BUS 405 All DQs

Week 1

Discussion Questions

From Chapter 1, answer Concept Question 5: What is Blumes formula? When would you want to use it in practice? Also, from Chapter 2, answer Concept Question 4: What is the difference between asset allocation and security selection? Remember to complete all parts of the questions and support your answers with examples from the text and other resources.

From Chapter 4, complete Problem 4: The Aqua Liquid Assets Money Market Mutual Fund has a NAV of $1 per share. During the year, the assets held by this fund appreciated by 2.5 percent. If you had invested $50,000 in this fund at the start of the year, how many shares would you own at the end of the year? What will the NAV of this fund be at the end of the year? Why? Remember to complete all parts of the question, show your work, and report the results of your analysis.

Week 2

Discussion Questions

Complete Concept Question 1 from Chapter 5: If you were to visit your local Chevrolet retailer, there is both a primary and a secondary market in action. Explain. Is the Chevy retailer a dealer or a broker? Remember to complete all parts of the question and support your answers with examples from the text and other resources.

Complete Concept Question 9 from Chapter 8: What does it mean to be a contrarian investor? How would a contrarian investor use technical analysis? Post your answers to the discussion board. Remember to complete all parts of the question and support your answers with examples from the text and other resources.

Week 3

Discussion Questions

Complete Problem 16 from the Questions and Problems section of Chapter 9: According to the pure expectations theory of interest rates, how much do you expect to pay for a one-year STRIPS on February 15, 2011? What is the corresponding implied forward rate? How does your answer compare to the current yield on a one-year STRIPS? What does this tell you about the relationship between implied forward rates, the shape of the zero coupon yield curve, and market expectations about future spot interest rates? Remember to complete all parts of the questions, and report the results of your analysis.

Complete Concept Question 9 of Chapter 10: (a) What is the relationship between the price of a bond and its YTM? (b) Explain why some bonds sell at a premium to par value, and other bonds sell at a discount. What do you know about the relationship between the coupon rate and the YTM for premium bonds? What about discount bonds? For bonds selling at par value? (c) What is the relationship between the current yield and YTM for premium bonds? For discount bonds? For bonds selling at par value? Remember to complete all parts of the questions, and report the results of your analysis.

Week 4

Discussion Questions

Complete Problems 1, 2, and 3 from the Questions and Problems section of Chapter 11 (shown below). Remember to complete all parts of the questions, and report the results of your analysis.

a. Use the following information on states of the economy and stock returns to calculate the expected return for Dingaling Telephone.

State of Economy

Probability of State of the Economy

Security Return if State Occurs

Recession

.30

-8%

Normal

.40

13

Boom

.30

23

b. Using the information in the previous question, calculate the standard deviation of returns.

c. Repeat Questions 1 & 2 assuming that all three states are equally likely.

Complete Problem 10 from the Questions and Problems section of Chapter 12: A stock has a beta of .9 and an expected return of 9 percent. A risk-free asset currently earns 4 percent.

a. What is the expected return on a portfolio that is equally invested in the two assets?

b. If a portfolio of the two assets has a beta of .5, what are the portfolio weights?

c. If a portfolio of the two assets has an expected return of 8 percent, what is its beta?

d. If a portfolio of the two assets has a beta of 1.80, what are the portfolio weights? How do you interpret the weights for the two assets in this case? Explain.

Week 5

Discussion Questions

Complete Concept Question 7 from Chapter 14: The town of South Park is planning a bond issue in six months and Kenny, the town treasurer, is worried that interest rates may rise, thereby reducing the value of the bond issue. Should Kenny buy or sell Treasury bond futures contracts to hedge the impending bond issue? Remember to complete all parts of the question and support your answers with examples from the text and other resources.

Complete Concept Question 12 from Chapter 15: Recall the options strategies of a protective put and covered call discussed in the text. Suppose you have sold short some shares of stock. Discuss analogous option strategies and how you would implement them. (Hint: Theyre called protective calls and covered puts.) Remember to complete all parts of the question and support your answers with examples from the text and other resources.