On 1 January $20 \mathrm { X } 2$ , Deem Advisors Purchased A

question 12

Multiple Choice

On 1 January $20 \mathrm { X } 2$ , Deem Advisors purchased a $\$ 10$ million six-year senior unsecured bond issued by UNAB Corporation. Six months later (1 July 20X2) , concerned about the portfolio's credit exposure to UNAB, Doris Morrison, the chief investment officer at Deem Advisors, purchases a $\$ 10$ million CDS with a standardized coupon rate of $5 \%$ . The reference obligation of the CDS is the UNAB bond owned by Deem Advisors.

On 1 January 20X3, Morrison asks Bill Watt, a derivatives analyst, to assess the current credit quality of UNAB bonds and the value of Deem Advisors' CDS on UNAB debt. Watt gathers the following information on UNAB's debt issues currently trading in the market:

Bond 1: A two-year senior unsecured bond trading at $40 \%$ of par
Bond 2: A six-year senior unsecured bond trading at $50 \%$ of par
Bond 3: A six-year subordinated unsecured bond trading at $20 \%$ of par With respect to the credit quality of UNAB, Watt makes the following statement:
"There is severe near-term stress in the financial markets and UNAB's credit curve clearly reflects the difficult environment."

On 1 July 20X3, UNAB fails to make a scheduled interest payment on the outstanding subordinated unsecured obligation after a grace period; however, the company does not file for bankruptcy. Morrison asks Watt to determine if UNAB experienced a credit event and, if so, to recommend a settlement preference.

Kand Corporation

Morrison is considering purchasing a 10-year CDS on Kand Corporation debt to hedge its current portfolio position. She instructs Watt to determine if an upfront payment would be required and, if so, the amount of the premium. watt presents the information for the CdS
in exhibit 1.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { EXHIBIT } 1 \text { Summary Data for 10-year CDS on Kand Corporation }\\\begin{array} { l l } \hline \text { Credit spread } & 700 \text { basis points } \\\text { Duration } & 7 \text { years } \\\text { Coupon rate } & 5 \% \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$ Morrison purchases the 10-year CdS on Kand Corporation debt. two months later the credit spread for Kand Corp. has increased by 200 basis points. Morrison asks watt to close out the firm's CdS position on Kand Corporation by entering into new offsetting contracts.
Tollunt Corporation deem advisors' chief credit analyst recently reported that tollunt Corporation's five-year bond is currently yielding 7% and a comparable CdS contract has a credit spread of 4.25%. Since libor is 2.5%, watt has recommended executing a basis trade to take advantage of the pricing of tollunt's bonds and CdS. The basis trade would consist of purchasing both the bond and the CdS contract.
-if deem advisors enters into a new offsetting contract two months after purchasing the CdS protection on Kand Corporation, this action will most likely result in:

• A) a loss on the CdS position.
• B) a gain on the CdS position.
• C) neither a loss or a gain on the CdS position.

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Definitions:

Autonomic Nervous System

Part of the peripheral nervous system that controls bodily functions not consciously directed, such as breathing, the heartbeat, and digestive processes.

Involuntary Muscles

Muscles that operate without conscious control, responsible for movements in the heart, digestive system, and other bodily functions.

Myelin Sheath

A layer of fatty tissue encasing the fibers of many neurons, which enhances the speed and efficiency of electrical signals traveling along the nerve cells.

Axon

An extended, narrow part of a nerve cell, known as a neuron, that generally carries electrical impulses from the neuron's main body.