Fight Finance

Question 37  IRR

If a project's net present value (NPV) is zero, then its internal rate of return (IRR) will be:

(a) Positive infinity (##+\infty##)

(b) Zero (0).

(c) Less than the project's required return.

(d) More than the project's required return.

(e) Equal to the project's required return.

Question 991  NPV

The required return of a building project is 10%, given as an effective annual rate. Assume that the cash flows shown in the table are paid all at once at the given point in time.

The building firm is just about to start the project and the client has signed the contract. Initially the firm will pay $100 to the sub-contractors to carry out the work and then will receive an $11 payment from the client in one year and $121 when the project is finished in 2 years. Ignore credit risk.

But the building company is considering selling the project to a competitor at different points in time and is pondering the minimum price that they should sell it for.

Project Cash Flows
Time (yrs)	Cash flow ($)
0	-100
1	11
2	121

Which of the below statements is NOT correct? The project is worth:

(a) $10 at t=0, just before the $100 is paid.

(b) $110 at t=0, just after the $100 cost is paid.

(c) $121 at t=1, just before the $11 revenue is received.

(d) $110 at t=1, just after the $11 is received.

(e) $60.5 at t=1.5, one and a half years after commencing the project.

Question 60  pay back period

The required return of a project is 10%, given as an effective annual rate.

What is the payback period of the project in years?

Assume that the cash flows shown in the table are received smoothly over the year. So the $121 at time 2 is actually earned smoothly from t=1 to t=2.

Project Cash Flows
Time (yrs)	Cash flow ($)
0	-100
1	11
2	121

(a) 2.7355

(b) 2.3596

(c) 1.7355

(d) 1.2645

(e) 0.2645

Question 501  NPV, IRR, pay back period

The below graph shows a project's net present value (NPV) against its annual discount rate.

Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) When the project's discount rate is 18% pa, the NPV is approximately -$30m.

(b) The payback period is infinite, the project never pays itself off.

(c) The addition of the project's cash flows, ignoring the time value of money, is approximately $20m.

(d) The project's IRR is approximately 5.5% pa.

(e) As the discount rate rises, the NPV falls.

Question 252  NPV

You have $100,000 in the bank. The bank pays interest at 10% pa, given as an effective annual rate.

You wish to consume an equal amount now (t=0), in one year (t=1) and in two years (t=2), and still have $50,000 in the bank after that (t=2).

How much can you consume at each time?

(a) $36,555.8912

(b) $23,666.6667

(c) $21,450.1511

(d) $18,277.9456

(e) $16,666.6667

Question 543  price gains and returns over time, IRR, NPV, income and capital returns, effective return

For an asset price to triple every 5 years, what must be the expected future capital return, given as an effective annual rate?

(a) 0.6

(b) 0.319508

(c) 0.269705

(d) 0.245731

(e) 0.219755

Question 120  credit risk, payout policy

A newly floated farming company is financed with senior bonds, junior bonds, cumulative non-voting preferred stock and common stock. The new company has no retained profits and due to floods it was unable to record any revenues this year, leading to a loss. The firm is not bankrupt yet since it still has substantial contributed equity (same as paid-up capital).

On which securities must it pay interest or dividend payments in this terrible financial year?

(a) Preferred stock only.

(b) The senior and junior bonds only.

(c) Common stock only.

(d) The senior and junior bonds and the preferred stock.

(e) No payments on any security is required since the firm made a loss.

Question 452  limited liability, expected and historical returns

What is the lowest and highest expected share price and expected return from owning shares in a company over a finite period of time?

Let the current share price be ##p_0##, the expected future share price be ##p_1##, the expected future dividend be ##d_1## and the expected return be ##r##. Define the expected return as:

##r=\dfrac{p_1-p_0+d_1}{p_0} ##

The answer choices are stated using inequalities. As an example, the first answer choice "(a) ##0≤p<∞## and ##0≤r< 1##", states that the share price must be larger than or equal to zero and less than positive infinity, and that the return must be larger than or equal to zero and less than one.

(a) ##0≤p<∞## and ##0≤r< 1##

(b) ##0≤p<∞## and ##-1≤r< ∞##

(c) ##0≤p<∞## and ##0≤r< ∞##

(d) ##0≤p<∞## and ##-∞≤r< ∞##

(e) ##-∞<p<∞## and ##-∞<r< ∞##

Question 482  market capitalisation of equity

The below screenshot of Microsoft's (MSFT) details were taken from the Google Finance website on 28 Nov 2014. Some information has been deliberately blanked out.

What was MSFT's market capitalisation of equity?

(a) $395.11 million

(b) $21.01 billion

(c) $121.92 billion

(d) $393.95 billion

(e) $1.02935 trillion

Question 992  inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows

You currently have $100 in the bank which pays a 10% pa interest rate.

Oranges currently cost $1 each at the shop and inflation is 5% pa which is the expected growth rate in the orange price.

This information is summarised in the table below, with some parts missing that correspond to the answer options. All rates are given as effective annual rates. Note that when payments are not specified as real, as in this question, they're conventionally assumed to be nominal.

Wealth in Dollars and Oranges
Time (year)	Bank account wealth ($)	Orange price ($)	Wealth in oranges
0	100	1	100
1	110	1.05	(a)
2	(b)	(c)	(d)

 

Which of the following statements is NOT correct? Your:

(a) Real wealth at t=1 is $104.7619048 or 104.7619048 oranges.

(b) Nominal wealth at t=2 is $121.

(c) Orange price t=2 is $1.1025.

(d) Real wealth at t=2 is $109.7505669 or 109.7505669 oranges.

(e) Real interest rate is exactly 5% pa.

Question 578  inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows

Which of the following statements about inflation is NOT correct?

(a) Real returns approximately equal nominal returns less the inflation rate.

(b) Constant prices are the same as real prices.

(c) Current prices are the same as nominal prices.

(d) If your nominal wage grows by inflation, then your real wage won't change because you will be able to buy the same amount of goods and services as before.

(e) Interest rates advertised at the bank are usually quoted in real terms.

Question 576  inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows

What is the present value of a nominal payment of $1,000 in 4 years? The nominal discount rate is 8% pa and the inflation rate is 2% pa.

(a) $795.62

(b) $792.0937

(c) $735.0299

(d) $731.7721

(e) $683.0135

Question 727  inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows

The Australian Federal Government lends money to domestic students to pay for their university education. This is known as the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS). The nominal interest rate on the HECS loan is set equal to the consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate. The interest is capitalised every year, which means that the interest is added to the principal. The interest and principal does not need to be repaid by students until they finish study and begin working.

Which of the following statements about HECS loans is NOT correct?

(a) The real interest rate is zero.

(b) The nominal amount owing on the loan will increase at the inflation rate over time, if there are no extra payments or borrowings.

(c) The real amount owing on the loan in today's money will remain the same over time, if there are no extra payments or borrowings.

(d) The interest rate on the HECS loan advantages rich domestic students because they are able to pay off their debt sooner and avoid paying as much HECS interest.

(e) The interest rate on the HECS loan advantages all domestic students because the alternative of borrowing from the bank to pay for education would usually attract a higher interest rate.

Question 481  Annuity

This annuity formula ##\dfrac{C_1}{r}\left(1-\dfrac{1}{(1+r)^3} \right)## is equivalent to which of the following formulas? Note the 3.

In the below formulas, ##C_t## is a cash flow at time t. All of the cash flows are equal, but paid at different times.

(a) ##C_0+C_1+C_2+C_3##

(b) ##\dfrac{C_0+C_1+C_2+C_3}{(1+r)^3} ##

(c) ##C_0+\dfrac{C_1}{(1+r)^1} +\dfrac{C_2}{(1+r)^2} + \dfrac{C_3}{(1+r)^3} ##

(d) ##\dfrac{C_1}{(1+r)^1} +\dfrac{C_2}{(1+r)^2} + \dfrac{C_3}{(1+r)^3} ##

(e) ##\dfrac{C_1}{(1+r)^1} + \dfrac{C_2}{(1+r)^2} ##

Question 356  NPV, Annuity

Your friend overheard that you need some cash and asks if you would like to borrow some money. She can lend you $5,000 now (t=0), and in return she wants you to pay her back $1,000 in two years (t=2) and every year after that for the next 5 years, so there will be 6 payments of $1,000 from t=2 to t=7 inclusive.

What is the net present value (NPV) of borrowing from your friend?

Assume that banks loan funds at interest rates of 10% pa, given as an effective annual rate.

(a) -$1,000

(b) $209.2132

(c) $644.7393

(d) $1,040.6721

(e) $1,400.611

Question 499  NPV, Annuity

Some countries' interest rates are so low that they're zero.

If interest rates are 0% pa and are expected to stay at that level for the foreseeable future, what is the most that you would be prepared to pay a bank now if it offered to pay you $10 at the end of every year for the next 5 years?

In other words, what is the present value of five $10 payments at time 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 if interest rates are 0% pa?

(a) $0

(b) $10

(c) $50

(d) Positive infinity

(e) Priceless

Question 519  DDM

A stock is just about to pay a dividend of $1 tonight. Future annual dividends are expected to grow by 2% pa. The next dividend of $1 will be paid tonight, and the year after that the dividend will be $1.02 (=1*(1+0.02)^1), and a year later 1.0404 (=1*(1+0.04)^2) and so on forever.

Its required total return is 10% pa. The total required return and growth rate of dividends are given as effective annual rates.

Calculate the current stock price.

(a) $10

(b) $12.254902

(c) $12.5

(d) $12.75

(e) $13.75

Question 528  DDM, income and capital returns

The perpetuity with growth formula, also known as the dividend discount model (DDM) or Gordon growth model, is appropriate for valuing a company's shares. ##P_0## is the current share price, ##C_1## is next year's expected dividend, ##r## is the total required return and ##g## is the expected growth rate of the dividend.

###P_0=\dfrac{C_1}{r-g}###

The below graph shows the expected future price path of the company's shares. Which of the following statements about the graph is NOT correct?

(a) Between points A and B, the share price is expected to grow by ##r##.

(b) Between points B and C, the share price is expected to instantaneously fall by ##C_1##.

(c) Between points A and C, the share price is expected to grow by ##g##.

(d) Between points B and D, the share price is expected to grow by ##g##.

(e) Between points D and E, the share price is expected to instantaneously fall by ##C_1.(1+r)^1##.

Question 264  DDM

The following equation is the Dividend Discount Model, also known as the 'Gordon Growth Model' or the 'Perpetuity with growth' equation.

###P_0=\frac{d_1}{r-g}###

A stock pays dividends annually. It just paid a dividend, but the next dividend (##d_1##) will be paid in one year.

According to the DDM, what is the correct formula for the expected price of the stock in 2.5 years?

(a) ##P_{2.5}=P_0 (1+g)^{2.5} ##

(b) ##P_{2.5}=P_0 (1+r)^{2.5} ##

(c) ##P_{2.5}=P_0 (1+g)^2 (1+r)^{0.5} ##

(d) ##P_{2.5}=P_0 (1+r)^2 (1+g)^{0.5} ##

(e) ##P_{2.5}=P_0 (1+r)^3 (1+g)^{-0.5} ##

Question 148  DDM, income and capital returns

The following equation is the Dividend Discount Model, also known as the 'Gordon Growth Model' or the 'Perpetuity with growth' equation.

### p_0 = \frac{d_1}{r - g} ###

Which expression is NOT equal to the expected dividend yield?

(a) ## r-g ##

(b) ## \dfrac{d_1}{p_0} ##

(c) ## \dfrac{d_5}{p_4} ##

(d) ## \dfrac{d_5(1+g)^2}{p_6} ##

(e) ## \dfrac{d_3}{p_0(1+r)^2} ##

Question 50  DDM, stock pricing, inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows

Most listed Australian companies pay dividends twice per year, the 'interim' and 'final' dividends, which are roughly 6 months apart.

You are an equities analyst trying to value the company BHP. You decide to use the Dividend Discount Model (DDM) as a starting point, so you study BHP's dividend history and you find that BHP tends to pay the same interim and final dividend each year, and that both grow by the same rate.

You expect BHP will pay a $0.55 interim dividend in six months and a $0.55 final dividend in one year. You expect each to grow by 4% next year and forever, so the interim and final dividends next year will be $0.572 each, and so on in perpetuity.

Assume BHP's cost of equity is 8% pa. All rates are quoted as nominal effective rates. The dividends are nominal cash flows and the inflation rate is 2.5% pa.

What is the current price of a BHP share?

(a) $57.1734

(b) $28.0394

(c) $27.7723

(d) $27.5000

(e) $27.2330

Question 488  income and capital returns, payout policy, payout ratio, DDM

Two companies BigDiv and ZeroDiv are exactly the same except for their dividend payouts.

BigDiv pays large dividends and ZeroDiv doesn't pay any dividends.

Currently the two firms have the same earnings, assets, number of shares, share price, expected total return and risk.

Assume a perfect world with no taxes, no transaction costs, no asymmetric information and that all assets including business projects are fairly priced and therefore zero-NPV.

All things remaining equal, which of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) BigDiv is expected to have a lower capital return than ZeroDiv in the future.

(b) BigDiv is expected to have a lower total return than ZeroDiv in the future.

(c) ZeroDiv's assets are likely to grow faster than BigDiv's.

(d) ZeroDiv's share price will increase faster than BigDiv's.

(e) BigDiv currently has a higher payout ratio than ZeroDiv.

Question 180  equivalent annual cash flow, inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows

Details of two different types of light bulbs are given below:

• Low-energy light bulbs cost $3.50, have a life of nine years, and use about $1.60 of electricity a year, paid at the end of each year.
• Conventional light bulbs cost only $0.50, but last only about a year and use about $6.60 of energy a year, paid at the end of each year.

The real discount rate is 5%, given as an effective annual rate. Assume that all cash flows are real. The inflation rate is 3% given as an effective annual rate.

Find the Equivalent Annual Cost (EAC) of the low-energy and conventional light bulbs. The below choices are listed in that order.

(a) 1.4873, 6.7857

(b) 1.6525, 6.7857

(c) 2.1415, 7.1250

(d) 14.8725, 6.7857

(e) 2.0924, 7.1250

Question 299  equivalent annual cash flow

Carlos and Edwin are brothers and they both love Holden Commodore cars.

Carlos likes to buy the latest Holden Commodore car for $40,000 every 4 years as soon as the new model is released. As soon as he buys the new car, he sells the old one on the second hand car market for $20,000. Carlos never has to bother with paying for repairs since his cars are brand new.

Edwin also likes Commodores, but prefers to buy 4-year old cars for $20,000 and keep them for 11 years until the end of their life (new ones last for 15 years in total but the 4-year old ones only last for another 11 years). Then he sells the old car for $2,000 and buys another 4-year old second hand car, and so on.

Every time Edwin buys a second hand 4 year old car he immediately has to spend $1,000 on repairs, and then $1,000 every year after that for the next 10 years. So there are 11 payments in total from when the second hand car is bought at t=0 to the last payment at t=10. One year later (t=11) the old car is at the end of its total 15 year life and can be scrapped for $2,000.

Assuming that Carlos and Edwin maintain their love of Commodores and keep up their habits of buying new ones and second hand ones respectively, how much larger is Carlos' equivalent annual cost of car ownership compared with Edwin's?

The real discount rate is 10% pa. All cash flows are real and are expected to remain constant. Inflation is forecast to be 3% pa. All rates are effective annual. Ignore capital gains tax and tax savings from depreciation since cars are tax-exempt for individuals.

(a) $13,848.99

(b) $13,106.61

(c) $8,547.50

(d) $4,238.08

(e) -$103.85

Question 280  equivalent annual cash flow

You own a nice suit which you wear once per week on nights out. You bought it one year ago for $600. In your experience, suits used once per week last for 6 years. So you expect yours to last for another 5 years.

Your younger brother said that retro is back in style so he wants to wants to borrow your suit once a week when he goes out. With the increased use, your suit will only last for another 4 years rather than 5.

What is the present value of the cost of letting your brother use your current suit for the next 4 years?

Assume: that bank interest rates are 10% pa, given as an effective annual rate; you will buy a new suit when your current one wears out and your brother will not use the new one; your brother will only use your current suit so he will only use it for the next four years; and the price of a new suit never changes.

(a) 108.1063

(b) 98.2785

(c) 94.095

(d) 85.5409

(e) 68.3013

Question 195  equivalent annual cash flow

An industrial chicken farmer grows chickens for their meat. Chickens:

1. Cost $0.50 each to buy as chicks. They are bought on the day they’re born, at t=0.
2. Grow at a rate of $0.70 worth of meat per chicken per week for the first 6 weeks (t=0 to t=6).
3. Grow at a rate of $0.40 worth of meat per chicken per week for the next 4 weeks (t=6 to t=10) since they’re older and grow more slowly.
4. Feed costs are $0.30 per chicken per week for their whole life. Chicken feed is bought and fed to the chickens once per week at the beginning of the week. So the first amount of feed bought for a chicken at t=0 costs $0.30, and so on.
5. Can be slaughtered (killed for their meat) and sold at no cost at the end of the week. The price received for the chicken is their total value of meat (note that the chicken grows fast then slow, see above).

The required return of the chicken farm is 0.5% given as an effective weekly rate.

Ignore taxes and the fixed costs of the factory. Ignore the chicken’s welfare and other environmental and ethical concerns.

Find the equivalent weekly cash flow of slaughtering a chicken at 6 weeks and at 10 weeks so the farmer can figure out the best time to slaughter his chickens. The choices below are given in the same order, 6 and 10 weeks.

(a) $0.3651, $0.2374

(b) $0.3172, $0.3506

(c) $0.3065, $0.2157

(d) $0.3050, $0.2142

(e) $0.0157, $0.0491

Question 583  APR, effective rate, effective rate conversion

A semi-annual coupon bond has a yield of 3% pa. Which of the following statements about the yield is NOT correct? All rates are given to four decimal places.

(a) The APR compounding semi-annually is 3.0000% per annum.

(b) The effective 6 month rate is 1.5000% per six months.

(c) The effective annual rate is 3.0225% per annum.

(d) The effective monthly rate is 0.2500% per month.

(e) The APR compounding monthly is 2.9814% per annum.

Question 131  APR, effective rate

Calculate the effective annual rates of the following three APR's:

• A credit card offering an interest rate of 18% pa, compounding monthly.
• A bond offering a yield of 6% pa, compounding semi-annually.
• An annual dividend-paying stock offering a return of 10% pa compounding annually.

All answers are given in the same order:

##r_\text{credit card, eff yrly}##, ##r_\text{bond, eff yrly}##, ##r_\text{stock, eff yrly}##

(a) 0.1956, 0.0609, 0.1.

(b) 0.015, 0.09, 0.1.

(c) 0.1881, 0.0609, 0.1025.

(d) 0.1956, 0.0617, 0.1047.

(e) 6.2876, 0.1236, 0.1.

Question 19  fully amortising loan, APR

You want to buy an apartment priced at $300,000. You have saved a deposit of $30,000. The bank has agreed to lend you the $270,000 as a fully amortising loan with a term of 25 years. The interest rate is 12% pa and is not expected to change.

What will be your monthly payments? Remember that mortgage loan payments are paid in arrears (at the end of the month).

(a) 900

(b) 2,700

(c) 2,722.1

(d) 2,843.71

(e) 34,424.99

Question 57  interest only loan

You just borrowed $400,000 in the form of a 25 year interest-only mortgage with monthly payments of $3,000 per month. The interest rate is 9% pa which is not expected to change.

You actually plan to pay more than the required interest payment. You plan to pay $3,300 in mortgage payments every month, which your mortgage lender allows. These extra payments will reduce the principal and the minimum interest payment required each month.

At the maturity of the mortgage, what will be the principal? That is, after the last (300th) interest payment of $3,300 in 25 years, how much will be owing on the mortgage?

(a) $6,766.6469

(b) $35,748.4866

(c) $63,663.4188

(d) $90,000.0000

(e) Nothing, the mortgage will be fully paid off prior to maturity.

Question 239  income and capital returns, inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows, interest only loan

A bank grants a borrower an interest-only residential mortgage loan with a very large 50% deposit and a nominal interest rate of 6% that is not expected to change. Assume that inflation is expected to be a constant 2% pa over the life of the loan. Ignore credit risk.

From the bank's point of view, what is the long term expected nominal capital return of the loan asset?

(a) Approximately 6%.

(b) Approximately 4%.

(c) Approximately 2%.

(d) Approximately 0%.

(e) Approximately -2%.

Question 48  IRR, NPV, bond pricing, premium par and discount bonds, market efficiency

The theory of fixed interest bond pricing is an application of the theory of Net Present Value (NPV). Also, a 'fairly priced' asset is not over- or under-priced. Buying or selling a fairly priced asset has an NPV of zero.

Considering this, which of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) The internal rate of return (IRR) of buying a fairly priced bond is equal to the bond's yield.

(b) The Present Value of a fairly priced bond's coupons and face value is equal to its price.

(c) If a fairly priced bond's required return rises, its price will fall.

(d) Fairly priced premium bonds' yields are less than their coupon rates, prices are more than their face values, and the NPV of buying them is therefore positive.

(e) The NPV of buying a fairly priced bond is zero.

Question 255  bond pricing

In these tough economic times, central banks around the world have cut interest rates so low that they are practically zero. In some countries, government bond yields are also very close to zero.

A three year government bond with a face value of $100 and a coupon rate of 2% pa paid semi-annually was just issued at a yield of 0%. What is the price of the bond?

(a) 94.20452353

(b) 100

(c) 106

(d) 112

(e) The bond is priceless.

Question 35  bond pricing, zero coupon bond, term structure of interest rates, forward interest rate

A European company just issued two bonds, a

• 1 year zero coupon bond at a yield of 8% pa, and a
• 2 year zero coupon bond at a yield of 10% pa.

What is the company's forward rate over the second year (from t=1 to t=2)? Give your answer as an effective annual rate, which is how the above bond yields are quoted.

(a) 0.0185

(b) 0.0374

(c) 0.0604

(d) 0.1204

(e) 0.1250

Question 141  time calculation, APR, effective rate

You're trying to save enough money to buy your first car which costs $2,500. You can save $100 at the end of each month starting from now. You currently have no money at all. You just opened a bank account with an interest rate of 6% pa payable monthly.

How many months will it take to save enough money to buy the car? Assume that the price of the car will stay the same over time.

(a) 23.62

(b) 25.00

(c) 26.60

(d) 26.77

(e) 55.24

Question 254  time calculation, APR

Your main expense is fuel for your car which costs $100 per month. You just refueled, so you won't need any more fuel for another month (first payment at t=1 month).

You have $2,500 in a bank account which pays interest at a rate of 6% pa, payable monthly. Interest rates are not expected to change.

Assuming that you have no income, in how many months time will you not have enough money to fully refuel your car?

(a) In 23 months (t=23 months).

(b) In 24 months (t=24 months).

(c) In 25 months (t=25 months).

(d) In 26 months (t=26 months).

(e) In 27 months (t=27 months).

Question 366  opportunity cost, NPV, CFFA

Your friend is trying to find the net present value of an investment which:

• Costs $1 million initially (t=0); and
• Pays a single positive cash flow of $1.1 million in one year (t=1).

The investment has a total required return of 10% pa due to its moderate level of undiversifiable risk.

Your friend is aware of the importance of opportunity costs and the time value of money, but he is unsure of how to find the NPV of the project.

He knows that the opportunity cost of investing the $1m in the project is the expected gain from investing the money in shares instead. Like the project, shares also have an expected return of 10% since they have moderate undiversifiable risk. This opportunity cost is $0.1m ##(=1m \times 10\%)## which occurs in one year (t=1).

He knows that the time value of money should be accounted for, and this can be done by finding the present value of the cash flows in one year.

Your friend has listed a few different ways to find the NPV which are written down below.

Method 1: ##-1m + \dfrac{1.1m}{(1+0.1)^1} ##

Method 2: ##-1m + 1.1m - 1m \times 0.1 ##

Method 3: ##-1m + \dfrac{1.1m}{(1+0.1)^1} - 1m \times 0.1 ##

Which of the above calculations give the correct NPV? Select the most correct answer.

(a) Method 1 only.

(b) Method 2 only.

(c) Method 3 only.

(d) Methods 1 and 2 only.

(e) Methods 1 and 3 only.

Question 350  CFFA

Find Sidebar Corporation's Cash Flow From Assets (CFFA), also known as Free Cash Flow to the Firm (FCFF), over the year ending 30th June 2013.

Sidebar Corp
Income Statement for
year ending 30th June 2013
	$m
Sales	405
COGS	100
Depreciation	34
Rent expense	22
Interest expense	39
Taxable Income	210
Taxes at 30%	63
Net income	147

Sidebar Corp
Balance Sheet
as at 30th June	2013	2012
	$m	$m
Cash	0	0
Inventory	70	50
Trade debtors	11	16
Rent paid in advance	4	3
PPE	700	680
Total assets	785	749
Trade creditors	11	19
Bond liabilities	400	390
Contributed equity	220	220
Retained profits	154	120
Total L and OE	785	749

 

Note: All figures are given in millions of dollars ($m).

The cash flow from assets was:

(a) $138m

(b) $142m

(c) $143m

(d) $172m

(e) $176m

Question 351  CFFA

Over the next year, the management of an unlevered company plans to:

• Achieve firm free cash flow (FFCF or CFFA) of $1m.
• Pay dividends of $1.8m
• Complete a $1.3m share buy-back.
• Spend $0.8m on new buildings without buying or selling any other fixed assets. This capital expenditure is included in the CFFA figure quoted above.

Assume that:

• All amounts are received and paid at the end of the year so you can ignore the time value of money.
• The firm has sufficient retained profits to pay the dividend and complete the buy back.
• The firm plans to run a very tight ship, with no excess cash above operating requirements currently or over the next year.

How much new equity financing will the company need? In other words, what is the value of new shares that will need to be issued?

(a) $2.1m

(b) $1.3m

(c) $0.8m

(d) $0.3m

(e) No new shares need to be issued, the firm will be sufficiently financed.

Question 512  capital budgeting, CFFA

Find the cash flow from assets (CFFA) of the following project.

Project Data
Project life	2 years
Initial investment in equipment	$6m
Depreciation of equipment per year for tax purposes	$1m
Unit sales per year	4m
Sale price per unit	$8
Variable cost per unit	$3
Fixed costs per year, paid at the end of each year	$1.5m
Tax rate	30%

Note 1: The equipment will have a book value of $4m at the end of the project for tax purposes. However, the equipment is expected to fetch $0.9 million when it is sold at t=2.

Note 2: Due to the project, the firm will have to purchase $0.8m of inventory initially, which it will sell at t=1. The firm will buy another $0.8m at t=1 and sell it all again at t=2 with zero inventory left. The project will have no effect on the firm's current liabilities.

Find the project's CFFA at time zero, one and two. Answers are given in millions of dollars ($m).

(a) -6,   12.25,   16.68

(b) -6.8,   13.25,   14.05

(c) -6.8,   13.25,   15.88

(d) -6.8,   13.25,   18.51

(e) -6.8,   13.25,   17.71

Question 273  CFFA, capital budgeting

Value the following business project to manufacture a new product.

Project Data
Project life	2 yrs
Initial investment in equipment	$6m
Depreciation of equipment per year	$3m
Expected sale price of equipment at end of project	$0.6m
Unit sales per year	4m
Sale price per unit	$8
Variable cost per unit	$5
Fixed costs per year, paid at the end of each year	$1m
Interest expense per year	0
Tax rate	30%
Weighted average cost of capital after tax per annum	10%

Notes

1. The firm's current assets and current liabilities are $3m and $2m respectively right now. This net working capital will not be used in this project, it will be used in other unrelated projects.
   Due to the project, current assets (mostly inventory) will grow by $2m initially (at t = 0), and then by $0.2m at the end of the first year (t=1).
   Current liabilities (mostly trade creditors) will increase by $0.1m at the end of the first year (t=1).
   At the end of the project, the net working capital accumulated due to the project can be sold for the same price that it was bought.
2. The project cost $0.5m to research which was incurred one year ago.

Assumptions

• All cash flows occur at the start or end of the year as appropriate, not in the middle or throughout the year.
• All rates and cash flows are real. The inflation rate is 3% pa.
• All rates are given as effective annual rates.
• The business considering the project is run as a 'sole tradership' (run by an individual without a company) and is therefore eligible for a 50% capital gains tax discount when the equipment is sold, as permitted by the Australian Tax Office.

What is the expected net present value (NPV) of the project?

(a) $5.2m

(b) $8.481735m

(c) $8.743802m

(d) $8.991736m

(e) $9.719008m

Question 406  leverage, WACC, margin loan, portfolio return

One year ago you bought $100,000 of shares partly funded using a margin loan. The margin loan size was $70,000 and the other $30,000 was your own wealth or 'equity' in the share assets.

The interest rate on the margin loan was 7.84% pa.

Over the year, the shares produced a dividend yield of 4% pa and a capital gain of 5% pa.

What was the total return on your wealth? Ignore taxes, assume that all cash flows (interest payments and dividends) were paid and received at the end of the year, and all rates above are effective annual rates.

(a) 1.0757%

(b) 2.7067%

(c) 5.1333%

(d) 9.0000%

(e) 11.7067%

Hint: Remember that wealth in this context is your equity (E) in the house asset (V = D+E) which is funded by the loan (D) and your deposit or equity (E).

Question 68  WACC, CFFA, capital budgeting

A manufacturing company is considering a new project in the more risky services industry. The cash flows from assets (CFFA) are estimated for the new project, with interest expense excluded from the calculations. To get the levered value of the project, what should these unlevered cash flows be discounted by?

Assume that the manufacturing firm has a target debt-to-assets ratio that it sticks to.

(a) The manufacturing firm's before-tax WACC.

(b) The manufacturing firm's after-tax WACC.

(c) A services firm's before-tax WACC, assuming that the services firm has the same debt-to-assets ratio as the manufacturing firm.

(d) A services firm's after-tax WACC, assuming that the services firm has the same debt-to-assets ratio as the manufacturing firm.

(e) The services firm's levered cost of equity.

Question 205  depreciation tax shield, CFFA

There are a number of ways that assets can be depreciated. Generally the government's tax office stipulates a certain method.

But if it didn't, what would be the ideal way to depreciate an asset from the perspective of a businesses owner?

(a) 'Straight line' or 'prime cost' depreciation, which allocates equal depreciation expenses over each year of the asset's life.

(b) 'Diminishing value' or 'reducing balance' depreciation, which allocates more depreciation expense at the start of the asset's life and less towards the end.

(c) No depreciation at all, so the asset is always kept on the books as being the same value that it was bought for. The asset will cause no depreciation expense in any year.

(d) Allocating all of the depreciation expense to the final year of the asset's life.

(e) Allocating all of the depreciation expense to the first year of the asset's life. Accountants would call this 'expensing' the asset, rather than 'capitalising' it and depreciating it slowly.

Question 368  interest tax shield, CFFA

A method commonly seen in textbooks for calculating a levered firm's free cash flow (FFCF, or CFFA) is the following:

###\begin{aligned} FFCF &= (Rev - COGS - Depr - FC - IntExp)(1-t_c) + \\ &\space\space\space+ Depr - CapEx -\Delta NWC + IntExp(1-t_c) \\ \end{aligned}###

Does this annual FFCF or the annual interest tax shield?

Question 413  CFFA, interest tax shield, depreciation tax shield

There are many ways to calculate a firm's free cash flow (FFCF), also called cash flow from assets (CFFA).

One method is to use the following formulas to transform net income (NI) into FFCF including interest and depreciation tax shields:

###FFCF=NI + Depr - CapEx -ΔNWC + IntExp###

###NI=(Rev - COGS - Depr - FC - IntExp).(1-t_c )###

Another popular method is to use EBITDA rather than net income. EBITDA is defined as:

###EBITDA=Rev - COGS - FC###

One of the below formulas correctly calculates FFCF from EBITDA, including interest and depreciation tax shields, giving an identical answer to that above. Which formula is correct?

(a) ##FFCF=EBITDA+ Depr - CapEx -ΔNWC + IntExp##

(b) ##FFCF=EBITDA.(1-t_c )+Depr- CapEx -ΔNWC##

(c) ##FFCF=EBITDA.(1-t_c )+ Depr.t_c - CapEx -ΔNWC + IntExp.t_c##

(d) ##FFCF=EBITDA.(1-t_c )+Depr.(1-t_c )- CapEx -ΔNWC+IntExp.(1-t_c)##

(e) ##FFCF=EBITDA.(1-t_c )- CapEx -ΔNWC##

Question 401  capital budgeting, CFFA

The hardest and most important aspect of business project valuation is the estimation of the:

(a) Diversifiable standard deviation of asset returns.

(b) Systematic standard deviation of asset returns.

(c) Proportion of debt and equity used to fund the assets.

(d) Cash flows from assets.

(e) Risk free rate.

Question 241  Miller and Modigliani, leverage, payout policy, diversification, NPV

One of Miller and Modigliani's (M&M's) important insights is that a firm's managers should not try to achieve a particular level of leverage in a world with zero taxes and perfect information since investors can make their own leverage. Therefore corporate capital structure policy is irrelevant since investors can achieve their own desired leverage at the personal level by borrowing or lending on their own.

This principal of 'home-made' or 'do-it-yourself' leverage can also be applied to other topics. Read the following statements to decide which are true:

(I) Payout policy: a firm's managers should not try to achieve a particular pattern of equity payout.

(II) Agency costs: a firm's managers should not try to minimise agency costs.

(III) Diversification: a firm's managers should not try to diversify across industries.

(IV) Shareholder wealth: a firm's managers should not try to maximise shareholders' wealth.

Which of the above statement(s) are true?

(a) I only.

(b) I and II only.

(c) I and III only.

(d) III only.

(e) All are true.

Question 91  WACC, capital structure

A firm has a debt-to-assets ratio of 50%. The firm then issues a large amount of equity to raise money for new projects of similar systematic risk to the company's existing projects. Assume a classical tax system. Which statement is correct?

(a) The debt-to-assets (D/V) ratio will increase.

(b) The debt-to-equity ratio (D/E) will increase.

(c) Firm value is likely to have increased due to the higher amount of interest tax shields, assuming that there will not be any costs of financial distress.

(d) The company's after-tax WACC is likely to stay the same.

(e) The company's before-tax WACC is likely to stay the same.

Question 337  capital structure, interest tax shield, leverage, real and nominal returns and cash flows, multi stage growth model

A fast-growing firm is suitable for valuation using a multi-stage growth model.

It's nominal unlevered cash flow from assets (##CFFA_U##) at the end of this year (t=1) is expected to be $1 million. After that it is expected to grow at a rate of:

• 12% pa for the next two years (from t=1 to 3),
• 5% over the fourth year (from t=3 to 4), and
• -1% forever after that (from t=4 onwards). Note that this is a negative one percent growth rate.

Assume that:

• The nominal WACC after tax is 9.5% pa and is not expected to change.
• The nominal WACC before tax is 10% pa and is not expected to change.
• The firm has a target debt-to-equity ratio that it plans to maintain.
• The inflation rate is 3% pa.
• All rates are given as nominal effective annual rates.

What is the levered value of this fast growing firm's assets?

(a) $13.19m

(b) $12.36m

(c) $11.77m

(d) $11.53m

(e) $11.20m

Question 206  CFFA, interest expense, interest tax shield

Interest expense (IntExp) is an important part of a company's income statement (or 'profit and loss' or 'statement of financial performance').

How does an accountant calculate the annual interest expense of a fixed-coupon bond that has a liquid secondary market? Select the most correct answer:

Annual interest expense is equal to:

(a) the bond's face value multiplied by its annual yield to maturity.

(b) the bond's face value multiplied by its annual coupon rate.

(c) the bond's market price at the start of the year multiplied by its annual yield to maturity.

(d) the bond's market price at the start of the year multiplied by its annual coupon rate.

(e) the future value of the actual cash payments of the bond over the year, grown to the end of the year, and grown by the bond's yield to maturity.

Question 89  WACC, CFFA, interest tax shield

A retail furniture company buys furniture wholesale and distributes it through its retail stores. The owner believes that she has some good ideas for making stylish new furniture. She is considering a project to buy a factory and employ workers to manufacture the new furniture she's designed. Furniture manufacturing has more systematic risk than furniture retailing.

Her furniture retailing firm's after-tax WACC is 20%. Furniture manufacturing firms have an after-tax WACC of 30%. Both firms are optimally geared. Assume a classical tax system.

Which method(s) will give the correct valuation of the new furniture-making project? Select the most correct answer.

(a) Discount the project's unlevered CFFA by the furniture manufacturing firms' 30% WACC after tax.

(b) Discount the project's unlevered CFFA by the company's 20% WACC after tax.

(c) Discount the project's levered CFFA by the company's 20% WACC after tax.

(d) Discount the project's levered CFFA by the furniture manufacturing firms' 30% WACC after tax.

(e) The methods outlined in answers (a) and (c) will give the same valuations, both are correct.

Question 370  capital budgeting, NPV, interest tax shield, WACC, CFFA

Project Data
Project life	2 yrs
Initial investment in equipment	$600k
Depreciation of equipment per year	$250k
Expected sale price of equipment at end of project	$200k
Revenue per job	$12k
Variable cost per job	$4k
Quantity of jobs per year	120
Fixed costs per year, paid at the end of each year	$100k
Interest expense in first year (at t=1)	$16.091k
Interest expense in second year (at t=2)	$9.711k
Tax rate	30%
Government treasury bond yield	5%
Bank loan debt yield	6%
Levered cost of equity	12.5%
Market portfolio return	10%
Beta of assets	1.24
Beta of levered equity	1.5
Firm's and project's debt-to-equity ratio	25%

Notes

1. The project will require an immediate purchase of $50k of inventory, which will all be sold at cost when the project ends. Current liabilities are negligible so they can be ignored.

Assumptions

• The debt-to-equity ratio will be kept constant throughout the life of the project. The amount of interest expense at the end of each period has been correctly calculated to maintain this constant debt-to-equity ratio. Note that interest expense is different in each year.
• Thousands are represented by 'k' (kilo).
• All cash flows occur at the start or end of the year as appropriate, not in the middle or throughout the year.
• All rates and cash flows are nominal. The inflation rate is 2% pa.
• All rates are given as effective annual rates.
• The 50% capital gains tax discount is not available since the project is undertaken by a firm, not an individual.

What is the net present value (NPV) of the project?

(a) $684.222k

(b) $690.919k

(c) $697.616k

(d) $698.713k

(e) $710.601k

Question 619  CFFA

To value a business's assets, the free cash flow of the firm (FCFF, also called CFFA) needs to be calculated. This requires figures from the firm's income statement and balance sheet. For what figures is the balance sheet needed? Note that the balance sheet is sometimes also called the statement of financial position.

(a) Net income, depreciation and interest expense.

(b) Depreciation and capital expenditure.

(c) Current assets, current liabilities and cost of goods sold (COGS).

(d) Current assets, current liabilities and capital expenditure.

(e) Current assets, current liabilities and depreciation expense.

Question 173  CFFA

Find Candys Corporation's Cash Flow From Assets (CFFA), also known as Free Cash Flow to the Firm (FCFF), over the year ending 30th June 2013.

Candys Corp
Income Statement for
year ending 30th June 2013
	$m
Sales	200
COGS	50
Operating expense	10
Depreciation	20
Interest expense	10
Income before tax	110
Tax at 30%	33
Net income	77

Candys Corp
Balance Sheet
as at 30th June	2013	2012
	$m	$m
Assets
Current assets	220	180
PPE
Cost	300	340
Accumul. depr.	60	40
Carrying amount	240	300
Total assets	460	480
Liabilities
Current liabilities	175	190
Non-current liabilities	135	130
Owners' equity
Retained earnings	50	60
Contributed equity	100	100
Total L and OE	460	480

 

Note: all figures are given in millions of dollars ($m).

(a) 242

(b) 182

(c) 112

(d) 92

(e) 52

Question 359  CFFA

Which one of the following will have no effect on net income (NI) but decrease cash flow from assets (CFFA or FFCF) in this year for a tax-paying firm, all else remaining constant?

Remember:

###NI=(Rev-COGS-FC-Depr-IntExp).(1-t_c )### ###CFFA=NI+Depr-CapEx - ΔNWC+IntExp###

(a) An increase in revenue (Rev).

(b) An increase in rent expense (a type of recurring fixed cost, FC).

(c) An increase in depreciation expense (Depr).

(d) An increase in inventories (a current asset).

(e) An decrease in interest expense (IntExp).

Question 532  mutually exclusive projects, NPV, IRR

An investor owns a whole level of an old office building which is currently worth $1 million. There are three mutually exclusive projects that can be started by the investor. The office building level can be:

• Rented out to a tenant for one year at $0.1m paid immediately, and then sold for $0.99m in one year.
• Refurbished into more modern commercial office rooms at a cost of $1m now, and then sold for $2.4m when the refurbishment is finished in one year.
• Converted into residential apartments at a cost of $2m now, and then sold for $3.4m when the conversion is finished in one year.

All of the development projects have the same risk so the required return of each is 10% pa. The table below shows the estimated cash flows and internal rates of returns (IRR's).

Mutually Exclusive Projects
Project	Cash flow now ($)	Cash flow in one year ($)	IRR (% pa)
Rent then sell as is	-900,000	990,000	10
Refurbishment into modern offices	-2,000,000	2,400,000	20
Conversion into residential apartments	-3,000,000	3,400,000	13.33

Which project should the investor accept?

(a) Rent then sell as is.

(b) Refurbishment into modern offices.

(c) Conversion into residential apartments.

(d) All of the above.

(e) Any of the above.

Question 542  price gains and returns over time, IRR, NPV, income and capital returns, effective return

For an asset price to double every 10 years, what must be the expected future capital return, given as an effective annual rate?

(a) 0.2

(b) 0.116123

(c) 0.082037

(d) 0.071773

(e) 0.06054

Question 444  investment decision, corporate financial decision theory

The investment decision primarily affects which part of a business?

(a) Assets.

(b) Liabilities and owner's equity.

(c) Current assets and current liabilities.

(d) Dividends and buy backs.

(e) Net income, also known as earnings or net profit after tax.

Question 525  income and capital returns, real and nominal returns and cash flows, inflation

Which of the following statements about cash in the form of notes and coins is NOT correct? Assume that inflation is positive.

Notes and coins:

(a) Pay no income cash flow.

(b) Have a nominal total return of zero.

(c) Have a nominal capital return of zero.

(d) Have a nominal income return of zero.

(e) Have a real total return of zero.

Question 745  real and nominal returns and cash flows, inflation, income and capital returns

If the nominal gold price is expected to increase at the same rate as inflation which is 3% pa, which of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) The nominal income return of gold is 0% pa.

(b) The nominal capital return of gold is 3% pa.

(c) The nominal total return of gold is 3% pa.

(d) The real income return of gold is -3% pa.

(e) The real capital return of gold is 0% pa.

Question 221  credit risk

You're considering making an investment in a particular company. They have preference shares, ordinary shares, senior debt and junior debt.

Which is the safest investment? Which has the highest expected returns?

(a) Junior debt is the safest. Preference shares have the highest expected returns.

(b) Preference shares are the safest. Ordinary shares have the highest expected returns.

(c) Senior debt is the safest. Ordinary shares have the highest expected returns.

(d) Junior debt is the safest. Ordinary shares have the highest expected returns.

(e) Senior debt is the safest. Junior debt have the highest expected returns.

Question 58  NPV, inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows, Annuity

A project to build a toll bridge will take two years to complete, costing three payments of $100 million at the start of each year for the next three years, that is at t=0, 1 and 2.

After completion, the toll bridge will yield a constant $50 million at the end of each year for the next 10 years. So the first payment will be at t=3 and the last at t=12. After the last payment at t=12, the bridge will be given to the government.

The required return of the project is 21% pa given as an effective annual nominal rate.

All cash flows are real and the expected inflation rate is 10% pa given as an effective annual rate. Ignore taxes.

The Net Present Value is:

(a) -$112,496,484

(b) -$32,260,693

(c) -$19,645,987

(d) $5,222,533

(e) $200,000,000

Question 41  DDM, income and capital returns

The following is the Dividend Discount Model (DDM) used to price stocks:

### P_0 = \frac{d_1}{r-g} ###

Assume that the assumptions of the DDM hold and that the time period is measured in years.

Which of the following is equal to the expected dividend in 3 years, ## d_3 ##?

(a) ## d_1(1+g)^3 ##

(b) ## P_3(r-g) ##

(c) ## d_2(1+g)^2 ##

(d) ## P_0(1+g)^3(r-g) ##

(e) ## P_0(1+g)^2(r-g) ##

Question 270  real estate, DDM, effective rate conversion

You own an apartment which you rent out as an investment property.

What is the price of the apartment using discounted cash flow (DCF, same as NPV) valuation?

Assume that:

• You just signed a contract to rent the apartment out to a tenant for the next 12 months at $2,000 per month, payable in advance (at the start of the month, t=0). The tenant is just about to pay you the first $2,000 payment.
• The contract states that monthly rental payments are fixed for 12 months. After the contract ends, you plan to sign another contract but with rental payment increases of 3%. You intend to do this every year.
  So rental payments will increase at the start of the 13th month (t=12) to be $2,060 (=2,000(1+0.03)), and then they will be constant for the next 12 months.
  Rental payments will increase again at the start of the 25th month (t=24) to be $2,121.80 (=2,000(1+0.03)²), and then they will be constant for the next 12 months until the next year, and so on.
• The required return of the apartment is 8.732% pa, given as an effective annual rate.
• Ignore all taxes, maintenance, real estate agent, council and strata fees, periods of vacancy and other costs. Assume that the apartment will last forever and so will the rental payments.

(a) $415,149.4048

(b) $438,252.6707

(c) $441,067.7356

(d) $444,155.5276

(e) $455,263.0844

Question 347  PE ratio, Multiples valuation

Which of the following investable assets are NOT suitable for valuation using PE multiples techniques?

(a) Common equity in small private companies.

(b) Common equity in large private companies.

(c) Common equity in listed public companies.

(d) Fixed term bonds of listed public companies.

(e) Real estate.

Question 463  PE ratio, Multiples valuation

Private equity firms are known to buy medium sized private companies operating in the same industry, merge them together into a larger company, and then sell it off in a public float (initial public offering, IPO).

If medium-sized private companies trade at PE ratios of 5 and larger listed companies trade at PE ratios of 15, what return can be achieved from this strategy?

Assume that:

• The medium-sized companies can be bought, merged and sold in an IPO instantaneously.
• There are no costs of finding, valuing, merging and restructuring the medium sized companies. Also, there is no competition to buy the medium-sized companies from other private equity firms.
• The large merged firm's earnings are the sum of the medium firms' earnings.
• The only reason for the difference in medium and large firm's PE ratios is due to the illiquidity of the medium firms' shares.
• Return is defined as: ##r_{0→1} = (p_1-p_0+c_1)/p_0## , where time zero is just before the merger and time one is just after.

(a) 300%.

(b) 200%

(c) 33.33%

(d) 30%

(e) 20%

Question 505  equivalent annual cash flow

A low-quality second-hand car can be bought now for $1,000 and will last for 1 year before it will be scrapped for nothing.

A high-quality second-hand car can be bought now for $4,900 and it will last for 5 years before it will be scrapped for nothing.

What is the equivalent annual cost of each car? Assume a discount rate of 10% pa, given as an effective annual rate.

The answer choices are given as the equivalent annual cost of the low-quality car and then the high quality car.

(a) $100,   $490

(b) $909.09,   $608.5

(c) $1,000,   $980

(d) $1,000,   $1578.3

(e) $1,100,   $1,292.61

Question 281  equivalent annual cash flow

You just bought a nice dress which you plan to wear once per month on nights out. You bought it a moment ago for $600 (at t=0). In your experience, dresses used once per month last for 6 years.

Your younger sister is a student with no money and wants to borrow your dress once a month when she hits the town. With the increased use, your dress will only last for another 3 years rather than 6.

What is the present value of the cost of letting your sister use your current dress for the next 3 years?

Assume: that bank interest rates are 10% pa, given as an effective annual rate; you will buy a new dress when your current one wears out; your sister will only use the current dress, not the next one that you will buy; and the price of a new dress never changes.

(a) 300

(b) 283.1403

(c) 282.2849

(d) 257.4003

(e) 225.3944

Question 111  portfolio risk, correlation

All things remaining equal, the variance of a portfolio of two positively-weighted stocks rises as:

(a) The correlation between the stocks' returns rise.

(b) The correlation between the stocks' returns decline.

(c) The portfolio standard deviation declines.

(d) Both stocks' individual variances decline.

(e) Both stocks' individual standard deviations decline.

Question 563  correlation

What is the correlation of a variable X with itself?

The corr(X, X) or ##\rho_{X,X}## equals:

(a) var(X) or ##\sigma_X^2##

(b) sd(X) or ##\sigma_X##

(c) 1

(d) 0

(e) Mathematically undefined

Question 565  correlation

What is the correlation of a variable X with a constant C?

The corr(X, C) or ##\rho_{X,C}## equals:

(a) var(X) or ##\sigma_X^2##

(b) sd(X) or ##\sigma_X##

(c) 1

(d) 0

(e) Mathematically undefined

Question 561  covariance, correlation

The covariance and correlation of two stocks X and Y's annual returns are calculated over a number of years. The units of the returns are in percent per annum ##(\% pa)##.

What are the units of the covariance ##(\sigma_{X,Y})## and correlation ##(\rho_{X,Y})## of returns respectively?

(a) Percentage points per annum ##(\text{pp pa})## and percentage points per annum ##(\text{pp pa})##.

(b) Percentage points per annum ##(\text{pp pa})## and percentage points per annum all squared ##\left( (\text{pp pa})^2 \right)##.

(c) Percentage points per annum all squared ##\left( (\text{pp pa})^2 \right)## and percentage points per annum ##(\text{pp pa})##.

(d) Percentage points per annum all squared ##\left( (\text{pp pa})^2 \right)## and percentage points per annum all squared ##\left( (\text{pp pa})^2 \right)##.

(e) Percentage points per annum all squared ##\left( (\text{pp pa})^2 \right)## and a pure number with no units.

Hint: Visit Wikipedia to understand the difference between percentage points ##(\text{pp})## and percent ##(\%)##.

Question 306  risk, standard deviation

Let the standard deviation of returns for a share per month be ##\sigma_\text{monthly}##.

What is the formula for the standard deviation of the share's returns per year ##(\sigma_\text{yearly})##?

Assume that returns are independently and identically distributed (iid) so they have zero auto correlation, meaning that if the return was higher than average today, it does not indicate that the return tomorrow will be higher or lower than average.

(a) ##\sigma_\text{yearly} = \sigma_\text{monthly}##

(b) ##\sigma_\text{yearly} = \sigma_\text{monthly} \times 12##

(c) ##\sigma_\text{yearly} = \sigma_\text{monthly} \times 144##

(d) ##\sigma_\text{yearly} = \sigma_\text{monthly} \times \sqrt{12}##

(e) ##\sigma_\text{yearly} = \sigma_\text{monthly} \times {12}^{1/3}##

Question 112  CAPM, risk

According to the theory of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), total risk can be broken into two components, systematic risk and idiosyncratic risk. Which of the following events would be considered a systematic, undiversifiable event according to the theory of the CAPM?

(a) A decrease in house prices in one city.

(b) An increase in mining industry tax rates.

(c) An increase in corporate tax rates.

(d) A case of fraud at a major retailer.

(e) A poor earnings announcement from a major firm.

Question 110  CAPM, SML, NPV

The security market line (SML) shows the relationship between beta and expected return.

Buying investment projects that plot above the SML would lead to:

(a) A positive NPV.

(b) A zero NPV.

(c) A negative NPV.

(d) A large amount of diversifiable risk.

(e) Zero diversifiable risk.

Question 79  CAPM, risk

Which statement is the most correct?

(a) The risk free rate has zero systematic risk and zero idiosyncratic risk.

(b) The market portfolio has zero idiosyncratic risk.

(c) The market portfolio has zero systematic risk.

(d) a and b are true.

(e) a and c are true.

Question 627  CAPM, SML, NPV, Jensens alpha

Assets A, B, M and ##r_f## are shown on the graphs above. Asset M is the market portfolio and ##r_f## is the risk free yield on government bonds. Which of the below statements is NOT correct?

(a) Asset A has a Jensen's alpha of 4.5% pa.

(b) Asset A is under-priced.

(c) The NPV of buying asset A is zero.

(d) Asset B has a Jensen's alpha of zero.

(e) Asset B is fairly priced.

Question 628  CAPM, SML, risk

Assets A, B, M and ##r_f## are shown on the graphs above. Asset M is the market portfolio and ##r_f## is the risk free yield on government bonds. Assume that investors can borrow and lend at the risk free rate. Which of the below statements is NOT correct?

(a) Asset A has the same systematic risk as asset B.

(b) Asset A has more total variance than asset B.

(c) Asset B has zero idiosyncratic risk. Asset B must be a portfolio of half the market portfolio and half government bonds.

(d) If risk-averse investors were forced to invest all of their wealth in a single risky asset, so they could not diversify, every investor would logically choose asset A over the other three assets.

(e) Assets M and B have the highest Sharpe ratios, which is defined as the gradient of the capital allocation line (CAL) from the government bonds through the asset on the graph of expected return versus total standard deviation.

Question 116  capital structure, CAPM

A firm changes its capital structure by issuing a large amount of equity and using the funds to repay debt. Its assets are unchanged. Ignore interest tax shields.

According to the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), which statement is correct?

(a) The beta of the firm's assets will increase.

(b) The beta of the firm's assets will decrease.

(c) The beta of the firm's equity will increase.

(d) The beta of the firm's equity will decrease.

(e) The beta of the firm's equity will be unchanged.

Question 410  CAPM, capital budgeting

The CAPM can be used to find a business's expected opportunity cost of capital:

###r_i=r_f+β_i (r_m-r_f)###

What should be used as the risk free rate ##r_f##?

(a) The current central bank policy rate (RBA overnight money market rate).

(b) The current 30 day federal government treasury bill rate.

(c) The average historical 30 day federal government treasury bill rate over the last 20 years.

(d) The current 30 year federal government treasury bond rate.

(e) The average historical 30 year federal government treasury bond rate over the last 20 years.

Question 302  WACC, CAPM

Which of the following statements about the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is NOT correct?

(a) WACC before tax ##= r_D.\dfrac{D}{V_L} + r_{EL}.\dfrac{E_L}{V_L}##

(b) WACC before tax ##= r_f + \beta_{VL}.(r_m - r_f)##

(c) WACC after tax ##= r_D.(1-t_c).\dfrac{D}{V_L} + r_{EL}.\dfrac{E_L}{V_L}##

(d) WACC after tax ##= r_f + \beta_{VL}.(r_m - r_f) - \dfrac{r_D.D.t_c}{V_L}##

(e) WACC after tax ##= r_f + \beta_{VL}.(r_m - r_f)##

Question 242  technical analysis, market efficiency

Select the most correct statement from the following.

'Chartists', also known as 'technical traders', believe that:

(a) Markets are weak-form efficient.

(b) Markets are semi-strong-form efficient.

(c) Past prices cannot be used to predict future prices.

(d) Past returns can be used to predict future returns.

(e) Stock prices reflect all publically available information.

Question 243  fundamental analysis, market efficiency

Fundamentalists who analyse company financial reports and news announcements (but who don't have inside information) will make positive abnormal returns if:

(a) Markets are weak and semi-strong form efficient but strong-form inefficient.

(b) Markets are weak form efficient but semi-strong and strong-form inefficient.

(c) Chartists make negative excess returns.

(d) Insiders make positive excess returns.

(e) Insiders make negative excess returns.

Question 100  market efficiency, technical analysis, joint hypothesis problem

A company selling charting and technical analysis software claims that independent academic studies have shown that its software makes significantly positive abnormal returns. Assuming the claim is true, which statement(s) are correct?

(I) Weak form market efficiency is broken.

(II) Semi-strong form market efficiency is broken.

(III) Strong form market efficiency is broken.

(IV) The asset pricing model used to measure the abnormal returns (such as the CAPM) had mis-specification error so the returns may not be abnormal but rather fair for the level of risk.

Select the most correct response:

(a) Only III is true.

(b) Only II and III are true.

(c) Only I, II and III are true.

(d) Only IV is true.

(e) Either I, II and III are true, or IV is true, or they are all true.

Question 338  market efficiency, CAPM, opportunity cost, technical analysis

A man inherits $500,000 worth of shares.

He believes that by learning the secrets of trading, keeping up with the financial news and doing complex trend analysis with charts that he can quit his job and become a self-employed day trader in the equities markets.

What is the expected gain from doing this over the first year? Measure the net gain in wealth received at the end of this first year due to the decision to become a day trader. Assume the following:

• He earns $60,000 pa in his current job, paid in a lump sum at the end of each year.
• He enjoys examining share price graphs and day trading just as much as he enjoys his current job.
• Stock markets are weak form and semi-strong form efficient.
• He has no inside information.
• He makes 1 trade every day and there are 250 trading days in the year. Trading costs are $20 per trade. His broker invoices him for the trading costs at the end of the year.
• The shares that he currently owns and the shares that he intends to trade have the same level of systematic risk as the market portfolio.
• The market portfolio's expected return is 10% pa.

Measure the net gain over the first year as an expected wealth increase at the end of the year.

(a) $110,000

(b) $50,000

(c) $45,000

(d) -$15,000

(e) -$65,000

Question 339  bond pricing, inflation, market efficiency, income and capital returns

Economic statistics released this morning were a surprise: they show a strong chance of consumer price inflation (CPI) reaching 5% pa over the next 2 years.

This is much higher than the previous forecast of 3% pa.

A vanilla fixed-coupon 2-year risk-free government bond was issued at par this morning, just before the economic news was released.

What is the expected change in bond price after the economic news this morning, and in the next 2 years? Assume that:

• Inflation remains at 5% over the next 2 years.
• Investors demand a constant real bond yield.
• The bond price falls by the (after-tax) value of the coupon the night before the ex-coupon date, as in real life.

(a) Today the price would have increased significantly.
Over the next 2 years, the bond price is expected to increase, measured on each ex-coupon date.

(b) Today the price would have increased significantly.
Over the next 2 years, the bond price is expected to be unchanged, measured on each ex-coupon date.

(c) Today the price would have been unchanged.
Over the next 2 years, the bond price is expected to increase, measured on each ex-coupon date.

(d) Today the price would have decreased significantly.
Over the next 2 years, the bond price is expected to increase, measured on each ex-coupon date.

(e) Today the price would have decreased significantly.
Over the next 2 years, the bond price is expected to be unchanged, measured on each ex-coupon date.

Question 340  market efficiency, opportunity cost

A managed fund charges fees based on the amount of money that you keep with them. The fee is 2% of the start-of-year amount, but it is paid at the end of every year.

This fee is charged regardless of whether the fund makes gains or losses on your money.

The fund offers to invest your money in shares which have an expected return of 10% pa before fees.

You are thinking of investing $100,000 in the fund and keeping it there for 40 years when you plan to retire.

What is the Net Present Value (NPV) of investing your money in the fund? Note that the question is not asking how much money you will have in 40 years, it is asking: what is the NPV of investing in the fund? Assume that:

• The fund has no private information.
• Markets are weak and semi-strong form efficient.
• The fund's transaction costs are negligible.
• The cost and trouble of investing your money in shares by yourself, without the managed fund, is negligible.

(a) $0

(b) -$20,000.00

(c) -$48,000.17

(d) -$51,999.83

(e) -$80,000.00

Question 416  real estate, market efficiency, income and capital returns, DDM, CAPM

A residential real estate investor believes that house prices will grow at a rate of 5% pa and that rents will grow by 2% pa forever.

All rates are given as nominal effective annual returns. Assume that:

• His forecast is true.
• Real estate is and always will be fairly priced and the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is true.
• Ignore all costs such as taxes, agent fees, maintenance and so on.
• All rental income cash flow is paid out to the owner, so there is no re-investment and therefore no additions or improvements made to the property.
• The non-monetary benefits of owning real estate and renting remain constant.

Which one of the following statements is NOT correct? Over time:

(a) The rental yield will fall and approach zero.

(b) The total return will fall and approach the capital return (5% pa).

(c) One or all of the following must fall: the systematic risk of real estate, the risk free rate or the market risk premium.

(d) If the country's nominal wealth growth rate is 4% pa and the nominal real estate growth rate is 5% pa then real estate will approach 100% of the country's wealth over time.

(e) If the country's nominal gross domestic production (GDP) growth rate is 4% pa and the nominal real estate rent growth rate is 2% pa then real estate rent will approach 100% of the country's GDP over time.

Question 417  NPV, market efficiency, DDM

A managed fund charges fees based on the amount of money that you keep with them. The fee is 2% of the end-of-year amount, paid at the end of every year.

This fee is charged regardless of whether the fund makes gains or losses on your money.

The fund offers to invest your money in shares which have an expected return of 10% pa before fees.

You are thinking of investing $100,000 in the fund and keeping it there for 40 years when you plan to retire.

How much money do you expect to have in the fund in 40 years? Also, what is the future value of the fees that the fund expects to earn from you? Give both amounts as future values in 40 years. Assume that:

• The fund has no private information.
• Markets are weak and semi-strong form efficient.
• The fund's transaction costs are negligible.
• The cost and trouble of investing your money in shares by yourself, without the managed fund, is negligible.
• The fund invests its fees in the same companies as it invests your funds in, but with no fees.

The below answer choices list your expected wealth in 40 years, and then the fund's expected wealth in 40 years.

(a) $4,462,125.27, $63,800.29

(b) $3,407,788.62, $1,118,136.94

(c) $3,316,736.53, $1,209,189.03

(d) $2,172,452.15, $2,353,473.41

(e) $2,017,206.85, $2,508,718.71

Question 464  mispriced asset, NPV, DDM, market efficiency

A company advertises an investment costing $1,000 which they say is underpriced. They say that it has an expected total return of 15% pa, but a required return of only 10% pa. Assume that there are no dividend payments so the entire 15% total return is all capital return.

Assuming that the company's statements are correct, what is the NPV of buying the investment if the 15% return lasts for the next 100 years (t=0 to 100), then reverts to 10% pa after that time? Also, what is the NPV of the investment if the 15% return lasts forever?

In both cases, assume that the required return of 10% remains constant. All returns are given as effective annual rates.

The answer choices below are given in the same order (15% for 100 years, and 15% forever):

(a)             $0,          $0

(b) $1,977.19,   $2,000

(c) $2,977.19,   $3,000

(d)    $499.96,      $500

(e) $84,214.9,   Infinite

Question 309  stock pricing, ex dividend date

A company announces that it will pay a dividend, as the market expected. The company's shares trade on the stock exchange which is open from 10am in the morning to 4pm in the afternoon each weekday. When would the share price be expected to fall by the amount of the dividend? Ignore taxes.

The share price is expected to fall during the:

(a) Day of the payment date, between the payment date's morning opening price and afternoon closing price.

(b) Night before the payment date, between the previous day's afternoon closing price and the payment date's morning opening price.

(c) Day of the ex-dividend date, between the ex-dividend date's morning opening price and afternoon closing price.

(d) Night before the ex-dividend date, between the last with-dividend date's afternoon closing price and the ex-dividend date's morning opening price.

(e) Day of the last with-dividend date, between the with-dividend date's morning opening price and afternoon closing price.

Question 202  DDM, payout policy

Currently, a mining company has a share price of $6 and pays constant annual dividends of $0.50. The next dividend will be paid in 1 year. Suddenly and unexpectedly the mining company announces that due to higher than expected profits, all of these windfall profits will be paid as a special dividend of $0.30 in 1 year.

If investors believe that the windfall profits and dividend is a one-off event, what will be the new share price? If investors believe that the additional dividend is actually permanent and will continue to be paid, what will be the new share price? Assume that the required return on equity is unchanged. Choose from the following, where the first share price includes the one-off increase in earnings and dividends for the first year only ##(P_\text{0 one-off})## , and the second assumes that the increase is permanent ##(P_\text{0 permanent})##:

(a) ##P_\text{0 one-off} = 9.6000, \space \space P_\text{0 permanent} = 6.2766##

(b) ##P_\text{0 one-off} = 6.3000, \space \space P_\text{0 permanent} = 6.2769##

(c) ##P_\text{0 one-off} = 9.6000, \space \space P_\text{0 permanent} = 6.3000##

(d) ##P_\text{0 one-off} = 6.2769, \space \space P_\text{0 permanent} = 9.6000##

(e) ##P_\text{0 one-off} = 6.3000, \space \space P_\text{0 permanent} = 9.6000##

Note: When a firm makes excess profits they sometimes pay them out as special dividends. Special dividends are just like ordinary dividends but they are one-off and investors do not expect them to continue, unlike ordinary dividends which are expected to persist.

Question 625  dividend re-investment plan, capital raising

Which of the following statements about dividend re-investment plans (DRP's) is NOT correct?

(a) DRP's are voluntary, shareholders only participate if they choose.

(b) DRP's increase the number of shares.

(c) The number of shares issued to a shareholder participating in a DRP is usually calculated as their total dividends owed, divided by the allocation share price which is usually close to the current market share price.

(d) DRP's do not incur brokerage costs for the shareholder. This is unlike the case where the shareholder uses the cash dividend to buy more shares herself.

(e) If all shareholders participated in a company's DRP, the company would not pay any dividends and the firm's share price would not fall due to the cash dividend or the DRP.

Question 214  rights issue

In late 2003 the listed bank ANZ announced a 2-for-11 rights issue to fund the takeover of New Zealand bank NBNZ. Below is the chronology of events:

• 23/10/2003. Share price closes at $18.30.

• 24/10/2003. 2-for-11 rights issue announced at a subscription price of $13. The proceeds of the rights issue will be used to acquire New Zealand bank NBNZ. Trading halt announced in morning before market opens.

• 28/10/2003. Trading halt lifted. Last (and only) day that shares trade cum-rights. Share price opens at $18.00 and closes at $18.14.

• 29/10/2003. Shares trade ex-rights.

All things remaining equal, what would you expect ANZ's stock price to open at on the first day that it trades ex-rights (29/10/2003)? Ignore the time value of money since time is negligibly short. Also ignore taxes.

(a) 17.3492

(b) 17.2308

(c) 14.8418

(d) 13.7908

(e) 13.7692

Question 709  continuously compounding rate, APR

Which of the following interest rate quotes is NOT equivalent to a 10% effective annual rate of return? Assume that each year has 12 months, each month has 30 days, each day has 24 hours, each hour has 60 minutes and each minute has 60 seconds. APR stands for Annualised Percentage Rate.

(a) 9.7617696% is the APR compounding semi-annually ##(r_\text{apr comp 6mth})##

(b) 9.5689685% is the APR compounding monthly ##(r_\text{apr comp monthly})##

(c) 9.6454756% is the APR compounding daily ##(r_\text{apr comp daily})##

(d) 9.5310182% is the APR compounding per second ##(r_\text{apr comp per second})##

(e) 9.5310180% is the continuously compounded rate per annum ##(r_\text{cc annual})##

Question 710  continuously compounding rate, continuously compounding rate conversion

A continuously compounded monthly return of 1% ##(r_\text{cc monthly})## is equivalent to a continuously compounded annual return ##(r_\text{cc annual})## of:

(a) 12.682503% pa

(b) 12.060201% pa

(c) 12% pa

(d) 11.940397% pa

(e) 3.464102% pa

Question 712  effective rate conversion

An effective monthly return of 1% ##(r_\text{eff monthly})## is equivalent to an effective annual return ##(r_\text{eff annual})## of:

(a) 12.682503% pa

(b) 12.060201% pa

(c) 12% pa

(d) 11.940397% pa

(e) 3.464102% pa

Question 721  mean and median returns, return distribution, arithmetic and geometric averages, continuously compounding rate

Fred owns some Commonwealth Bank (CBA) shares. He has calculated CBA’s monthly returns for each month in the past 20 years using this formula:

###r_\text{t monthly}=\ln⁡ \left( \dfrac{P_t}{P_{t-1}} \right)###

He then took the arithmetic average and found it to be 1% per month using this formula:

###\bar{r}_\text{monthly}= \dfrac{ \displaystyle\sum\limits_{t=1}^T{\left( r_\text{t monthly} \right)} }{T} =0.01=1\% \text{ per month}###

He also found the standard deviation of these monthly returns which was 5% per month:

###\sigma_\text{monthly} = \dfrac{ \displaystyle\sum\limits_{t=1}^T{\left( \left( r_\text{t monthly} - \bar{r}_\text{monthly} \right)^2 \right)} }{T} =0.05=5\%\text{ per month}###

Which of the below statements about Fred’s CBA shares is NOT correct? Assume that the past historical average return is the true population average of future expected returns.

(a) The returns ##r_\text{t monthly}## are continuously compounded monthly returns and are likely to be normally distributed, so the mean, median and mode of these continuously compounded returns are all equal to 1% per month.

(b) The annualised average continuously compounded return is ##\bar{r}_\text{cc annual}=12×0.01=0.1=12\%\text{ pa}##. The annualised standard deviation is ##\sigma_\text{annual} = \sqrt{12}×0.05=0.173205081=17.32\%\text{ pa}##.

(c) Over the next 10 years the mean, median and mode continuously compounded 10 year returns will all equal ##0.01 \times 12 \times 10 = 120\%##.

(d) Over the next 10 years the expected mean gross discrete 10 year return is ##e^{(0.01 - 0.05^2/2)×12×10} = 2.857651118## and the median gross discrete 10 year return is ##e^{(0.01 + 0.05^2/2)×12×10}=3.857425531##.

(e) If the current price of the CBA shares is $75, then in 10 years they’re expected to have a mean value of ##75×e^{(0.01 + 0.05^2/2)×12×10} = 289.3069148## and a median value of ##75×e^{0.01×12×10}=249.0087692##.

Question 722  mean and median returns, return distribution, arithmetic and geometric averages, continuously compounding rate

Here is a table of stock prices and returns. Which of the statements below the table is NOT correct?

Price and Return Population Statistics
Time	Prices	LGDR	GDR	NDR
0	100
1	50	-0.6931	0.5	-0.5
2	100	0.6931	2	1
Arithmetic average		0	1.25	0.25
Arithmetic standard deviation		0.9802	1.0607	1.0607

 

(a) The geometric average of the gross discrete returns (GAGDR) equals 1 which is 100%.

(b) ##\text{GAGDR} = \exp \left( \text{AALGDR} \right)##. The GAGDR is equal to the natural exponent of the arithmetic average of the logarithms of the gross discrete returns (AALGDR).

(c) ##\text{GAGDR} = \left( P_T/P_0 \right)^{1/T}##. The GAGDR equals the ratio of the last and first prices raised to the power of the inverse of the number of time periods between them.

(d) ##\text{LGAGDR} = \text{AALGDR}##. This is always true, regardless of the distribution of the prices or returns and the number of return observations. The logarithm of the geometric average of the gross discrete returns (LGAGDR) is always equal to the arithmetic average of the logarithms of the gross discrete returns (AALGDR).

(e) ##\text{LAAGDR} = \text{AALGDR} + \text{SDLGDR}^2/2##. This is always true, regardless of the distribution of the prices or returns and the number of return observations. The logarithm of the arithmetic average of the gross discrete returns (LAAGDR) equals the arithmetic average of the logarithms of the gross discrete returns (AALGDR) plus half the variance of the LGDR's.

Question 319  foreign exchange rate, monetary policy, American and European terms

Investors expect the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to keep the policy rate steady at their next meeting.

Then unexpectedly, the RBA announce that they will increase the policy rate by 25 basis points due to fears that the economy is growing too fast and that inflation will be above their target rate of 2 to 3 per cent.

What do you expect to happen to Australia's exchange rate in the short term? The Australian dollar is likely to:

(a) Appreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD (AUD per USD) will increase.

(b) Depreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD (AUD per USD) will decrease.

(c) Appreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD (AUD per USD) will decrease.

(d) Depreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD (AUD per USD) will increase.

(e) Appreciate against the USD, so the 'American terms' quote of the AUD (USD per AUD) will decrease.

Question 320  foreign exchange rate, monetary policy, American and European terms

Investors expect the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to decrease the overnight cash rate at their next meeting.

Then unexpectedly, the RBA announce that they will keep the policy rate unchanged.

What do you expect to happen to Australia's exchange rate in the short term? The Australian dollar is likely to:

(a) Appreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD (AUD per USD) will increase.

(b) Depreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD (AUD per USD) will decrease.

(c) Appreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD (AUD per USD) will decrease.

(d) Depreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD (AUD per USD) will increase.

(e) Be unaffected by the change in the policy rate, so the exchange rate will remain the same.

Question 605  cross currency interest rate parity, foreign exchange rate

If the Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to keep its interbank overnight cash rate at 2% pa while the US Federal Reserve is expected to keep its federal funds rate at 0% pa over the next year, is the AUD is expected to , , or remain against the USD over the next year?