Deck 4: Interest Rates

Question 1

The modified duration of a bond portfolio worth $1 million is 5 years.By approximately how much does the value of the portfolio change if all yields increase by 5 basis points?

A) Increase of $2,500
B) Decrease of $2,500
C) Increase of $25,000
D) Decrease of $25,000

Answer 1

B
When yields increase bond prices decrease.The proportional decrease is the modified duration times the yield increase.In this case,it is 5×0.0005=0.0025.The decrease is therefore 0.0025×1,000,000 or $2,500.

Question 2

Which of following describes forward rates?

A) Interest rates implied by current zero rates for future periods of time
B) Interest rate earned on an investment that starts today and last for n-years in the future without coupons
C) The coupon rate that causes a bond price to equal its par (or principal) value
D) A single discount rate that gives the value of a bond equal to its market price when applied to all cash flows

Answer 2

A
The forward rate is the interest rate implied by the current term structure for future periods of time.For example,earning the zero rate for one year and the forward rate for the period between one and two years gives the same result as earning the zero rate for two years.

Question 3

A company invests $1,000 in a five-year zero-coupon bond and $4,000 in a ten-year zero-coupon bond.What is the duration of the portfolio?

A) 6 years
B) 7 years
C) 8 years
D) 9 years

Answer 3

D
The duration of the first bond is 5 years and the duration of the second bond is 10 years.The duration of the portfolio is a weighted average with weights corresponding to the amounts invested in the bonds.It is 0.2×5+0.8×10=9 years.

Question 4

The six month and one-year rates are 3% and 4% per annum with semiannual compounding.Which of the following is closest to the one-year par yield expressed with semiannual compounding?

A) 3.99%
B) 3.98%
C) 3.97%
D) 3.96%

Question 5

The two-year zero rate is 6% and the three year zero rate is 6.5%.What is the forward rate for the third year? All rates are continuously compounded.

A) 6.75%
B) 7.0%
C) 7.25%
D) 7.5%

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a theory of the term structure

A) Expectations theory
B) Market segmentation theory
C) Liquidity preference theory
D) Maturity preference theory

Question 7

The compounding frequency for an interest rate defines

A) The frequency with which interest is paid
B) A unit of measurement for the interest rate
C) The relationship between the annual interest rate and the monthly interest rate
D) None of the above

Question 8

Bootstrapping involves

A) Calculating the yield on a bond
B) Working from short maturity instruments to longer maturity instruments determining zero rates at each step
C) Working from long maturity instruments to shorter maturity instruments determining zero rates at each step
D) The calculation of par yields

Question 9

Under liquidity preference theory,which of the following is always true?

A) The forward rate is higher than the spot rate when both have the same maturity.
B) Forward rates are unbiased predictors of expected future spot rates.
C) The spot rate for a certain maturity is higher than the par yield for that maturity.
D) Forward rates are higher than expected future spot rates.

Question 10

Which of the following is true?

A) When interest rates in the economy increase, all bond prices increase
B) As its coupon increases, a bond's price decreases
C) Longer maturity bonds are always worth more that shorter maturity bonds when the coupon rates are the same
D) None of the above

Question 11

The zero curve is upward sloping.Define X as the 1-year par yield,Y as the 1-year zero rate and Z as the forward rate for the period between 1 and 1.5 year.Which of the following is true?

A) X is less than Y which is less than Z
B) Y is less than X which is less than Z
C) X is less than Z which is less than Y
D) Z is less than Y which is less than X

Question 12

The yield curve is flat at 6% per annum.What is the value of an FRA where the holder receives interest at the rate of 8% per annum for a six-month period on a principal of $1,000 starting in two years? All rates are compounded semiannually.

A) $9.12
B) $9.02
C) $8.88
D) $8.63

Question 13

The six-month zero rate is 8% per annum with semiannual compounding.The price of a one-year bond that provides a coupon of 6% per annum semiannually is 97.What is the one-year continuously compounded zero rate?

A) 8.02%
B) 8.52%
C) 9.02%
D) 9.52%

Question 14

An interest rate is 5% per annum with continuous compounding.What is the equivalent rate with semiannual compounding?

A) 5.06%
B) 5.03%
C) 4.97%
D) 4.94%

Question 15

A repo rate is

A) An uncollateralized rate
B) A rate where the credit risk is relative high
C) The rate implicit in a transaction where securities are sold and bought back later at a higher price
D) None of the above

Question 16

An interest rate is 12% per annum with semiannual compounding.What is the equivalent rate with quarterly compounding?

A) 11.83%
B) 11.66%
C) 11.77%
D) 11.92%

Question 17

The zero curve is downward sloping.Define X as the 1-year par yield,Y as the 1-year zero rate and Z as the forward rate for the period between 1 and 1.5 year.Which of the following is true?

A) X is less than Y which is less than Z
B) Y is less than X which is less than Z
C) X is less than Z which is less than Y
D) Z is less than Y which is less than X

Question 18

An interest rate is 6% per annum with annual compounding.What is the equivalent rate with continuous compounding?

A) 5.79%
B) 6.21%
C) 5.83%
D) 6.18%

Question 19

Which of the following is true of LIBOR

A) The LIBOR rate is free of credit risk
B) A LIBOR rate is lower than the Treasury rate when the two have the same maturity
C) It is a rate used when borrowing and lending takes place between banks
D) It is subject to favorable tax treatment in the U.S.

Question 20

Which of the following is true of the fed funds rate

A) It is the same as the Treasury rate
B) It is an overnight interbank rate
C) It is a rate for which collateral is posted
D) It is a type of repo rate