Fight Finance

Question 476  income and capital returns, idiom

The saying "buy low, sell high" suggests that investors should make a:

(a) Positive income return.

(b) Positive capital return.

(c) Negative income return.

(d) Negative capital return.

(e) Positive total return.

Question 490  expected and historical returns, accounting ratio

Which of the following is NOT a synonym of 'required return'?

(a) total required yield

(b) cost of capital

(c) discount rate

(d) opportunity cost of capital

(e) accounting rate of return

Question 478  income and capital returns

Total cash flows can be broken into income and capital cash flows. What is the name given to the income cash flow from owning shares?

(a) Dividends.

(b) Rent.

(c) Coupons.

(d) Loan payments.

(e) Capital gains.

Question 508  income and capital returns

Which of the following equations is NOT equal to the total return of an asset?

Let ##p_0## be the current price, ##p_1## the expected price in one year and ##c_1## the expected income in one year.

(a) ##r_\text{total} = \dfrac{c_1+p_1-p_0}{p_0} ##

(b) ##r_\text{total} = \dfrac{c_1+p_1}{p_0} - 1##

(c) ##r_\text{total} = \dfrac{c_1}{p_0} + \dfrac{p_1-p_0}{p_0}##

(d) ##r_\text{total} = \dfrac{c_1}{p_0} + \dfrac{p_1}{p_0} ##

(e) ##r_\text{total} = \dfrac{c_1}{p_0} + \dfrac{p_1}{p_0} - 1##

Question 477  income and capital returns

An asset's total expected return over the next year is given by:

###r_\text{total} = \dfrac{c_1+p_1-p_0}{p_0} ###

Where ##p_0## is the current price, ##c_1## is the expected income in one year and ##p_1## is the expected price in one year. The total return can be split into the income return and the capital return.

Which of the following is the expected capital return?

(a) ##c_1##

(b) ##p_1-p_0##

(c) ##\dfrac{c_1}{p_0} ##

(d) ##\dfrac{p_1}{p_0} -1##

(e) ##\dfrac{p_1}{p_0} ##

Question 288  Annuity

There are many ways to write the ordinary annuity formula.

Which of the following is NOT equal to the ordinary annuity formula?

(a) ##V_0 = \dfrac{C_1}{r} \left(1-\dfrac{1}{(1+r)^T} \right) ##

(b) ##V_0 = \dfrac{C_1 \left(1-\dfrac{1}{(1+r)^T} \right)}{r}##

(c) ##V_0 = C_1\dfrac{\left(1-(1+r)^{-T} \right)}{r}##

(d) ##V_0 = C_1 \left(1-(1+r)^{-T} \right) r^{-1}##

(e) ##V_0 = C_1 \left(r^{-1}-(1+r)^{-T-1} \right)##

Question 137  NPV, Annuity

The following cash flows are expected:

• 10 yearly payments of $60, with the first payment in 3 years from now (first payment at t=3 and last at t=12).
• 1 payment of $400 in 5 years and 6 months (t=5.5) from now.

What is the NPV of the cash flows if the discount rate is 10% given as an effective annual rate?

(a) $513.80

(b) $525.36

(c) $541.50

(d) $605.48

(e) $704.69

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 479  perpetuity with growth, DDM, NPV

Discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation prices assets by finding the present value of the asset's future cash flows. The single cash flow, annuity, and perpetuity equations are very useful for this.

Which of the following equations is the 'perpetuity with growth' equation?

(a) ##V_0=\dfrac{C_t}{(1+r)^t} ##

(b) ##V_0=\dfrac{C_1}{r}.\left(1-\dfrac{1}{(1+r)^T} \right)= \sum\limits_{t=1}^T \left( \dfrac{C_t}{(1+r)^t} \right) ##

(c) ##V_0=\dfrac{C_1}{r-g}.\left(1-\left(\dfrac{1+g}{1+r}\right)^T \right)= \sum\limits_{t=1}^T \left( \dfrac{C_t.(1+g)^t}{(1+r)^t} \right) ##

(d) ##V_0=\dfrac{C_1}{r} = \sum\limits_{t=1}^\infty \left( \dfrac{C_t}{(1+r)^t} \right) ##

(e) ##V_0=\dfrac{C_1}{r-g} = \sum\limits_{t=1}^\infty \left( \dfrac{C_t.(1+g)^t}{(1+r)^t} \right) ##

Question 4  DDM

For a price of $13, Carla will sell you a share paying a dividend of $1 in one year and every year after that forever. The required return of the stock is 10% pa.

Would you like to Carla's share or politely ?

Question 7  DDM

For a price of $1040, Camille will sell you a share which just paid a dividend of $100, and is expected to pay dividends every year forever, growing at a rate of 5% pa.

So the next dividend will be ##100(1+0.05)^1=$105.00##, and the year after it will be ##100(1+0.05)^2=110.25## and so on.

The required return of the stock is 15% pa.

Would you like to the share or politely ?

Question 201  DDM, income and capital returns

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

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

If the assumptions of the DDM hold and the stock is fairly priced, which one of the following statements is NOT correct? The long term expected:

(a) Dividend growth rate is equal to the long term expected growth rate of the stock price.

(b) Dividend growth rate is equal to the long term expected capital return of the stock.

(c) Dividend growth rate is equal to the long term expected dividend yield.

(d) Total return of the stock is equal to its long term required return.

(e) Total return of the stock is equal to the company's long term cost of equity.

Question 497  income and capital returns, DDM, ex dividend date

A stock will pay you a dividend of $10 tonight if you buy it today. Thereafter the annual dividend is expected to grow by 5% pa, so the next dividend after the $10 one tonight will be $10.50 in one year, then in two years it will be $11.025 and so on. The stock's required return is 10% pa.

What is the stock price today and what do you expect the stock price to be tomorrow, approximately?

(a) $200 today and $210 tomorrow.

(b) $210 today and $220 tomorrow.

(c) $220 today and $230 tomorrow.

(d) $210 today and $200 tomorrow.

(e) $220 today and $210 tomorrow.

Question 289  DDM, expected and historical returns, ROE

In the dividend discount model:

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

The return ##r## is supposed to be the:

(a) Expected future total return of the market price of equity.

(b) Expected future total return of the book price of equity.

(c) Actual historical total return on the market price of equity.

(d) Actual historical total return on the book price of equity.

(e) Actual historical return on equity (ROE) defined as (Net Income / Owners Equity).

Question 31  DDM, perpetuity with growth, effective rate conversion

What is the NPV of the following series of cash flows when the discount rate is 5% given as an effective annual rate?

The first payment of $10 is in 4 years, followed by payments every 6 months forever after that which shrink by 2% every 6 months. That is, the growth rate every 6 months is actually negative 2%, given as an effective 6 month rate. So the payment at ## t=4.5 ## years will be ## 10(1-0.02)^1=9.80 ##, and so on.

(a) $188.62

(b) $184.07

(c) $120.43

(d) $117.53

(e) $8.07

Question 36  DDM, perpetuity with growth

A stock pays annual dividends which are expected to continue forever. It just paid a dividend of $10. The growth rate in the dividend is 2% pa. You estimate that the stock's required return is 10% pa. Both the discount rate and growth rate are given as effective annual rates. Using the dividend discount model, what will be the share price?

(a) $127.5

(b) $125

(c) $102

(d) $101.98

(e) $100

Question 40  DDM, perpetuity with growth

A stock is expected to pay the following dividends:

Cash Flows of a Stock
Time (yrs)	0	1	2	3	4	...
Dividend ($)	0.00	1.00	1.05	1.10	1.15	...

After year 4, the annual dividend will grow in perpetuity at 5% pa, so;

• the dividend at t=5 will be $1.15(1+0.05),
• the dividend at t=6 will be $1.15(1+0.05)^2, and so on.

The required return on the stock is 10% pa. Both the growth rate and required return are given as effective annual rates.

What will be the price of the stock in three and a half years (t = 3.5)?

(a) $27.7567

(b) $24.1226

(c) $23.5680

(d) $22.4457

(e) $3.6341

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 441  DDM, income and capital returns

A fairly valued share's current price is $4 and it has a total required return of 30%. Dividends are paid annually and next year's dividend is expected to be $1. After that, dividends are expected to grow by 5% pa in perpetuity. All rates are effective annual returns.

What is the expected dividend income paid at the end of the second year (t=2) and what is the expected capital gain from just after the first dividend (t=1) to just after the second dividend (t=2)? The answers are given in the same order, the dividend and then the capital gain.

(a) $1.3, $0.26

(b) $1.25, $0.25

(c) $1.1025, $0.2205

(d) $1.05, $0.21

(e) $1, $0.2

Question 51  DDM

A stock pays semi-annual dividends. It just paid a dividend of $10. The growth rate in the dividend is 1% every 6 months, given as an effective 6 month rate. You estimate that the stock's required return is 21% pa, as an effective annual rate.

Using the dividend discount model, what will be the share price?

(a) $50.00

(b) $50.50

(c) $100.00

(d) $111.11

(e) $112.22

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 217  NPV, DDM, multi stage growth model

A stock is expected to pay a dividend of $15 in one year (t=1), then $25 for 9 years after that (payments at t=2 ,3,...10), and on the 11th year (t=11) the dividend will be 2% less than at t=10, and will continue to shrink at the same rate every year after that forever. The required return of the stock is 10%. All rates are effective annual rates.

What is the price of the stock now?

(a) $361.78

(b) $236.33

(c) $237.93

(d) $348.69

(e) $223.24

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 502  NPV, IRR, mutually exclusive projects

An investor owns an empty block of land that has local government approval to be developed into a petrol station, car wash or car park. The council will only allow a single development so the projects are mutually exclusive.

All of the development projects have the same risk and the required return of each is 10% pa. Each project has an immediate cost and once construction is finished in one year the land and development will be sold. The table below shows the estimated costs payable now, expected sale prices in one year and the internal rates of returns (IRR's).

Mutually Exclusive Projects
Project	Cost now ($)	Sale price in one year ($)	IRR (% pa)
Petrol station	9,000,000	11,000,000	22.22
Car wash	800,000	1,100,000	37.50
Car park	70,000	110,000	57.14

Which project should the investor accept?

(a) Petrol station.

(b) Car wash.

(c) Car park.

(d) None of the projects.

(e) All of the projects.

Question 251  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) and in one year (t=1) and have nothing left in the bank at the end (t=1).

How much can you consume at each time?

(a) $57,619.0476

(b) $55,000

(c) $53,809.5238

(d) $52,380.9524

(e) $50,000

Question 190  pay back period

A project has the following cash flows:

Project Cash Flows
Time (yrs)	Cash flow ($)
0	-400
1	0
2	500

What is the payback period of the project in years?

Normally cash flows are assumed to happen at the given time. But here, assume that the cash flows are received smoothly over the year. So the $500 at time 2 is actually earned smoothly from t=1 to t=2.

(a) -0.80

(b) 0.80

(c) 1.20

(d) 1.80

(e) 2.20

Question 45  profitability index

The required return of a 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.

What is the Profitability Index (PI) of the project?

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

(a) 1.21

(b) 1.1

(c) 1

(d) 0.82845

(e) 0

Question 191  NPV, IRR, profitability index, pay back period

A project's Profitability Index (PI) is less than 1. Select the most correct statement:

(a) The project should be rejected.

(b) The project's IRR is more than its required return.

(c) The project's payback period will be less than 3 years.

(d) The project's IRR is equal to its required return.

(e) The project's NPV is greater than 1.

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 176  CFFA

Why is Capital Expenditure (CapEx) subtracted in the Cash Flow From Assets (CFFA) formula?

###CFFA=NI+Depr-CapEx - \Delta NWC+IntExp###

(a) CapEx is added in the Net Income (NI) equation so it needs subtracting in the CFFA equation.

(b) CapEx is a financing cash flow that needs to be ignored. Therefore it should be subtracted.

(c) CapEx is not a cash flow, it's a non-cash expense made up by accountants that needs to be subtracted.

(d) CapEx is subtracted to account for the net cash spent on capital assets.

(e) CapEx is subtracted because it's too hard to predict, therefore we exclude it.

Question 224  CFFA

Cash Flow From Assets (CFFA) can be defined as:

(a) Cash available to distribute to creditors and stockholders.

(b) Cash flow to creditors minus cash flow to stockholders.

(c) Net income (or earnings) plus depreciation plus interest expense.

(d) Net income minus the increase in net working capital.

(e) Net income minus net capital spending minus the increase in net working capital.

Question 225  CFFA

A firm has forecast its Cash Flow From Assets (CFFA) for this year and management is worried that it is too low. Which one of the following actions will lead to a higher CFFA for this year (t=0 to 1)? Only consider cash flows this year. Do not consider cash flows after one year, or the change in the NPV of the firm. Consider each action in isolation.

(a) Buy less land, buildings and trucks than what was planned. Assume that this has no impact on revenue.

(b) Pay off more debt than was planned, to reduce the firm’s interest expense.

(c) Change the depreciation method used for tax purposes from diminishing value to straight line, so less depreciation occurs this year and more occurs in later years. Assume that the government’s tax department allow this.

(d) Buying more inventory than was planned, so there is an increase in net working capital. Assume that there is no increase in sales.

(e) Raising new equity through a rights issue. Assume that all of the money raised is spent on new capital assets such as land and trucks, but they will be fitted out and delivered in one year so no new cash will be earned from them.

Question 238  CFFA, leverage, interest tax shield

A company increases the proportion of debt funding it uses to finance its assets by issuing bonds and using the cash to repurchase stock, leaving assets unchanged.

Ignoring the costs of financial distress, which of the following statements is NOT correct:

(a) The company is increasing its debt-to-assets and debt-to-equity ratios. These are types of 'leverage' or 'gearing' ratios.

(b) The company will pay less tax to the government due to the benefit of interest tax shields.

(c) The company's net income, also known as earnings or net profit after tax, will fall.

(d) The company's expected levered firm free cash flow (FFCF or CFFA) will be higher due to tax shields.

(e) The company's expected levered equity free cash flow (EFCF) will not change.

Question 349  CFFA, depreciation tax shield

Which one of the following will decrease net income (NI) but increase cash flow from assets (CFFA) 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 - \Delta NWC+IntExp###

(a) An increase in revenue (Rev).

(b) An increase in rent expense (part of fixed costs, FC).

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

(d) An decrease in net working capital (ΔNWC).

(e) An increase in dividends.

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 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 360  CFFA

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

Ching-A-Lings Corp
Income Statement for
year ending 30th June 2013
	$m
Sales	100
COGS	20
Depreciation	20
Rent expense	11
Interest expense	19
Taxable Income	30
Taxes at 30%	9
Net income	21

Ching-A-Lings Corp
Balance Sheet
as at 30th June	2013	2012
	$m	$m
Inventory	49	38
Trade debtors	14	2
Rent paid in advance	5	5
PPE	400	400
Total assets	468	445
Trade creditors	4	10
Bond liabilities	200	190
Contributed equity	145	145
Retained profits	119	100
Total L and OE	468	445

 

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

The cash flow from assets was:

(a) $43m

(b) $31m

(c) $23m

(d) $11m

(e) $1m

Question 361  CFFA

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

• Make $5m in sales, $1.9m in net income and $2m in equity free cash flow (EFCF).
• Pay dividends of $1m.
• Complete a $1.3m share buy-back.

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 legally 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) $2m

(b) $1m

(c) $0.4m

(d) $0.3m

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

Question 504  CFFA

Read the following financial statements and calculate the firm's free cash flow over the 2014 financial year.

UBar Corp
Income Statement for
year ending 30th June 2014
	$m
Sales	293
COGS	200
Rent expense	15
Gas expense	8
Depreciation	10
EBIT	60
Interest expense	0
Taxable income	60
Taxes	18
Net income	42

UBar Corp
Balance Sheet
as at 30th June	2014	2013
	$m	$m
Assets
Cash	30	29
Accounts receivable	5	7
Pre-paid rent expense	1	0
Inventory	50	46
PPE	290	300
Total assets	376	382
Liabilities
Trade payables	20	18
Accrued gas expense	3	2
Non-current liabilities	0	0
Contributed equity	212	212
Retained profits	136	150
Asset revaluation reserve	5	0
Total L and OE	376	382

 

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

The firm's free cash flow over the 2014 financial year was:

(a) $51

(b) $52

(c) $58

(d) $61

(e) $62

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 485  capital budgeting, opportunity cost, sunk cost

A young lady is trying to decide if she should attend university or not.

The young lady's parents say that she must attend university because otherwise all of her hard work studying and attending school during her childhood was a waste.

What's the correct way to classify this item from a capital budgeting perspective when trying to decide whether to attend university?

The hard work studying at school in her childhood should be classified as:

(a) A sunk cost.

(b) An opportunity cost.

(c) A negative side effect.

(d) A positive side effect.

(e) A depreciation expense.

Question 486  capital budgeting, opportunity cost, sunk cost

A young lady is trying to decide if she should attend university. Her friends say that she should go to university because she is more likely to meet a clever young man than if she begins full time work straight away.

What's the correct way to classify this item from a capital budgeting perspective when trying to find the Net Present Value of going to university rather than working?

The opportunity to meet a desirable future spouse should be classified as:

(a) A sunk cost.

(b) An opportunity cost.

(c) A negative side effect.

(d) A positive side effect.

(e) A depreciation expense.

Question 492  capital budgeting, opportunity cost, sunk cost

A man has taken a day off from his casual painting job to relax.

It's the end of the day and he's thinking about the hours that he could have spent working (in the past) which are now:

(a) A sunk cost.

(b) An opportunity cost.

(c) A negative side effect.

(d) A capital expense.

(e) A depreciation expense.

Question 491  capital budgeting, opportunity cost, sunk cost

A man is thinking about taking a day off from his casual painting job to relax.

He just woke up early in the morning and he's about to call his boss to say that he won't be coming in to work.

But he's thinking about the hours that he could work today (in the future) which are:

(a) A sunk cost.

(b) An opportunity cost.

(c) A negative side effect.

(d) A capital expense.

(e) A depreciation expense.

Question 511  capital budgeting, CFFA

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

One Year Mining Project Data
Project life	1 year
Initial investment in building mine and equipment	$9m
Depreciation of mine and equipment over the year	$8m
Kilograms of gold mined at end of year	1,000
Sale price per kilogram	$0.05m
Variable cost per kilogram	$0.03m
Before-tax cost of closing mine at end of year	$4m
Tax rate	30%

Note 1: Due to the project, the firm also anticipates finding some rare diamonds which will give before-tax revenues of $1m at the end of the year.

Note 2: The land that will be mined actually has thermal springs and a family of koalas that could be sold to an eco-tourist resort for an after-tax amount of $3m right now. However, if the mine goes ahead then this natural beauty will be destroyed.

Note 3: The mining equipment will have a book value of $1m at the end of the year for tax purposes. However, the equipment is expected to fetch $2.5m when it is sold.

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

(a) -9,   15.65

(b) -9,   14.3

(c) -12,   16.8

(d) -12,   16.35

(e) -12,   14.3

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 129  debt terminology

An 'interest rate' is the same thing as a 'coupon rate'. or ?

Question 128  debt terminology, needs refinement

An 'interest payment' is the same thing as a 'coupon payment'. or ?

Question 130  debt terminology

An 'interest rate' is the same thing as a 'yield'. or ?

Question 374  debt terminology

Which of the following statements is NOT equivalent to the yield on debt?

Assume that the debt being referred to is fairly priced, but do not assume that it's priced at par.

(a) Debt coupon rate.

(b) Required return on debt.

(c) Total return on debt.

(d) Opportunity cost of debt.

(e) Cost of debt capital.

Question 234  debt terminology

An 'interest only' loan can also be called a:

(a) Discount loan

(b) Par loan

(c) Premium loan

(d) Deferred repayment loan

(e) Fully amortising loan.

Question 372  debt terminology

Which of the following statements is NOT correct? Borrowers:

(a) Receive cash at the start and promise to pay cash in the future, as set out in the debt contract.

(b) Are debtors.

(c) Owe money.

(d) Are funded by debt.

(e) Buy debt.

Question 373  debt terminology

Which of the following statements is NOT correct? Lenders:

(a) Are long debt.

(b) Invest in debt.

(c) Are owed money.

(d) Provide debt funding.

(e) Have debt liabilities.

Question 290  APR, effective rate, debt terminology

Which of the below statements about effective rates and annualised percentage rates (APR's) is NOT correct?

(a) An effective annual rate could be called: "a yearly rate compounding per year".

(b) An APR compounding monthly could be called: "a yearly rate compounding per month".

(c) An effective monthly rate could be called: "a yearly rate compounding per month".

(d) An APR compounding daily could be called: "a yearly rate compounding per day".

(e) An effective 2-year rate could be called: "a 2-year rate compounding every 2 years".

Question 330  APR, effective rate, debt terminology

Which of the following statements about effective rates and annualised percentage rates (APR's) is NOT correct?

(a) Effective rates compound once over their time period. So an effective monthly rate compounds once per month.

(b) APR's compound more than once per year. So an APR compounding monthly compounds 12 times per year. The exception is an APR that compounds annually (once per year) which is the same thing as an effective annual rate.

(c) To convert an effective rate to an APR, multiply the effective rate by the number of time periods in one year. So an effective monthly rate multiplied by 12 is equal to an APR compounding monthly.

(d) To convert an APR compounding monthly to an effective monthly rate, divide the APR by the number of months in one year (12).

(e) To convert an APR compounding monthly to an effective weekly rate, divide the APR by the number of weeks in one year (approximately 52).

Question 16  credit card, APR, effective rate

A credit card offers an interest rate of 18% pa, compounding monthly.

Find the effective monthly rate, effective annual rate and the effective daily rate. Assume that there are 365 days in a year.

All answers are given in the same order:

### r_\text{eff monthly} , r_\text{eff yearly} , r_\text{eff daily} ###

(a) 0.0072, 0.09, 0.0002.

(b) 0.0139, 0.18, 0.0005.

(c) 0.0139, 6.2876, 0.0055.

(d) 0.015, 0.1956, 0.0005.

(e) 0.015, 0.1956, 0.006.

Question 26  APR, effective rate

A European bond paying annual coupons of 6% offers a yield of 10% pa.

Convert the yield into an effective monthly rate, an effective annual rate and an effective daily rate. Assume that there are 365 days in a year.

All answers are given in the same order:

### r_\text{eff, monthly} , r_\text{eff, yearly} , r_\text{eff, daily} ###

(a) 0.0041, 0.05, 0.0001.

(b) 0.0080, 0.1, 0.0003.

(c) 0.0083, 0.1, 0.0003.

(d) 0.0083, 2.1384, 0.0031.

(e) 0.0083, 0.1047, 0.0033.

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 49  inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows, APR, effective rate

In Australia, nominal yields on semi-annual coupon paying Government Bonds with 2 years until maturity are currently 2.83% pa.

The inflation rate is currently 2.2% pa, given as an APR compounding per quarter. The inflation rate is not expected to change over the next 2 years.

What is the real yield on these bonds, given as an APR compounding every 6 months?

(a) 0.3086%

(b) 0.6171%

(c) 0.6181%

(d) 0.6239%

(e) 0.6300%

Question 64  inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows, APR, effective rate

In Germany, nominal yields on semi-annual coupon paying Government Bonds with 2 years until maturity are currently 0.04% pa.

The inflation rate is currently 1.4% pa, given as an APR compounding per quarter. The inflation rate is not expected to change over the next 2 years.

What is the real yield on these bonds, given as an APR compounding every 6 months?

(a) -1.3529627%

(b) -0.4977348%

(c) 0.4977348%

(d) 1.3529627%

(e) 1.3621776%

Question 265  APR, Annuity

On his 20th birthday, a man makes a resolution. He will deposit $30 into a bank account at the end of every month starting from now, which is the start of the month. So the first payment will be in one month. He will write in his will that when he dies the money in the account should be given to charity.

The bank account pays interest at 6% pa compounding monthly, which is not expected to change.

If the man lives for another 60 years, how much money will be in the bank account if he dies just after making his last (720th) payment?

(a) $712,534.12

(b) $211,628.47

(c) $21,600.00

(d) $15,993.85

(e) $5,834.58

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 172  fully amortising loan, APR

You just signed up for a 30 year fully amortising mortgage loan with monthly payments of $2,000 per month. The interest rate is 9% pa which is not expected to change.

How much did you borrow? After 5 years, how much will be owing on the mortgage? The interest rate is still 9% and is not expected to change.

(a) 246,567.70,   93,351.63

(b) 246,567.70,   235,741.91

(c) 248,563.73,   96,346.75

(d) 248,563.73,   238,323.24

(e) 256,580.38,   245,314.97

Question 204  time calculation, fully amortising loan, APR

You just signed up for a 30 year fully amortising mortgage loan with monthly payments of $1,500 per month. The interest rate is 9% pa which is not expected to change.

To your surprise, you can actually afford to pay $2,000 per month and your mortgage allows early repayments without fees. If you maintain these higher monthly payments, how long will it take to pay off your mortgage?

(a) 38.87 months, which is 3.24 yrs.

(b) 47.91 months, which is 3.99 yrs.

(c) 160.72 months, which is 13.39 yrs.

(d) 164.65 months, which is 13.72 yrs.

(e) None of the above.

Question 29  interest only loan

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 an interest only 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 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 42  interest only loan

You just signed up for a 30 year interest-only mortgage with monthly payments of $3,000 per month. The interest rate is 6% pa which is not expected to change.

How much did you borrow? After 15 years, just after the 180th payment at that time, how much will be owing on the mortgage? The interest rate is still 6% and is not expected to change. Remember that the mortgage is interest-only and that mortgage payments are paid in arrears (at the end of the month).

(a) $495,533.92, $349,640.96

(b) $500,374.84, $355,510.54

(c) $500,374.84, $250,187.42

(d) $600,000.00, $600,000.00

(e) $600,000.00, $300,000.00

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 107  interest only loan

You want to buy an apartment worth $300,000. You have saved a deposit of $60,000.

The bank has agreed to lend you $240,000 as an interest only mortgage loan with a term of 30 years. The interest rate is 6% pa and is not expected to change. What will be your monthly payments?

(a) 17,435.74

(b) 1,438.92

(c) 1,414.49

(d) 1,200.00

(e) 666.67

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 298  interest only loan

A prospective home buyer can afford to pay $2,000 per month in mortgage loan repayments. The central bank recently lowered its policy rate by 0.25%, and residential home lenders cut their mortgage loan rates from 4.74% to 4.49%.

How much more can the prospective home buyer borrow now that interest rates are 4.49% rather than 4.74%? Give your answer as a proportional increase over the original amount he could borrow (##V_\text{before}##), so:

###\text{Proportional increase} = \frac{V_\text{after}-V_\text{before}}{V_\text{before}} ###

Assume that:

• Interest rates are expected to be constant over the life of the loan.

• Loans are interest-only and have a life of 30 years.

• Mortgage loan payments are made every month in arrears and all interest rates are given as annualised percentage rates compounding per month.

(a) 0.055679

(b) 0.029631

(c) 0.029547

(d) 0.006245

(e) 0.0025

Question 509  bond pricing

Calculate the price of a newly issued ten year bond with a face value of $100, a yield of 8% pa and a fixed coupon rate of 6% pa, paid annually. So there's only one coupon per year, paid in arrears every year.

(a) $114.8775

(b) $114.7202

(c) $86.5798

(d) $86.4097

(e) $40.2605

Question 510  bond pricing

Calculate the price of a newly issued ten year bond with a face value of $100, a yield of 8% pa and a fixed coupon rate of 6% pa, paid semi-annually. So there are two coupons per year, paid in arrears every six months.

(a) $114.8775

(b) $114.7202

(c) $86.5798

(d) $86.4097

(e) $40.2605

Question 133  bond pricing

A bond maturing in 10 years has a coupon rate of 4% pa, paid semi-annually. The bond's yield is currently 6% pa. The face value of the bond is $100. What is its price?

(a) $33.93

(b) $55.37

(c) $57.61

(d) $68.28

(e) $85.12

Question 11  bond pricing

For a price of $100, Vera will sell you a 2 year bond paying semi-annual coupons of 10% pa. The face value of the bond is $100. Other bonds with similar risk, maturity and coupon characteristics trade at a yield of 8% pa.

Would you like to her bond or politely ?

Question 23  bond pricing, premium par and discount bonds

Bonds X and Y are issued by the same US company. Both bonds yield 10% pa, and they have the same face value ($100), maturity, seniority, and payment frequency.

The only difference is that bond X and Y's coupon rates are 8 and 12% pa respectively. Which of the following statements is true?

(a) Bonds X and Y are premium bonds.

(b) Bonds X and Y are discount bonds.

(c) Bond X is a discount bond but bond Y is a premium bond.

(d) Bond X is a premium bond but bond Y is a discount bond.

(e) Bonds X and Y are par bonds.

Question 33  bond pricing, premium par and discount bonds

Bonds A and B are issued by the same company. They have the same face value, maturity, seniority and coupon payment frequency. The only difference is that bond A has a 5% coupon rate, while bond B has a 10% coupon rate. The yield curve is flat, which means that yields are expected to stay the same.

Which bond would have the higher current price?

(a) Bond A will have a higher price.

(b) Bond B will have a higher price.

(c) Bonds A and B will have the same price.

(d) The higher priced bond can't be determined without knowing their yields.

(e) The higher priced bond can't be determined without knowing the inflation rate.

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 56  income and capital returns, bond pricing, premium par and discount bonds

Which of the following statements about risk free government bonds is NOT correct?

(a) Premium bonds have a positive expected capital return.

(b) Discount bonds have a positive expected capital return.

(c) Par bonds have a zero expected capital return.

(d) Par bonds have a total expected yield equal to their coupon yield.

(e) Zero coupon bonds selling at par would have zero expected total, income and capital yields.

Hint: Total return can be broken into income and capital returns as follows:

###\begin{aligned} r_\text{total} &= \frac{c_1}{p_0} + \frac{p_1-p_0}{p_0} \\ &= r_\text{income} + r_\text{capital} \end{aligned} ###

The capital return is the growth rate of the price.
The income return is the periodic cash flow. For a bond this is the coupon payment.

Question 63  bond pricing, NPV, 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 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 the required return of a bond falls, its price will fall.

(d) Fairly priced discount bonds' yield is more than the coupon rate, price is less than face value, and the NPV of buying them is zero.

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

Question 138  bond pricing, premium par and discount bonds

Bonds A and B are issued by the same Australian company. Both bonds yield 7% pa, and they have the same face value ($100), maturity, seniority, and payment frequency.

The only difference is that bond A pays coupons of 10% pa and bond B pays coupons of 5% pa. Which of the following statements is true about the bonds' prices?

(a) The prices of bonds A and B will be more than $100.

(b) The prices of bonds A and B will be less than $100.

(c) Bond A will have a price more than $100, and bond B will have a price less than $100.

(d) Bond A will have a price less than $100, and bond B will have a price more than $100.

(e) Bonds A and B will both have a price of $100.

Question 178  bond pricing, premium par and discount bonds

Which one of the following bonds is trading at a discount?

(a) a ten-year bond with a $4000 face value whose yield to maturity is 6.0% and coupon rate is 6.5% paid semi-annually.

(b) a 6-year bond with a principal of $40,000 and a price of $45,000.

(c) a 15-year bond with a $10,000 face value whose yield to maturity is 8.0% and coupon rate is 10.0% paid semi-annually.

(d) a two-year bond with a $50,000 face value whose yield to maturity is 5.2% and coupon rate is 5.2% paid semi-annually.

(e) None of the above bonds are discount bonds.

Question 179  bond pricing, capital raising

A firm wishes to raise $20 million now. They will issue 8% pa semi-annual coupon bonds that will mature in 5 years and have a face value of $100 each. Bond yields are 6% pa, given as an APR compounding every 6 months, and the yield curve is flat.

How many bonds should the firm issue?

(a) 140,202

(b) 184,280

(c) 184,460

(d) 186,881

(e) 200,000

Question 207  income and capital returns, bond pricing, coupon rate, no explanation

For a bond that pays fixed semi-annual coupons, how is the annual coupon rate defined, and how is the bond's annual income yield from time 0 to 1 defined mathematically?

Let: ##P_0## be the bond price now,

##F_T## be the bond's face value,

##T## be the bond's maturity in years,

##r_\text{total}## be the bond's total yield,

##r_\text{income}## be the bond's income yield,

##r_\text{capital}## be the bond's capital yield, and

##C_t## be the bond's coupon at time t in years. So ##C_{0.5}## is the coupon in 6 months, ##C_1## is the coupon in 1 year, and so on.

(a) coupon rate = ##\dfrac{C_{0.5}+C_{1}}{F_T}##, ##r_\text{income, 0 to 1}=\dfrac{C_{0.5}(1+r_\text{total})^{0.5}+C_{1}}{P_0}##

(b) coupon rate = ##\dfrac{2 \times C_{0.5}}{F_T}##, ##r_\text{income, 0 to 1}=\dfrac{C_{0.5}(1+r_\text{capital})^{0.5}+C_{1}}{P_0}##

(c) coupon rate = ##\dfrac{2 \times C_{1}}{P_0}##, ##r_\text{income, 0 to 1}=\dfrac{C_{0.5}+C_{1}}{P_0}##

(d) coupon rate = ##\dfrac{2 \times C_{1}}{P_0}##, ##r_\text{income, 0 to 1}=\dfrac{2 \times C_{1}}{P_0}##

(e) coupon rate = ##\dfrac{2 \times C_{1}}{F_T}##, ##r_\text{income, 0 to 1}=\dfrac{C_{0.5}(1+r_\text{total})^{0.5}+C_{1}}{F_T}##

Question 213  income and capital returns, bond pricing, premium par and discount bonds

The coupon rate of a fixed annual-coupon bond is constant (always the same).

What can you say about the income return (##r_\text{income}##) of a fixed annual coupon bond? Remember that:

###r_\text{total} = r_\text{income} + r_\text{capital}###

###r_\text{total, 0 to 1} = \frac{c_1}{p_0} + \frac{p_1-p_0}{p_0}###

Assume that there is no change in the bond's total annual yield to maturity from when it is issued to when it matures.

Select the most correct statement.

From its date of issue until maturity, the income return of a fixed annual coupon:

(a) Premium bond will increase.

(b) Premium bond will decrease.

(c) Premium bond will remain constant.

(d) Par bond will increase.

(e) Par bond will decrease.

Question 229  bond pricing

An investor bought two fixed-coupon bonds issued by the same company, a zero-coupon bond and a 7% pa semi-annual coupon bond. Both bonds have a face value of $1,000, mature in 10 years, and had a yield at the time of purchase of 8% pa.

A few years later, yields fell to 6% pa. Which of the following statements is correct? Note that a capital gain is an increase in price.

(a) The zero-coupon bond and the 7% semi-annual coupon bond were both discount bonds but now they are both premium bonds.

(b) The zero-coupon bond and the 7% semi-annual coupon bond were both premium bonds but now they are both discount bonds.

(c) When yields fell, the investor made a capital loss on both bonds.

(d) When yields fell, the investor made a capital gain on both bonds.

(e) When yields fell, the investor made a capital gain on the zero coupon bond but a loss on the 7% semi-annual coupon bond.

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 287  bond pricing

A 30 year Japanese government bond was just issued at par with a yield of 1.7% pa. The fixed coupon payments are semi-annual. The bond has a face value of $100.

Six months later, just after the first coupon is paid, the yield of the bond increases to 2% pa. What is the bond's new price?

(a) $89.5717

(b) $89.6632

(c) $90.5598

(d) $93.3393

(e) $100.0000

Question 303  WACC, CAPM, CFFA

There are many different ways to value a firm's assets. Which of the following will NOT give the correct market value of a levered firm's assets ##(V_L)##? Assume that:

• The firm is financed by listed common stock and vanilla annual fixed coupon bonds, which are both traded in a liquid market.
• The bonds' yield is equal to the coupon rate, so the bonds are issued at par. The yield curve is flat and yields are not expected to change. When bonds mature they will be rolled over by issuing the same number of new bonds with the same expected yield and coupon rate, and so on forever.
• Tax rates on the dividends and capital gains received by investors are equal, and capital gains tax is paid every year, even on unrealised gains regardless of when the asset is sold.
• There is no re-investment of the firm's cash back into the business. All of the firm's excess cash flow is paid out as dividends so real growth is zero.
• The firm operates in a mature industry with zero real growth.
• All cash flows and rates in the below equations are real (not nominal) and are expected to be stable forever. Therefore the perpetuity equation with no growth is suitable for valuation.

(a) ##V_L = n_\text{shares}.P_\text{share} + n_\text{bonds}.P_\text{bond}##

(b) ##V_L = n_\text{shares}.\dfrac{\text{Dividend per share}}{r_f + \beta_{EL}(r_m - r_f)} + n_\text{bonds}.\dfrac{\text{Coupon per bond}}{r_f + \beta_D(r_m - r_f)}##

(c) ##V_L = \dfrac{\text{CFFA}_{L}}{r_\text{WACC before tax}}##

(d) ##V_L = \dfrac{\text{CFFA}_{U}}{r_\text{WACC after tax}}##

(e) ##V_L = \dfrac{\text{CFFA}_{L}}{r_\text{WACC after tax}}##

Where:

###r_\text{WACC before tax} = r_D.\frac{D}{V_L} + r_{EL}.\frac{E_L}{V_L} = \text{Weighted average cost of capital before tax}### ###r_\text{WACC after tax} = r_D.(1-t_c).\frac{D}{V_L} + r_{EL}.\frac{E_L}{V_L} = \text{Weighted average cost of capital after tax}### ###NI_L=(Rev-COGS-FC-Depr-\mathbf{IntExp}).(1-t_c) = \text{Net Income Levered}### ###CFFA_L=NI_L+Depr-CapEx - \varDelta NWC+\mathbf{IntExp} = \text{Cash Flow From Assets Levered}### ###NI_U=(Rev-COGS-FC-Depr).(1-t_c) = \text{Net Income Unlevered}### ###CFFA_U=NI_U+Depr-CapEx - \varDelta NWC= \text{Cash Flow From Assets Unlevered}###

Question 348  PE ratio, Multiples valuation

Estimate the US bank JP Morgan's share price using a price earnings (PE) multiples approach with the following assumptions and figures only:

• The major US banks JP Morgan Chase (JPM), Citi Group (C) and Wells Fargo (WFC) are comparable companies;
• JP Morgan Chase's historical earnings per share (EPS) is $4.37;
• Citi Group's share price is $50.05 and historical EPS is $4.26;
• Wells Fargo's share price is $48.98 and historical EPS is $3.89.

Note: Figures sourced from Google Finance on 24 March 2014.

(a) $53.2353

(b) $53.1831

(c) $53.0995

(d) $26.5498

(e) $2.7849

Question 358  PE ratio, Multiples valuation

Estimate the Chinese bank ICBC's share price using a backward-looking price earnings (PE) multiples approach with the following assumptions and figures only. Note that the renminbi (RMB) is the Chinese currency, also known as the yuan (CNY).

• The 4 major Chinese banks ICBC, China Construction Bank (CCB), Bank of China (BOC) and Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) are comparable companies;
• ICBC 's historical earnings per share (EPS) is RMB 0.74;
• CCB's backward-looking PE ratio is 4.59;
• BOC 's backward-looking PE ratio is 4.78;
• ABC's backward-looking PE ratio is also 4.78;

Note: Figures sourced from Google Finance on 25 March 2014. Share prices are from the Shanghai stock exchange.

(a) RMB 6.4595

(b) RMB 6.3739

(c) RMB 6.3311

(d) RMB 3.4903

(e) RMB 3.3966

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 354  PE ratio, Multiples valuation

Which firms tend to have low forward-looking price-earnings (PE) ratios?

Only consider firms with positive earnings, disregard firms with negative earnings and therefore negative PE ratios.

(a) Illiquid small private companies.

(b) High growth technology firms.

(c) Firms expected to have temporarily low earnings over the next year, but with higher earnings later.

(d) Firms with a very low level of systematic risk.

(e) Firms whose assets include a very large proportion of cash.

Question 357  PE ratio, Multiples valuation

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

(a) Common equity in a listed public mining extraction company that will cease operations, wind up, and return all capital to shareholders in one year when its sole gold mine becomes depleted.

(b) Common equity in a small private owner-operated mining services company whose main asset is its sole tanker truck which delivers fuel to mines. The firm's shares are 100% owned by Bob, the driver of the tanker truck.

(c) Common equity in a large listed public company in the banking industry.

(d) Residential apartment real estate.

(e) Commercial warehouse real estate.

Question 364  PE ratio, Multiples valuation

Which firms tend to have high forward-looking price-earnings (PE) ratios?

(a) Illiquid small private companies.

(b) Exchange-listed companies operating in stagnant industries with negative growth prospects.

(c) Exchange-listed companies expected to have temporarily high earnings over the next year, but with lower earnings later.

(d) Exchange-listed companies operating in high-risk industries with very high required returns on equity.

(e) Exchange-listed companies whose assets include a very large proportion of cash.

Question 457  PE ratio, Multiples valuation

Which firms tend to have low forward-looking price-earnings (PE) ratios? Only consider firms with positive PE ratios.

(a) Highly liquid publically listed firms.

(b) Firms in a declining industry with very low or negative earnings growth.

(c) Firms expected to have temporarily low earnings over the next year, but with higher earnings later.

(d) Firms whose returns have a very low level of systematic risk.

(e) Firms whose assets include a very large proportion of cash.

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 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 32  time calculation, APR

You really want to go on a back packing trip to Europe when you finish university. Currently you have $1,500 in the bank. Bank interest rates are 8% pa, given as an APR compounding per month. If the holiday will cost $2,000, how long will it take for your bank account to reach that amount?

(a) -3.74 years

(b) 1.81 years

(c) 3.33 years

(d) 3.61 years

(e) 3.74 years

Question 268  time calculation, APR

You're trying to save enough money for a deposit to buy a house. You want to buy a house worth $400,000 and the bank requires a 20% deposit ($80,000) before it will give you a loan for the other $320,000 that you need.

You currently have no savings, but you just started working and can save $2,000 per month, with the first payment in one month from now. Bank interest rates on savings accounts are 4.8% pa with interest paid monthly and interest rates are not expected to change.

How long will it take to save the $80,000 deposit? Round your answer up to the nearest month.

(a) 27 months (t=27 months).

(b) 38 months (t=38 months).

(c) 40 months (t=40 months).

(d) 43 months (t=43 months).

(e) 79 months (t=79 months).

Question 269  time calculation, APR

A student won $1m in a lottery. Currently the money is in a bank account which pays interest at 6% pa, given as an APR compounding per month.

She plans to spend $20,000 at the beginning of every month from now on (so the first withdrawal will be at t=0). After each withdrawal, she will check how much money is left in the account. When there is less than $500,000 left, she will donate that remaining amount to charity.

In how many months will she make her last withdrawal and donate the remainder to charity?

(a) In 31 months (t=31 months).

(b) In 30 months (t=30 months).

(c) In 28 months (t=28 months).

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

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

Question 333  DDM, time calculation

When using the dividend discount model, care must be taken to avoid using a nominal dividend growth rate that exceeds the country's nominal GDP growth rate. Otherwise the firm is forecast to take over the country since it grows faster than the average business forever.

Suppose a firm's nominal dividend grows at 10% pa forever, and nominal GDP growth is 5% pa forever. The firm's total dividends are currently $1 billion (t=0). The country's GDP is currently $1,000 billion (t=0).

In approximately how many years will the company's total dividends be as large as the country's GDP?

(a) 1,443 years

(b) 1,199 years

(c) 955 years

(d) 674 years

(e) 148 years

Question 377  leverage, capital structure

Issuing debt doesn't give away control of the firm because debt holders can't cast votes to determine the company's affairs, such as at the annual general meeting (AGM), and can't appoint directors to the board. or ?

Question 379  leverage, capital structure, payout policy

Companies must pay interest and principal payments to debt-holders. They're compulsory. But companies are not forced to pay dividends to share holders. or ?

Question 94  leverage, capital structure, real estate

Your friend just bought a house for $400,000. He financed it using a $320,000 mortgage loan and a deposit of $80,000.

In the context of residential housing and mortgages, the 'equity' tied up in the value of a person's house is the value of the house less the value of the mortgage. So the initial equity your friend has in his house is $80,000. Let this amount be E, let the value of the mortgage be D and the value of the house be V. So ##V=D+E##.

If house prices suddenly fall by 10%, what would be your friend's percentage change in equity (E)? Assume that the value of the mortgage is unchanged and that no income (rent) was received from the house during the short time over which house prices fell.

Remember:

### r_{0\rightarrow1}=\frac{p_1-p_0+c_1}{p_0} ###

where ##r_{0-1}## is the return (percentage change) of an asset with price ##p_0## initially, ##p_1## one period later, and paying a cash flow of ##c_1## at time ##t=1##.

(a) -100%

(b) -50%

(c) -12.5%

(d) -10%

(e) -8%

Question 301  leverage, capital structure, real estate

Your friend just bought a house for $1,000,000. He financed it using a $900,000 mortgage loan and a deposit of $100,000.

In the context of residential housing and mortgages, the 'equity' or 'net wealth' tied up in a house is the value of the house less the value of the mortgage loan. Assuming that your friend's only asset is his house, his net wealth is $100,000.

If house prices suddenly fall by 15%, what would be your friend's percentage change in net wealth?

Assume that:

• No income (rent) was received from the house during the short time over which house prices fell.
• Your friend will not declare bankruptcy, he will always pay off his debts.

(a) -1,000%

(b) -150%

(c) -100%

(d) -15%

(e) -10%

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 67  CFFA, interest tax shield

Here are the Net Income (NI) and Cash Flow From Assets (CFFA) equations:

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

###CFFA=NI+Depr-CapEx - \varDelta NWC+IntExp###

What is the formula for calculating annual interest expense (IntExp) which is used in the equations above?

Select one of the following answers. Note that D is the value of debt which is constant through time, and ##r_D## is the cost of debt.

(a) ##D(1+r_D)##

(b) ##D/(1+r_D) ##

(c) ##D.r_D ##

(d) ##D / r_D##

(e) ##NI.r_D##

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 223  CFFA, interest tax shield

Which one of the following will increase the Cash Flow From Assets in this year for a tax-paying firm, all else remaining constant?

(a) An increase in net capital spending.

(b) A decrease in the cash flow to creditors.

(c) An increase in interest expense.

(d) An increase in net working capital.

(e) A decrease in dividends paid.

Question 296  CFFA, interest tax shield

Which one of the following will decrease net income (NI) but increase cash flow from assets (CFFA) 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 decrease in revenue (##Rev##).

(c) An increase in rent expense (part of fixed costs, ##FC##).

(d) An increase in interest expense (##IntExp##).

(e) An increase in dividends.

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 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 113  WACC, CFFA, capital budgeting

The US firm Google operates in the online advertising business. In 2011 Google bought Motorola Mobility which manufactures mobile phones.

Assume the following:

• Google had a 10% after-tax weighted average cost of capital (WACC) before it bought Motorola.
• Motorola had a 20% after-tax WACC before it merged with Google.
• Google and Motorola have the same level of gearing.
• Both companies operate in a classical tax system.

You are a manager at Motorola. You must value a project for making mobile phones. Which method(s) will give the correct valuation of the mobile phone manufacturing project? Select the most correct answer.

The mobile phone manufacturing project's:

(a) Unlevered CFFA should be discounted by Google's 10% WACC after tax.

(b) Unlevered CFFA should be discounted by Motorola's 20% WACC after tax.

(c) Levered CFFA should be discounted by Google's 10% WACC after tax.

(d) Levered CFFA should be discounted by Motorola's 20% WACC after tax.

(e) Unlevered CFFA by 15%, the average of Google and Motorola's WACC after tax.

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 367  CFFA, interest tax shield

There are many ways to calculate a firm's free cash flow (FFCF), also called cash flow from assets (CFFA). Some include the annual interest tax shield in the cash flow and some do not.

Which of the below FFCF formulas include the interest tax shield in the cash flow?

###(1) \quad FFCF=NI + Depr - CapEx -ΔNWC + IntExp### ###(2) \quad FFCF=NI + Depr - CapEx -ΔNWC + IntExp.(1-t_c)### ###(3) \quad FFCF=EBIT.(1-t_c )+ Depr- CapEx -ΔNWC+IntExp.t_c### ###(4) \quad FFCF=EBIT.(1-t_c) + Depr- CapEx -ΔNWC### ###(5) \quad FFCF=EBITDA.(1-t_c )+Depr.t_c- CapEx -ΔNWC+IntExp.t_c### ###(6) \quad FFCF=EBITDA.(1-t_c )+Depr.t_c- CapEx -ΔNWC### ###(7) \quad FFCF=EBIT-Tax + Depr - CapEx -ΔNWC### ###(8) \quad FFCF=EBIT-Tax + Depr - CapEx -ΔNWC-IntExp.t_c### ###(9) \quad FFCF=EBITDA-Tax - CapEx -ΔNWC### ###(10) \quad FFCF=EBITDA-Tax - CapEx -ΔNWC-IntExp.t_c###

The formulas for net income (NI also called earnings), EBIT and EBITDA are given below. Assume that depreciation and amortisation are both represented by 'Depr' and that 'FC' represents fixed costs such as rent.

###NI=(Rev - COGS - Depr - FC - IntExp).(1-t_c )### ###EBIT=Rev - COGS - FC-Depr### ###EBITDA=Rev - COGS - FC### ###Tax =(Rev - COGS - Depr - FC - IntExp).t_c= \dfrac{NI.t_c}{1-t_c}###

(a) 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.

(b) 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.

(c) 1, 4, 6, 8, 10.

(d) 2, 3, 5, 7, 9.

(e) 1, 3, 5, 8, 10.

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 369  interest tax shield, CFFA

One formula for calculating a levered firm's free cash flow (FFCF, or CFFA) is to use earnings before interest and tax (EBIT).

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

Does this annual FFCF or the annual interest tax shield?

Question 371  interest tax shield, CFFA

One method for calculating a firm's free cash flow (FFCF, or CFFA) is to ignore interest expense. That is, pretend that interest expense ##(IntExp)## is zero:

###\begin{aligned} FFCF &= (Rev - COGS - Depr - FC - IntExp)(1-t_c) + Depr - CapEx -\Delta NWC + IntExp \\ &= (Rev - COGS - Depr - FC - 0)(1-t_c) + Depr - CapEx -\Delta NWC - 0\\ \end{aligned}###

Does this annual FFCF with zero interest expense or the annual interest tax shield?

Question 375  interest tax shield, CFFA

One formula for calculating a levered firm's free cash flow (FFCF, or CFFA) is to use net operating profit after tax (NOPAT).

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

Does this annual FFCF or the annual interest tax shield?

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 69  interest tax shield, capital structure, leverage, WACC

Which statement about risk, required return and capital structure is the most correct?

(a) The before-tax cost of debt is less than the before-tax cost of equity. Therefore debt is a cheaper form of financing than equity so companies should try to finance their projects with debt only.

(b) Debt makes a firm's equity more risky. Therefore the higher the amount of debt, the higher the cost of equity.

(c) The more debt a firm has, the higher its tax shields. Therefore firms should seek to have as much debt and as little equity as possible.

(d) The more debt, the lower the firm's after tax WACC. The after tax WACC is the discount rate that discounts the firm's cash flows, so the lower it is the more the firm is worth. Therefore firms should try to make their after tax WACC as low as possible by using as much debt as possible.

(e) The less debt, the lower the chance of bankruptcy. Therefore firms should try to pay off all of their debt so that they are financed by equity only.

Question 78  WACC, capital structure

A company issues a large amount of bonds to raise money for new projects of similar risk to the company's existing projects. The net present value (NPV) of the new projects is positive but small. Assume a classical tax system. Which statement is NOT 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 have decreased.

(e) The company's before-tax WACC is likely to have decreased.

Question 84  WACC, capital structure, capital budgeting

A firm is considering a new project of similar risk to the current risk of the firm. This project will expand its existing business. The cash flows of the project have been calculated assuming that there is no interest expense. In other words, the cash flows assume that the project is all-equity financed.

In fact the firm has a target debt-to-equity ratio of 1, so the project will be financed with 50% debt and 50% equity. To find the levered value of the firm's assets, what discount rate should be applied to the project's unlevered cash flows? Assume a classical tax system.

(a) The required return on equity, ##r_E##

(b) The required return on debt, ##r_D##

(c) The after-tax required return on debt, ##r_D.(1-t_c)##

(d) The after-tax WACC, ##\text{WACC after tax}=\frac{D}{V_L}.r_D.(1-t_c )+\frac{E_L}{V_L}.r_E##

(e) The pre-tax WACC, ##\text{WACC before tax}=\frac{D}{V_L}.r_D+\frac{E_L}{V_L}.r_E##

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 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 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 462  equivalent annual cash flow

You own some nice shoes which you use once per week on date nights. You bought them 2 years ago for $500. In your experience, shoes used once per week last for 6 years. So you expect yours to last for another 4 years.

Your younger sister said that she wants to borrow your shoes once per week. With the increased use, your shoes will only last for another 2 years rather than 4.

What is the present value of the cost of letting your sister use your current shoes for the next 2 years?

Assume: that bank interest rates are 10% pa, given as an effective annual rate; you will buy a new pair of shoes when your current pair wears out and your sister will not use the new ones; your sister will only use your current shoes so she will only use it for the next 2 years; and the price of new shoes never changes.

(a) $164.6662

(b) $181.1328

(c) $199.2461

(d) $226.2443

(e) $301.1312

Question 536  idiom, bond pricing, capital structure, leverage

The expression 'my word is my bond' is often used in everyday language to make a serious promise.

Why do you think this expression uses the metaphor of a bond rather than a share?

(a) Because bonds are higher risk investments than shares.

(b) Because issuers must pay bond holders or face bankruptcy, while payments to shareholders are discretionary.

(c) Because bond holders are paid last in the event of bankruptcy, while shareholders are paid first.

(d) Because bonds always pay higher returns than shares.

(e) Because bonds are generally more liquid than shares.

Question 539  debt terminology, fully amortising loan, bond pricing

A 'fully amortising' loan can also be called a:

(a) Discount loan

(b) Par loan

(c) Premium loan

(d) Deferred repayment loan

(e) Interest only loan

Question 540  APR, effective rate, no explanation

Which one of the below statements about effective rates and annualised percentage rates (APR's) is NOT correct?

(a) An effective semi-annual rate could be called: "a six month rate compounding per six months".

(b) An APR compounding semi-annually could be called: "a yearly rate compounding per six months".

(c) An effective monthly rate could be called: "a monthly rate compounding every month".

(d) An APR compounding monthly could be called: "a monthly rate compounding per year".

(e) An effective daily rate could be called: "a daily rate compounding every day".

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 545  income and capital returns, fully amortising loan, no explanation

Which of the following statements about the capital and income returns of a 25 year fully amortising loan asset is correct?

Assume that the yield curve (which shows total returns over different maturities) is flat and is not expected to change.

Over the 25 years from issuance to maturity, a fully amortising loan's expected annual effective:

(a) Income and capital returns both rise.

(b) Income and capital returns both fall.

(c) Income return rises and its capital return falls.

(d) Income return falls and its capital return rises.

(e) Income and capital returns are constant.

Question 546  income and capital returns, interest only loan, no explanation

Which of the following statements about the capital and income returns of an interest-only loan is correct?

Assume that the yield curve (which shows total returns over different maturities) is flat and is not expected to change.

An interest-only loan's expected:

(a) Income and capital returns both rise over time.

(b) Income and capital returns both fall over time.

(c) Income return rises and its capital return falls over time.

(d) Income return falls and its capital return rises over time.

(e) Income and capital returns are constant through time.

Question 547  PE ratio, Multiples valuation, DDM, income and capital returns, no explanation

A firm pays out all of its earnings as dividends. Because of this, the firm has no real growth in earnings, dividends or stock price since there is no re-investment back into the firm to buy new assets and make higher earnings. The dividend discount model is suitable to value this company.

The firm's revenues and costs are expected to increase by inflation in the foreseeable future. The firm has no debt. It operates in the services industry and has few physical assets so there is negligible depreciation expense and negligible net working capital required.

Which of the following statements about this firm's PE ratio is NOT correct? The PE ratio should:

(a) Equal the inverse of the firm's nominal income return.

(b) Equal the inverse of the firm's real total return.

(c) Equal the inverse of the firm's real capital return.

(d) Equal the expected payback period of an investor who intends to buy the firm's equity at the current price.

(e) Be lower than that of faster growing firms that pay lower dividends and re-invest in themselves.

Note: The inverse of x is 1/x.

Question 541  debt terminology

Which of the following statements is NOT correct? Bond investors:

(a) Buy debt.

(b) Are debtors.

(c) Have debt assets.

(d) Provide debt funding.

(e) Are lenders.

Question 554  inflation, real and nominal returns and cash flows

On his 20th birthday, a man makes a resolution. He will put $30 cash under his bed at the end of every month starting from today. His birthday today is the first day of the month. So the first addition to his cash stash will be in one month. He will write in his will that when he dies the cash under the bed should be given to charity.

If the man lives for another 60 years, how much money will be under his bed if he dies just after making his last (720th) addition?

Also, what will be the real value of that cash in today's prices if inflation is expected to 2.5% pa? Assume that the inflation rate is an effective annual rate and is not expected to change.

The answers are given in the same order, the amount of money under his bed in 60 years, and the real value of that money in today's prices.

(a) $21,600,     $95,035.46

(b) $21,600,     $49,515.44

(c) $21,600,     $4,909.33

(d) $21,600,     $2,557.86

(e) $11,254.05,     $2,557.86

Question 80  CAPM, risk, diversification

Diversification is achieved by investing in a large amount of stocks. What type of risk is reduced by diversification?

(a) Idiosyncratic risk.

(b) Systematic risk.

(c) Both idiosyncratic and systematic risk.

(d) Market risk.

(e) Beta risk.

Question 559  variance, standard deviation, covariance, correlation

Which of the following statements about standard statistical mathematics notation is NOT correct?

(a) The arithmetic average of variable X is represented by ##\bar{X}##.

(b) The standard deviation of variable X is represented by ##\sigma_X##.

(c) The variance of variable X is represented by ##\sigma_X^2##.

(d) The covariance between variables X and Y is represented by ##\sigma_{X,Y}^2##.

(e) The correlation between variables X and Y is represented by ##\rho_{X,Y}##.

Question 284  covariance, correlation

The following table shows a sample of historical total returns of shares in two different companies A and B.

Stock Returns
Total effective annual returns
Year	##r_A##	##r_B##
2007	0.2	0.4
2008	0.04	-0.2
2009	-0.1	-0.3
2010	0.18	0.5

What is the historical sample covariance (##\hat{\sigma}_{A,B}##) and correlation (##\rho_{A,B}##) of stock A and B's total effective annual returns?

(a) 0.05696, 0.702247

(b) 0.05696, 0.238663

(c) 0.053333, 0.936329

(d) 0.040889, 0.930519

(e) 0.04, 0.930519

Question 236  diversification, correlation, risk

Diversification in a portfolio of two assets works best when the correlation between their returns is:

(a) -1

(b) -0.5

(c) 0

(d) 0.5

(e) 1

Question 81  risk, correlation, diversification

Stock A and B's returns have a correlation of 0.3. Which statement is NOT correct?

(a) If stock A's return increases, stock B's return is also expected to increase.

(b) If stock A's return decreases, stock B's return is also expected to decrease.

(c) If stock A and B were combined in a portfolio, there would be no diversification at all since they are positively correlated.

(d) Stock A and B's returns have positive covariance.

(e) a and b.

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 82  portfolio return

Portfolio Details
Stock	Expected return	Standard deviation	Correlation	Dollars invested
A	0.1	0.4	0.5	60
B	0.2	0.6		140

What is the expected return of the above portfolio?

(a) 0.15

(b) 0.17

(c) 0.1908

(d) 0.2412

(e) 0.34

Question 73  portfolio risk, standard deviation

Portfolio Details
Stock	Expected return	Standard deviation	Covariance ##(\sigma_{A,B})##	Beta	Dollars invested
A	0.2	0.4	0.12	0.5	40
B	0.3	0.8		1.5	80

What is the standard deviation (not variance) of the above portfolio? Note that the stocks' covariance is given, not correlation.

(a) 0.5497

(b) 0.5651

(c) 0.5963

(d) 0.6156

(e) 0.8165

Question 282  expected and historical returns, income and capital returns

You're the boss of an investment bank's equities research team. Your five analysts are each trying to find the expected total return over the next year of shares in a mining company. The mining firm:

• Is regarded as a mature company since it's quite stable in size and was floated around 30 years ago. It is not a high-growth company;
• Share price is very sensitive to changes in the price of the market portfolio, economic growth, the exchange rate and commodities prices. Due to this, its standard deviation of total returns is much higher than that of the market index;
• Experienced tough times in the last 10 years due to unexpected falls in commodity prices.
• Shares are traded in an active liquid market.

Your team of analysts present their findings, and everyone has different views. While there's no definitive true answer, whose calculation of the expected total return is the most plausible? Assume that:

• The analysts' source data is correct and true, but their inferences might be wrong;
• All returns and yields are given as effective annual nominal rates.

(a) Alice says 5% pa since she calculated that this was the average total yield on government bonds over the last 10 years. She says that this is also the expected total yield implied by current prices on one year government bonds.

(b) Bob says 4% pa since he calculated that this was the average total return on the mining stock over the last 10 years.

(c) Cate says 3% pa since she calculated that this was the average growth rate of the share price over the last 10 years.

(d) Dave says 6% pa since he calculated that this was the average growth rate of the share market price index (not the accumulation index) over the last 10 years.

(e) Eve says 15% pa since she calculated that this was the discount rate implied by the dividend discount model using the current share price, forecast dividend in one year and a 3% growth rate in dividends thereafter, which is the expected long term inflation rate.

Question 285  covariance, portfolio risk

Two risky stocks A and B comprise an equal-weighted portfolio. The correlation between the stocks' returns is 70%.

If the variance of stock A's returns increases but the:

• Prices and expected returns of each stock stays the same,
• Variance of stock B's returns stays the same,
• Correlation of returns between the stocks stays the same.

Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) The variance of the portfolio returns will increase.

(b) The standard deviation of the portfolio returns will increase.

(c) The covariance of returns between stocks A and B will stay the same.

(d) The portfolio expected return will stay the same.

(e) The portfolio value will stay the same.

Question 279  diversification

Do you think that the following statement is or ? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”

Question 293  covariance, correlation, portfolio risk

All things remaining equal, the higher the correlation of returns between two stocks:

(a) The more diversification is possible when those stocks are combined in a portfolio.

(b) The lower the variance of returns of an equally-weighted portfolio of those stocks.

(c) The lower the volatility of returns of an equal-weighted portfolio of those stocks.

(d) The higher the covariance between those stocks' returns.

(e) The more likely that when one stock has a positive return, the other has a negative return.

Question 557  portfolio weights, portfolio return

An investor wants to make a portfolio of two stocks A and B with a target expected portfolio return of 6% pa.

• Stock A has an expected return of 5% pa.
• Stock B has an expected return of 10% pa.

What portfolio weights should the investor have in stocks A and B respectively?

(a) 80%, 20%

(b) 60%, 40%

(c) 40%, 60%

(d) 20%, 80%

(e) 20%, 20%

Question 90  CAPM, risk

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

(a) Global economic recession.

(b) A major terrorist attack, grounding all commercial aircraft in the US and Europe.

(c) An increase in corporate tax rates.

(d) The outbreak of world war.

(e) A company's poor earnings announcement.

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 86  CAPM

Treasury bonds currently have a return of 5% pa. A stock has a beta of 0.5 and the market return is 10% pa. What is the expected return of the stock?

(a) 5% pa

(b) 7.5% pa

(c) 10% pa

(d) 12.5% pa

(e) 20% pa

Question 326  CAPM

A fairly priced stock has an expected return equal to the market's. Treasury bonds yield 5% pa and the market portfolio's expected return is 10% pa. What is the stock's beta?

(a) 0

(b) 0.5

(c) 1

(d) 1.5

(e) 2

Question 232  CAPM, DDM

A stock has a beta of 0.5. Its next dividend is expected to be $3, paid one year from now. Dividends are expected to be paid annually and grow by 2% pa forever. Treasury bonds yield 5% pa and the market portfolio's expected return is 10% pa. All returns are effective annual rates.

What is the price of the stock now?

(a) $55.6364

(b) $54.5455

(c) $40.8

(d) $40

(e) $37.5

Question 244  CAPM, SML, NPV, risk

Examine the following graph which shows stocks' betas ##(\beta)## and expected returns ##(\mu)##:

Assume that the CAPM holds and that future expectations of stocks' returns and betas are correctly measured. Which statement is NOT correct?

(a) Asset A is underpriced.

(b) Asset B has a negative alpha (a negative excess return or abnormal return).

(c) Buying asset C would be a positive NPV investment.

(d) Asset D has less systematic variance than the market portfolio (M).

(e) Asset E is fairly priced.

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 72  CAPM, portfolio beta, portfolio risk

Portfolio Details
Stock	Expected return	Standard deviation	Correlation	Beta	Dollars invested
A	0.2	0.4	0.12	0.5	40
B	0.3	0.8		1.5	80

What is the beta of the above portfolio?

(a) 0.75

(b) 0.833333333

(c) 1

(d) 1.166666667

(e) 1.4

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 93  correlation, CAPM, systematic risk

A stock's correlation with the market portfolio increases while its total risk is unchanged. What will happen to the stock's expected return and systematic risk?

(a) The stock will have a higher return and higher systematic risk.

(b) The stock will have a lower return and higher systematic risk.

(c) The stock will have a higher return and lower systematic risk.

(d) The stock will have a lower return and lower systematic risk.

(e) The stock's return and systematic risk will be unchanged.

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 408  leverage, portfolio beta, portfolio risk, real estate, CAPM

You just bought a house worth $1,000,000. You financed it with an $800,000 mortgage loan and a deposit of $200,000.

You estimate that:

• The house has a beta of 1;
• The mortgage loan has a beta of 0.2.

What is the beta of the equity (the $200,000 deposit) that you have in your house?

Also, if the risk free rate is 5% pa and the market portfolio's return is 10% pa, what is the expected return on equity in your house? Ignore taxes, assume that all cash flows (interest payments and rent) were paid and received at the end of the year, and all rates are effective annual rates.

(a) The beta of equity is 5 and the expected return on equity is 30% pa.

(b) The beta of equity is 4.2 and the expected return on equity is 26% pa.

(c) The beta of equity is 0.86 and the expected return on equity is 9.3% pa.

(d) The beta of equity is 1 and the expected return on equity is 10% pa.

(e) The beta of equity is 0.6 and the expected return on equity is 8% pa.

Question 114  WACC, capital structure, risk

A firm's WACC before tax would decrease due to:

(a) the firm's industry becoming more systematically risky, for example if it was a mining company and commodities prices varied more strongly and were more positively correlated with the market portfolio.

(b) the firm's industry becoming less systematically risky, for example if it was a child care centre and the government announced permanently higher subsidies for parents' child care expenses.

(c) the firm issuing more debt and using the proceeds to repurchase stock.

(d) the firm issuing more equity and using the proceeds to pay off debt holders.

(e) none of the above.

Question 418  capital budgeting, NPV, interest tax shield, WACC, CFFA, CAPM

Project Data
Project life	1 year
Initial investment in equipment	$8m
Depreciation of equipment per year	$8m
Expected sale price of equipment at end of project	0
Unit sales per year	4m
Sale price per unit	$10
Variable cost per unit	$5
Fixed costs per year, paid at the end of each year	$2m
Interest expense in first year (at t=1)	$0.562m
Corporate tax rate	30%
Government treasury bond yield	5%
Bank loan debt yield	9%
Market portfolio return	10%
Covariance of levered equity returns with market	0.32
Variance of market portfolio returns	0.16
Firm's and project's debt-to-equity ratio	50%

Notes

1. Due to the project, current assets will increase by $6m now (t=0) and fall by $6m at the end (t=1). Current liabilities will not be affected.

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.
• Millions are represented by 'm'.
• 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 2% pa. All rates are given as effective annual rates.
• The project is undertaken by a firm, not an individual.

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

(a) $5.772m

(b) $4.979m

(c) $4.959m

(d) $4.733m

(e) $4.584m

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 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 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 105  NPV, risk, market efficiency

A person is thinking about borrowing $100 from the bank at 7% pa and investing it in shares with an expected return of 10% pa. One year later the person intends to sell the shares and pay back the loan in full. Both the loan and the shares are fairly priced.

What is the Net Present Value (NPV) of this one year investment? Note that you are asked to find the present value (##V_0##), not the value in one year (##V_1##).

(a) $10

(b) $3

(c) $2.8037

(d) $2.7273

(e) $0

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 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 569  personal tax

The average weekly earnings of an Australian adult worker before tax was $1,542.40 per week in November 2014 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Therefore average annual earnings before tax were $80,204.80 assuming 52 weeks per year. Personal income tax rates published by the Australian Tax Office are reproduced for the 2014-2015 financial year in the table below:

Taxable income	Tax on this income
0 – $18,200	Nil
$18,201 – $37,000	19c for each $1 over $18,200
$37,001 – $80,000	$3,572 plus 32.5c for each $1 over $37,000
$80,001 – $180,000	$17,547 plus 37c for each $1 over $80,000
$180,001 and over	$54,547 plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000

The above rates do not include the Medicare levy of 2%. Exclude the Medicare levy from your calculations

How much personal income tax would you have to pay per year if you earned $80,204.80 per annum before-tax?

(a) $36,092.16

(b) $29,675.78

(c) $21,185.56

(d) $17,622.78

(e) $3,638.56

Question 448  franking credit, personal tax on dividends, imputation tax system

A small private company has a single shareholder. This year the firm earned a $100 profit before tax. All of the firm's after tax profits will be paid out as dividends to the owner.

The corporate tax rate is 30% and the sole shareholder's personal marginal tax rate is 45%.

The Australian imputation tax system applies because the company generates all of its income in Australia and pays corporate tax to the Australian Tax Office. Therefore all of the company's dividends are fully franked. The sole shareholder is an Australian for tax purposes and can therefore use the franking credits to offset his personal income tax liability.

What will be the personal tax payable by the shareholder and the corporate tax payable by the company?

(a) Personal tax of $6.43 and corporate tax of $45.

(b) Personal tax of $15 and corporate tax of $30.

(c) Personal tax of $16.5 and corporate tax of $45.

(d) Personal tax of $31.5 and corporate tax of $30.

(e) Personal tax of $45 and corporate tax of $0.

Question 449  personal tax on dividends, classical tax system

A small private company has a single shareholder. This year the firm earned a $100 profit before tax. All of the firm's after tax profits will be paid out as dividends to the owner.

The corporate tax rate is 30% and the sole shareholder's personal marginal tax rate is 45%.

The United States' classical tax system applies because the company generates all of its income in the US and pays corporate tax to the Internal Revenue Service. The shareholder is also an American for tax purposes.

What will be the personal tax payable by the shareholder and the corporate tax payable by the company?

(a) Personal tax of $6.43 and corporate tax of $45.

(b) Personal tax of $15 and corporate tax of $30.

(c) Personal tax of $16.5 and corporate tax of $45.

(d) Personal tax of $31.5 and corporate tax of $30.

(e) Personal tax of $45 and corporate tax of $0.

Question 494  franking credit, personal tax on dividends, imputation tax system

A firm pays a fully franked cash dividend of $100 to one of its Australian shareholders who has a personal marginal tax rate of 15%. The corporate tax rate is 30%.

What will be the shareholder's personal tax payable due to the dividend payment?

(a) -$21.4286

(b) -$7.563

(c) $15

(d) $21.4286

(e) $78.5714

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 70  payout policy

Due to floods overseas, there is a cut in the supply of the mineral iron ore and its price increases dramatically. An Australian iron ore mining company therefore expects a large but temporary increase in its profit and cash flows. The mining company does not have any positive NPV projects to begin, so what should it do? Select the most correct answer.

(a) Pay out the excess cash by increasing the regular dividend, and cutting it later.

(b) Pay out a special dividend.

(c) Conduct an on or off-market share repurchase.

(d) Conduct a share dividend (also called a 'bonus issue').

(e) Either b or c.

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 454  NPV, capital structure, capital budgeting

A mining firm has just discovered a new mine. So far the news has been kept a secret.

The net present value of digging the mine and selling the minerals is $250 million, but $500 million of new equity and $300 million of new bonds will need to be issued to fund the project and buy the necessary plant and equipment.

The firm will release the news of the discovery and equity and bond raising to shareholders simultaneously in the same announcement. The shares and bonds will be issued shortly after.

Once the announcement is made and the new shares and bonds are issued, what is the expected increase in the value of the firm's assets ##(\Delta V)##, market capitalisation of debt ##(\Delta D)## and market cap of equity ##(\Delta E)##? Assume that markets are semi-strong form efficient.

The triangle symbol ##\Delta## is the Greek letter capital delta which means change or increase in mathematics.

Ignore the benefit of interest tax shields from having more debt.

Remember: ##\Delta V = \Delta D+ \Delta E##

(a) ##\Delta V = 250m##, ##ΔD = 300m##, ##ΔE= 250##

(b) ##\Delta V = 250m##, ##ΔD = 300m##, ##ΔE= 750##

(c) ##\Delta V = 400m##, ##ΔD = 300m##, ##ΔE= -250##

(d) ##\Delta V = 1,050m##, ##ΔD = 300m##, ##ΔE= 750##

(e) ##\Delta V = 1,050m##, ##ΔD = 300m##, ##ΔE= 250##

Question 513  stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, bonus issue, rights issue

Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) A 3 for 2 stock split means that for every 2 existing shares, all shareholders will receive 1 extra share.

(b) A 3 for 10 bonus issue means that for every 10 existing shares, all shareholders will receive 3 extra shares.

(c) A 20% stock dividend means that for every 10 existing shares, all shareholders will receive 2 extra shares.

(d) A 1 for 10 reverse stock split means that for every 10 existing shares, all shareholders will lose 9 shares, so they will only be left with 1 share.

(e) A 3 for 10 rights issue at a subscription price of $8 means that for every 10 existing shares, all shareholders can sell 3 of their shares back to the company at a price of $8 each, so shareholders receive money.

Question 567  stock split, capital structure

A company conducts a 4 for 3 stock split. What is the percentage change in the stock price and the number of shares outstanding? The answers are given in the same order.

(a) -33.33%, 50%

(b) -25%, 33.33%

(c) -25%, 25%

(d) -20%, 25%

(e) 33.33%, -25%

Question 455  income and capital returns, payout policy, DDM, market efficiency

A fairly priced unlevered firm plans to pay a dividend of $1 next year (t=1) which is expected to grow by 3% pa every year after that. The firm's required return on equity is 8% pa.

The firm is thinking about reducing its future dividend payments by 10% so that it can use the extra cash to invest in more projects which are expected to return 8% pa, and have the same risk as the existing projects. Therefore, next year's dividend will be $0.90. No new equity or debt will be issued to fund the new projects, they'll all be funded by the cut in dividends.

What will be the stock's new annual capital return (proportional increase in price per year) if the change in payout policy goes ahead?

Assume that payout policy is irrelevant to firm value (so there's no signalling effects) and that all rates are effective annual rates.

(a) 2.7% pa.

(b) 3.0% pa.

(c) 3.5% pa.

(d) 3.3% pa.

(e) 3.8% pa.

Question 310  foreign exchange rate

Is it possible for all countries' exchange rates to appreciate by 5% in the same year, including the USD? or ?

Question 311  foreign exchange rate

When someone says that they're "buying American dollars" (USD), what type of asset are they probably buying? They're probably buying:

(a) Short term debt denominated in USD, for example lending to a US bank as a USD deposit.

(b) Long term debt denominated in USD, for example lending to a US company by buying their USD bonds.

(c) Shares denominated in USD, for example buying shares in Coca-Cola which is listed on the NYSE.

(d) Real estate denominated in USD, for example buying an apartment in Chicago.

(e) Commodities with USD, for example buying gold, wheat, or coal.

Question 312  foreign exchange rate, American and European terms

If the current AUD exchange rate is USD 0.9686 = AUD 1, what is the American terms quote of the AUD against the USD?

(a) 0.9686 USD per AUD

(b) 0.9686 AUD per USD

(c) 1.0324 USD per AUD

(d) 1.0324 AUD per USD

(e) 1.0324 AUD per 2 USD

Question 313  foreign exchange rate, American and European terms

If the AUD appreciates against the USD, the American terms quote of the AUD will or ?

Question 314  foreign exchange rate, American and European terms

If the USD appreciates against the AUD, the American terms quote of the AUD will or ?

Question 318  foreign exchange rate, American and European terms

How is the AUD normally quoted in Australia? Using or terms?

Question 322  foreign exchange rate, monetary policy, American and European terms

The market expects the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to decrease the policy rate by 25 basis points at their next meeting.

Then unexpectedly, the RBA announce that they will decrease the policy rate by 50 basis points due to fears of a recession and deflation.

What do you expect to happen to Australia's exchange rate? The Australian dollar will:

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

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

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

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

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

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 245  foreign exchange rate, monetary policy, foreign exchange rate direct quote, no explanation

Investors expect Australia's central bank, the RBA, to leave the policy rate unchanged at their next meeting.

Then unexpectedly, the policy rate is reduced due to fears that Australia's GDP growth is slowing.

What do you expect to happen to Australia's exchange rate? Direct and indirect quotes are given from the perspective of an Australian.

The Australian dollar will:

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

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

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

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

(e) Depreciate against the USD, so the 'indirect quote' of the AUD (USD per AUD) will increase.

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

A European company just issued two bonds, a

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

What is the company's forward rate over the third year (from t=2 to t=3)? Give your answer as an effective annual rate, which is how the above bond yields are quoted.

(a) 0.0374

(b) 0.0604

(c) 0.1204

(d) 0.1250

(e) 0.1411

Question 267  term structure of interest rates

A European company just issued two bonds, a

• 3 year zero coupon bond at a yield of 6% pa, and a
• 4 year zero coupon bond at a yield of 6.5% pa.

What is the company's forward rate over the fourth year (from t=3 to t=4)? Give your answer as an effective annual rate, which is how the above bond yields are quoted.

(a) 0.1634

(b) 0.0801

(c) 0.0704

(d) 0.07

(e) 0.0095

Question 143  bond pricing, zero coupon bond, term structure of interest rates, forward interest rate

An Australian company just issued two bonds:

• A 6-month zero coupon bond at a yield of 6% pa, and
• A 12 month zero coupon bond at a yield of 7% pa.

What is the company's forward rate from 6 to 12 months? Give your answer as an APR compounding every 6 months, which is how the above bond yields are quoted.

(a) 0.0400

(b) 0.0500

(c) 0.0660

(d) 0.0800

(e) 0.1321

Question 96  bond pricing, zero coupon bond, term structure of interest rates, forward interest rate

An Australian company just issued two bonds paying semi-annual coupons:

• 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 forward rate on the company's debt from years 1 to 2? Give your answer as an APR compounding every 6 months, which is how the above bond yields are quoted.

(a) 6.01%

(b) 6.02%

(c) 9.20%

(d) 12.02%

(e) 18.40%

Question 108  bond pricing, zero coupon bond, term structure of interest rates, forward interest rate

An Australian company just issued two bonds:

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

What is the forward rate on the company's debt from years 1 to 2? Give your answer as an APR compounding every 6 months, which is how the above bond yields are quoted.

(a) 0.1840

(b) 0.1202

(c) 0.0920

(d) 0.0602

(e) 0.0301

Question 317  foreign exchange rate, American and European terms

If the USD appreciates against the AUD, the European terms quote of the AUD will or ?

Question 571  foreign exchange rate

An Indonesian lady wishes to convert 1 million Indonesian rupiah (IDR) to Australian dollars (AUD). Exchange rates are 13,125 IDR per USD and 0.79 USD per AUD. How many AUD is the IDR 1 million worth?

(a) AUD 16,613,924,050.63

(b) AUD 10,368,750,000.00

(c) AUD 10,368.75

(d) AUD 96.44

(e) AUD 60.19

Question 570  foreign exchange rate

An American wishes to convert USD 1 million to Australian dollars (AUD). The exchange rate is 0.8 USD per AUD. How much is the USD 1 million worth in AUD?

(a) AUD 0.2 million.

(b) AUD 0.8 million

(c) AUD 1 million

(d) AUD 1.25 million.

(e) AUD 1.8 million.

Question 315  foreign exchange rate, American and European terms

If the current AUD exchange rate is USD 0.9686 = AUD 1, what is the European terms quote of the AUD against the USD?

(a) 0.9686 USD per AUD

(b) 0.9686 AUD per USD

(c) 1.0324 USD per AUD

(d) 1.0324 AUD per USD

(e) 1.0324 AUD per EUR

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 572  bond pricing, zero coupon bond, term structure of interest rates, expectations hypothesis, forward interest rate, yield curve

In the below term structure of interest rates equation, all rates are effective annual yields and the numbers in subscript represent the years that the yields are measured over:

###(1+r_{0-3})^3 = (1+r_{0-1})(1+r_{1-2})(1+r_{2-3}) ###

Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) ##r_{0-3}## is the three year spot rate, given as an effective annual rate.

(b) ##r_{0-1}## is the one year forward rate, given as an effective annual rate.

(c) ##r_{1-2}## is the one year forward rate one year ahead, given as an effective annual rate.

(d) ##r_{2-3}## is the one year forward rate two years ahead, given as an effective annual rate.

(e) ##r_{1-3} = \left((1+r_{1-2})(1+r_{2-3})\right)^{1/2}-1## is the two year forward rate, one year ahead, given as an effective annual rate.

Question 573  bond pricing, zero coupon bond, term structure of interest rates, expectations hypothesis, liquidity premium theory, forward interest rate, yield curve

In the below term structure of interest rates equation, all rates are effective annual yields and the numbers in subscript represent the years that the yields are measured over:

###(1+r_{0-3})^3 = (1+r_{0-1})(1+r_{1-2})(1+r_{2-3}) ###

Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) If the expectations hypothesis is true, then the forward rates are the expected future spot rates.

(b) If the liquidity premium theory is true, then the forward rates are lower than the expected future spot rates due to the liquidity premium.

(c) The yield curve is normal when: ##r_{0-1} < r_{1-2} < r_{2-3}##.

(d) The yield curve is flat when: ##r_{0-1} = r_{1-2} = r_{2-3}##.

(e) The yield curve is inverse when: ##r_{0-1} > r_{1-2} > r_{2-3}##.

Question 237  WACC, Miller and Modigliani, interest tax shield

Which of the following discount rates should be the highest for a levered company? Ignore the costs of financial distress.

(a) Cost of debt (##r_\text{D}##).

(b) Unlevered cost of equity (##r_\text{E, U}##).

(c) Levered cost of equity (##r_\text{E, L}##).

(d) Levered before-tax WACC (##r_\text{V, LxITS}##).

(e) Levered after-tax WACC (##r_\text{V, LwITS}##).

Question 231  CAPM

A fairly priced stock has a beta that is the same as the market portfolio's beta. Treasury bonds yield 5% pa and the market portfolio's expected return is 10% pa. What is the expected return of the stock?

(a) 5%

(b) 7.5%

(c) 10%

(d) 15%

(e) 20%

Question 233  bond pricing

A four year bond has a face value of $100, a yield of 9% and a fixed coupon rate of 6%, paid semi-annually. What is its price?

(a) $94.6187

(b) $90.1062

(c) $72.592

(d) $70.3185

(e) $53.1754

Question 235  SML, NPV, CAPM, risk

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

Investment projects that plot on the SML would have:

(a) A positive NPV and should be accepted.

(b) A zero NPV.

(c) A negative NPV and should be rejected.

(d) A large amount of diversifiable risk.

(e) Zero diversifiable risk.

Question 240  negative gearing, interest tax shield

Unrestricted negative gearing is allowed in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Negative gearing laws allow income losses on investment properties to be deducted from a tax-payer's pre-tax personal income. Negatively geared investors benefit from this tax advantage. They also hope to benefit from capital gains which exceed the income losses.

For example, a property investor buys an apartment funded by an interest only mortgage loan. Interest expense is $2,000 per month. The rental payments received from the tenant living on the property are $1,500 per month. The investor can deduct this income loss of $500 per month from his pre-tax personal income. If his personal marginal tax rate is 46.5%, this saves $232.5 per month in personal income tax.

The advantage of negative gearing is an example of the benefits of:

(a) Diversification.

(b) The time value of money.

(c) Interest tax shields.

(d) Depreciation tax shields.

(e) A 'buy and hold' investment strategy.

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 246  foreign exchange rate, forward foreign exchange rate, cross currency interest rate parity

Suppose the Australian cash rate is expected to be 8.15% pa and the US federal funds rate is expected to be 3.00% pa over the next 2 years, both given as nominal effective annual rates. The current exchange rate is at parity, so 1 USD = 1 AUD.

What is the implied 2 year forward foreign exchange rate?

(a) 1 USD = 1.1025 AUD

(b) 1.1025 USD = 1 AUD

(c) 1 USD = 1.05 AUD

(d) 1 USD = 1.1 AUD

(e) 1.1 USD = 1 AUD

Question 247  cross currency interest rate parity, no explanation

In the so called 'Swiss Loans Affair' of the 1980's, Australian banks offered loans denominated in Swiss Francs to Australian farmers at interest rates as low as 4% pa. This was far lower than interest rates on Australian Dollar loans which were above 10% due to very high inflation in Australia at the time.

In the late-1980's there was a large depreciation in the Australian Dollar. The Australian Dollar nearly halved in value against the Swiss Franc. Many Australian farmers went bankrupt since they couldn't afford the interest payments on the Swiss Franc loans because the Australian Dollar value of those payments nearly doubled. The farmers accused the banks of promoting Swiss Franc loans without making them aware of the risks.

What fundamental principal of finance did the Australian farmers (and the bankers) fail to understand?

(a) Home-made leverage.

(b) Diversification.

(c) Cross-currency interest rate parity.

(d) Time value of money.

(e) The undiversifiable nature of systematic risk.

Question 249  equivalent annual cash flow, effective rate conversion

Details of two different types of desserts or edible treats are given below:

• High-sugar treats like candy, chocolate and ice cream make a person very happy. High sugar treats are cheap at only $2 per day.
• Low-sugar treats like nuts, cheese and fruit make a person equally happy if these foods are of high quality. Low sugar treats are more expensive at $4 per day.

The advantage of low-sugar treats is that a person only needs to pay the dentist $2,000 for fillings and root canal therapy once every 15 years. Whereas with high-sugar treats, that treatment needs to be done every 5 years.

The real discount rate is 10%, given as an effective annual rate. Assume that there are 365 days in every year and that all cash flows are real. The inflation rate is 3% given as an effective annual rate.

Find the equivalent annual cash flow (EAC) of the high-sugar treats and low-sugar treats, including dental costs. The below choices are listed in that order.

Ignore the pain of dental therapy, personal preferences and other factors.

(a) -$332.8709, -$68.2065

(b) -$327.595, -$62.9476

(c) -$828.9808, -$808.5709

(d) -$829.6304, -$810.2613

(e) -$1,093.4153, -$1,594.5881

Question 327  bill pricing, simple interest rate, no explanation

On 27/09/13, three month Swiss government bills traded at a yield of -0.2%, given as a simple annual yield. That is, interest rates were negative.

If the face value of one of these 90 day bills is CHF1,000,000 (CHF represents Swiss Francs, the Swiss currency), what is the price of one of these bills?

(a) CHF 999,507.09

(b) CHF 1,000,000.00

(c) CHF 1,000,493.39

(d) CHF 1,002,004.01

(e) CHF 1,002,498.39

Question 328  bond pricing, APR

A 10 year Australian government bond was just issued at par with a yield of 3.9% pa. The fixed coupon payments are semi-annual. The bond has a face value of $1,000.

Six months later, just after the first coupon is paid, the yield of the bond decreases to 3.65% pa. What is the bond's new price?

(a) $1,000

(b) $1,019.9181

(c) $1,033.8330

(d) $1,052.7005

(e) $1,060.5226

Question 329  DDM, expected and historical returns

In the dividend discount model:

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

The pronumeral ##g## is supposed to be the:

(a) Expected future growth rate of the dividend.

(b) Actual historical growth rate of the dividend.

(c) Expected future growth rate of the total required return on equity r.

(d) Actual historical growth rate of the market share price.

(e) Actual historical growth rate of the return on equity (ROE) defined as (Net Income / Owners Equity).

Question 331  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{c_1}{r-g} ###

Which expression is equal to the expected dividend return?

(a) ##(c_1/p_0 ) -1##

(b) ##(p_1/p_0) -1##

(c) ##(c_5/c_4) -1##

(d) ##c_3/p_2##

(e) ##(p_1-p_0)/p_0##

Question 332  bond pricing, premium par and discount bonds

Bonds X and Y are issued by the same US company. Both bonds yield 6% pa, and they have the same face value ($100), maturity, seniority, and payment frequency.

The only difference is that bond X pays coupons of 8% pa and bond Y pays coupons of 12% pa. Which of the following statements is true?

(a) Bonds X and Y are premium bonds.

(b) Bonds X and Y are discount bonds.

(c) Bond X is a discount bond but bond Y is a premium bond.

(d) Bond X is a premium bond but bond Y is a discount bond.

(e) Bonds X and Y are par bonds.

Question 335  foreign exchange rate, American and European terms

Investors expect Australia's central bank, the RBA, to reduce the policy rate at their next meeting due to fears that the economy is slowing. Then unexpectedly, the policy rate is actually kept unchanged.

What do you expect to happen to Australia's exchange rate?

(a) The Australian dollar will appreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD exchange rate (AUD/USD) will increase.

(b) The Australian dollar will depreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD exchange rate (AUD/USD) will decrease.

(c) The Australian dollar will appreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD exchange rate (AUD/USD) will decrease.

(d) The Australian dollar will depreciate against the USD, so the 'European terms' quote of the AUD exchange rate (AUD/USD) will increase.

(e) The Australian dollar will appreciate against the USD, so the 'American terms' quote of the AUD exchange rate (USD/AUD) will decrease.

Question 336  forward foreign exchange rate, no explanation

The Australian cash rate is expected to be 6% pa while the US federal funds rate is expected to be 4% pa over the next 3 years, both given as effective annual rates. The current exchange rate is 0.80 AUD per USD.

What is the implied 3 year forward foreign exchange rate?

(a) 1.180572 AUD per USD

(b) 0.848966 AUD per USD

(c) 0.847047 AUD per USD

(d) 0.755566 AUD per USD

(e) 0.752954 AUD per USD

Question 109  credit rating, credit risk

Bonds with lower (worse) credit ratings tend to have:

(a) Lower yields to maturity.

(b) Higher probabilities of default.

(c) Lower coupon rates when priced at par.

(d) Lower total risk.

(e) Lower credit risk.

Question 115  capital structure, leverage, WACC

A firm has a debt-to-assets ratio of 50%. The firm then issues a large amount of debt to raise money for new projects of similar market 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 decrease.

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

(c) The firm's cost of equity will decrease.

(d) The company's after-tax WACC will decrease.

(e) The company's before-tax WACC will decrease.

Question 117  WACC

A firm can issue 5 year annual coupon bonds at a yield of 8% pa and a coupon rate of 12% pa.

The beta of its levered equity is 1. Five year government bonds yield 5% pa with a coupon rate of 6% pa. The market's expected dividend return is 4% pa and its expected capital return is 6% pa.

The firm's debt-to-equity ratio is 2:1. The corporate tax rate is 30%.

What is the firm's after-tax WACC? Assume a classical tax system.

(a) 9.47%

(b) 8.93%

(c) 8.53%

(d) 7.80%

(e) 7.07%

Question 118  WACC

A company has:

• 100 million ordinary shares outstanding which are trading at a price of $5 each. Market analysts estimated that the company's ordinary stock has a beta of 1.5. The risk-free rate is 5% and the market return is 10%.
• 1 million preferred shares which have a face (or par) value of $100 and pay a constant annual dividend of 9% of par. The next dividend will be paid in one year. Assume that all preference dividends will be paid when promised. They currently trade at a price of $90 each.
• Debentures that have a total face value of $200 million and a yield to maturity of 6% per annum. They are publicly traded and their market price is equal to 110% of their face value.

The corporate tax rate is 30%. All returns and yields are given as effective annual rates.

What is the company's after-tax Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)? Assume a classical tax system.

(a) 17.22%

(b) 11.47%

(c) 10.46%

(d) 10.11%

(e) 9.97%

Question 119  market efficiency, fundamental analysis, joint hypothesis problem

Your friend claims that by reading 'The Economist' magazine's economic news articles, she can identify shares that will have positive abnormal expected returns over the next 2 years. Assuming that her 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) is either wrong (mis-specification error) or is measured using the wrong inputs (data errors) 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) Either (ii) and (iii) are true, or (iv) is true, or (ii), (iii) and (iv) are true.

(e) Either (i), (ii) and (iii) are true, or (iv) is true, or all are true.

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.