Assume the Following: the Real Risk-Free Rate,r*,is Expected to Remain

question 18

Multiple Choice

Assume the following: The real risk-free rate,r*,is expected to remain constant at 3%.Inflation is expected to be 3% next year and then to be constant at 2% a year thereafter.The maturity risk premium is zero.Given this information,which of the following statements is CORRECT?

• A) The yield curve for U.S.Treasury securities will be upward sloping.
• B) A 5-year corporate bond must have a lower yield than a 5-year Treasury security.
• C) A 5-year corporate bond must have a lower yield than a 7-year Treasury security.
• D) The real risk-free rate cannot be constant if inflation is not expected to remain constant.
• E) This problem assumed a zero maturity risk premium,but that is probably not valid in the real world.

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Definitions:

Call

An options contract that gives the investor the right, but not the obligation, to buy a stock, bond, commodity, or other instrument at a specified price within a specific time period.

Put

A financial derivative option that gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to sell a security at a specified price within a specified time.

Black-Scholes Option

A mathematical model used to calculate the theoretical price of European put and call options, not accounting for dividends.

Continuous Compounding

The mathematical limit that compound interest can reach if it’s computed and added to the principal balance continuously, leading to exponential growth.