Suppose That the Asset Value of a Firm Evolves According

question 6

Multiple Choice

Suppose that the asset value of a firm evolves according to a lognormal diffusion, as in Merton (1974) . The current value of the firm's assets is $100 million, and its volatility is 24.24%. Suppose too that the firm has only one issue of debt outstanding: zero-coupon debt with a maturity of three years, and a face value of $70 million. Finally, suppose that the risk-free rate of interest is 4% (continuously-compounded terms) for all maturities. What is the risk-neutral probability of the firm defaulting at maturity of the debt?

• A) 17.12%
• B) 19.23%
• C) 20.02%
• D) 21.22%

---

Definitions:

Marginal Costs

The amount spent to produce a further unit of a good or service.

Deadweight Loss

A loss of economic efficiency that can occur when equilibrium for a good or service is not achieved or is not achievable.

Coefficient Of Monopsony

A measure indicating the degree of market power held by a single buyer in a market.

Elasticity Of Supply

A measure of how much the quantity supplied of a good responds to a change in the price of that good, with higher elasticity indicating a greater response.