in his portfolio, what is his portfolio's beta?

1.56.
1.82.
2.00.
1.94

Question 10.10. According to CAPM, if the required rate of the return of Stock A obtained from the security market line (SML) is less than the expected rate of the return of stock A from the capital market transaction, then stock A is

fairly priced.
undervalued.
overvalued.

Question 11.11. Determine the yield-to-call (to nearest 0.1 of a percent) of an LTV bond with a 12 percent coupon, that pays interest annually. The bond can be called in 5 years, has a call premium of $114, and is currently selling for $912.50. The bond has a face value of $1,000.

14.58%.
13.92%.
16.34%.
12.17%.

Question 12.12. Project M costs $1,000, its expected cash inflows are $500 per year for 3 years, and its WACC is 11%. What is the project's NPV? (Points : 3.5)

$259.57.
$221.86.
$195.23.
$257.35.

Question 13.13. Project J costs $1,025, its expected cash inflows are $425 per year for 3 years, and its WACC is 10%. What is the project's IRR?

12.58%.
10.82%.
11.76%.
9.64%.

Question 14.14. Project X costs $6,750, its expected cash inflows are $1250 per year for 10 years, and its WACC is 10%. What is the project's payback?(Note, the regular payback is asked in this question, not the discounted payback.) (Points : 3.5)

5.40 years.
10 years.
4.58 years.
6.12 years.

Question 15.15. Project S costs $800, its expected cash inflows are $350 per year for 3 years, and its WACC is 7%. What is the project's MIRR?

13.97%.
12.04%.
14.93%.
9.15%.

Question 16.16. Project Y costs $650, its expected cash inflows are $500 per year for 5 years, and its WACC is 10%. What is the project's discounted payback?

1.47 years.
1.24 years.
1.62 years.
1.15 years.

1. Which of the following is true?

The corporation model can be used to value divisions and firms that do not pay dividends.
The discounted dividend model can be used to value divisions and firms that do not pay dividends.
For the discounted dividend model, a firm's weighted average cost of capital is used as the discount rate.
For the corporate valuation model, a firm's cost of equity is used as the discount rate.

Question 2.2. Which of the following is false?

For the constant growth model to hold, a firm's cost of equity needs to be smaller than its constant dividend growth rate (i.e., rs < g).
For the constant growth model to hold, a firm's cost of equity needs to be greater than its constant dividend growth rate (i.e., rs > g).
From the constant growth model, if the constant dividend growth rate is equal to zero, a firm's share price is equal to the constant dividend divided by the cost of equity (i.e., g=0).
If a company's constant dividend growth rate is negative, the formula for the constant growth model cannot be applied.

Question 3.3. From the discussion of a firm's capital budgeting problem in chapter 11, which of the following is false?

The net present value method (NPV) assumes that cash flows are reinvested at the weighted average cost of capital (WACC).
The internal rate of return method (IRR) assumes that cash flows are reinvested at the internal rate of return.
The modified internal rate of return method (MIRR) assumes that cash flows are reinvested at the weighted average cost of cpaital.
For mutually exclusive projects, if there is a conflict between NPV and IRR, the project with the highest IRR is chosen.
The IRR is independent of a firm's weighted average cost of capital.

Question 4.4. Which of the following is true? (Points : 3.5)

As a firm's dividend payout ratio increases, the firm's WACC decreases.
The WACC only represents the "hurdle rate" for a typical project with average risk. Therefore, the project's WACC should be adjusted to reflect the project's risk.
Firms with riskier projects generally have a lower WACC.
Holding all else constant, an increase in the target debt ratio tends to lower the WACC.

Question 5.5. Which of the following is false? (Points : 3.5)

If interest rates rise, the price of the bond will rise and its YTM (yield to maturity) will fall.
Short-term bond prices are less sensitive than long-term bond prices to interest rate changes.
Companies are not likely to call bonds unless interest rates have declined significantly. Thus, the call provision is valuable to firms but detrimental to long term investors.
On balance, bonds that have a sinking fund are regarded as being safer than those without such a provision.

Question 6.6. Which of the following is not true? (Points : 3.5)

According to SML (security market line), the risk premium on a high-beta stock would increase more than that on a low-beta stock.
If beta < 1.0, the security is less risky than average.
According to the Security Market Line (SML), in general, a companyâs expected return will double when its beta doubles.
According to the Security Market Line (SML), if a portfolio of real world stocks has a beta of zero, the required rate of return for the portfolio is equal to the risk-free rate.

Question 7.7. P&G Industries bonds have a maturity of 15 years with a $1,000 face value, have an 8% semiannual coupon, are callable in 10 years at $1,125, and currently sell at a price of $1,105. What is their nominal annual yield to call? (Points : 3.5)

6.87%.
7.37%.
11.05%.
8.32%.

Question 8.8. Which of the following is not the flaw (weakness) of the discounted payback method? (Points : 3.5)

It does not tells us by how much the project should increase shareholder wealth, or by how much a project yields over the cost of capital; it merely tells us when we recover our investment.
It ignores cash flows occurring after the payback period.
It ignores the time value of money, that is, dollars received in different years are all given the same weight.

Question 9.9. Jermey Lin has $52,500 invested a stock with a beta of 0.80 and another $47,500 invested in a stock with a beta of 3.2. If these are the only two investments in his portfolio, what is his portfolio's beta? (Points : 3.5)

1.56.
1.82.
2.00.
1.94

Question 10.10. According to CAPM, if the required rate of the return of Stock A obtained from the security market line (SML) is less than the expected rate of the return of stock A from the capital market transaction, then stock A is (

fairly priced.
undervalued.
overvalued.

Question 11.11. Determine the yield-to-call (to nearest 0.1 of a percent) of an LTV bond with a 12 percent coupon, that pays interest annually. The bond can be called in 5 years, has a call premium of $114, and is currently selling for $912.50. The bond has a face value of $1,000. (Points : 3.5)

14.58%.
13.92%.
16.34%.
12.17%.

Question 12.12. Project M costs $1,000, its expected cash inflows are $500 per year for 3 years, and its WACC is 11%. What is the project's NPV?

$259.57.
$221.86.
$195.23.
$257.35.

Question 13.13. Project J costs $1,025, its expected cash inflows are $425 per year for 3 years, and its WACC is 10%. What is the project's IRR? (

12.58%.
10.82%.
11.76%.
9.64%.

Question 14.14. Project X costs $6,750, its expected cash inflows are $1250 per year for 10 years, and its WACC is 10%. What is the project's payback?(Note, the regular payback is asked in this question, not the discounted payback.) (Points : 3.5)

5.40 years.
10 years.
4.58 years.
6.12 years.

Question 15.15. Project S costs $800, its expected cash inflows are $350 per year for 3 years, and its WACC is 7%. What is the project's MIRR? (

13.97%.
12.04%.
14.93%.
9.15%.

Question 16.16. Project Y costs $650, its expected cash inflows are $500 per year for 5 years, and its WACC is 10%. What is the project's discounted payback?

1.47 years.
1.24 years.
1.62 years.
1.15 years.

Derivative

Vanguard High Yield Corporate Fund
Materials
â¢ Website information (23/05/2016)
https://personal.vanguard.com/us/funds/snapshot?FundId=0029&FundIntExt=INT
â¢ Summary Prospectus (27/05/2015)
â¢ Prospectus (27/05/2015)
Anakinâs Job
In May 2016, Anakin leaves his job in Hollywood and returned to the finance industry. It is his
first love after all and the industry appears to be picking up again after the credit crunch of
2007-2008. He applies to be the risk analyst to the fund manager of the Vanguard High Yield
Corporate Fund as his quantitative training positions him well for a job that requires ever more
numerical and computational skills over the years. His solid background in applied analytics
in business management and humble demeanour help him clinch the post without much
difficulty.
The Vanguard Group is an American investment company that has approximately USD 3
trillion in asset-under-management. It is founded in 1975 by John Bogle who created the first
index fund (tied to the S&P 500 index) in the process. After an initial lull, the index grew
rapidly along with the bull market of the 1980s. The Group has since added various financial
services and products to its core business, particularly the ETFs.
Anakin is tasked by the fund manager to become thoroughly familiar with the structure of the
fund as is documented by files provided under âMaterialsâ. After that, he is to assess the
exposure of the High Yield Corporate Fund to risks in the market. He seeks the opinion of
Darth who is a veteran market analyst with the Vanguard Guard group for over 20 years.
Outlook
Darth has this to say about the economy and fixed income market:
" The US economy is improving steadily. It will not be long before the Fed decides to raise
interest rates. Once the Fed restarts the regime of rising rates, it will about 2 years for the yield
curve to rise by 100 basis points.
Consequently, in the more stringent economic environment, companies of lower credit
qualities, namely those of Caa and below, are expected to have their credit standing further
eroded. There is a 25% chance that a Caa-rated issuer may go into default and another 25%
chance that it may be downgraded to C.
The Greek debt problem, though much stabilized than before, is still a matter of grave concern
for the Eurozone. Expect the euro to depreciate against the dollar over the course of the next 6
months. A fall of 500 pips will not be a surprise. "
Assume Anakinsâ role and answer the following questions. Questions 1 and 2 concern the
Financial Environment. The Environment at large provides the context and sets the constraints
within which financial decisions are weighed and taken. Questions 3 and 4 pertain to the task
that Anakin needs to complete.

Question 1
Describe the types of mutual funds that can be found in the market in a concise and systematic
manner, suitable for presenting to a group of investors who are high net worth and impatient.
(25 marks)
Question 2
Collect data (e.g. from the internet and/or Eikon) to plot the term structures of bond yields.
Each term structure describes the state of the fixed income market for bonds of the credit quality
corresponding to that curve. The different term structures span the space of bonds across credit
qualities and maturities.
Analyse the states of these markets relative to the shape of the curves. Compare and contrast
your analysis with current market views.
Explain your steps, present your answers and quote your sources clearly.
(25 marks)
Question 3
To better understand the structure of the fund, answer the following questions:
(a) Describe the composition of the fund.
(b) What are the risks faced by the fund according to the prospectus? Analyse the nature of
the portfolio risk accordingly and comment on whether commodity price risk and equity
price risk matter to the fund management.
(c) Discuss the performance of the fund based on the financial numbers provided.
(d) Assess the quality of the management of the fund.
(25 marks)
Question 4
The fund is affected by changes in the financial markets. When interest rates rise, the value of
the portfolio falls. Occurrences that are flagged by the rating agency to be credit events can
result in the downgrading of credit rating of bond issuers. Bonds that denominated in foreign
currency are affected by fluctuations in the foreign exchange market.
(a) Analyse generally the need for hedging the various market risks for the fund.

Take into account Darthâs outlook. Address some of these risk concerns by answering the
following question:
(b) Suppose that in the coming 2 years, the prevailing interest rates are expected to go up
by 100 basis points and you are concerned. Show how you could hedge away the
interest rate risk by using an interest rate swap, assuming that the fund by may
represented by a single 5-year par bond on the $18.4 billion net assets with semi-annual
5% coupon payments starting from the current date.
In your explanation, you may assume a scenario in which a flat yield curve increases
uniformly across all terms by 25 basis points per half-a-year.
(c) Credit default swaps may be used to ameliorate credit risk. Appraise the use of such
option-like derivative instruments in managing the risk of the portfolio by explaining
how such instruments function.

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