Purchase Solution

Derivatives-index and interest rate futures

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

1. A portfolio manager controls $5 million in common stocks. In anticipation of a stock market decline, the manager decides to hedge the portfolio using S&P 500 futures contract. The portfolio beta is 1.20, and the current value of the S&P 500 futures contract selected is 1438.50.
a) Calculate the number of futures contracts that should be bought or sold.
b) Suppose that when the contracts are closed out, the portfolio has fallen in value to $4.8 million and that the S&P 500 index has fallen to 1315. Calculate the gain or loss on the combined position if stock portfolio and futures contracts.

2. Suppose the S&P 500 index is at 1517. The dividend yield on the index is 2 percent. If T-bills yield 3 percent, what is the fair value of an S&P futures contract that calls for delivery in 106 days?

3. A speculator buys 3 T-bill futures contracts at 91.88 and closes them out three weeks later at 91.56. Calculate this person's gain or loss in dollars.

4. A T-bill matures in 60 days and sells for $9,950. What is the bond equivalent yield?

5. A $1,000 par, a 7.5 percent Treasury bond paid interest 57 days ago. It sells for 102 percent of par. Ignoring commissions, but including accrued interest, how much must you pay to buy one of the bonds?

Purchase this Solution

Solution Summary

The solution provides detailed answers to 5 questions on derivatives dealing with hedging of portfolio, fair value of an S&P futures contract, gain/loss on futures contracts, bond equivalent yield for a T-bill and the price of bond including accrued interest.

Solution Preview

Please see attached file for complete answers

1.      A portfolio manager controls $5 million in common stocks. In anticipation of a stock market decline, the manager decides to hedge the portfolio using S&P 500 futures contract. The portfolio beta is 1.20, and the current value of the S&P 500 futures contract selected is 1438.50.

a)     Calculate the number of futures contracts that should be bought or sold.

Value of portfolio= $5,000,000
Portfolio beta= 1.2
Current value of S&P 500 futures contract= 1438.50
size of S&P 500 futures contract (multiplier)= $250
Therefore the underlying asset value of 1 S&P contract= $359,625 =1438.5x250

Since the portfolio manager is long on the assets (common stocks), he will go short (sell) on the futures contract

Number of futures contract sold= Beta x Value of the portfolio / Underlying asset value of one future contract
= 16.68 =1.2 x $5,000,000. / $359,625.
Or rounding off, number of contracts sold= 17

Answer: Number of futures contracts sold= 17

b)     ...

Purchase this Solution


Free BrainMass Quizzes
Situational Leadership

This quiz will help you better understand Situational Leadership and its theories.

Understanding Management

This quiz will help you understand the dimensions of employee diversity as well as how to manage a culturally diverse workforce.

Lean your Process

This quiz will help you understand the basic concepts of Lean.

Business Ethics Awareness Strategy

This quiz is designed to assess your current ability for determining the characteristics of ethical behavior. It is essential that leaders, managers, and employees are able to distinguish between positive and negative ethical behavior. The quicker you assess a person's ethical tendency, the awareness empowers you to develop a strategy on how to interact with them.

Income Streams

In our ever changing world, developing secondary income streams is becoming more important. This quiz provides a brief overview of income sources.