Saturday, March 28, 2015

19 CFA Level 3 Practice Exams 2015 Questions with Instant Answers on Fixed Income

19 CFA Level 3 Practice Exams 2015 Questions with Instant Answers on Fixed Income is the perfect solution to fill out your study and better preparation for exam day. Generally, many CFA test-takers see that most of the multiple choice questions are very well-founded and carefully thought out in the multiple choice format, that hugely aid them in drilling the dry study material and enhancing their retention ability. Additionally, relevant and clear response is given to every question, making your checking the result smoother. Crack free CFA level 3 practice exams below to obtain the extremely rewarding information for the next exam and we would be very glad if you drop some lines in the comment box!
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Horizon Matching is the combo of CFM and MLI. Portfolio is duration matched but also cash flow matched for the first few years. Pros: Provides liquidity in initial periodsReduces risk of non-parallel Yield curve shift.Cons: More Expensive .
As time passes the duration of Investment won't exactly match time decrease. Or if Interest Rates move more than once.
1. Market Value Risk - Duration Based.2. Income Risk - If cash flow is #1 priority - Longer duration is better.3. Credit Risk - Default Risk4. Liability Framwork - ALM - Long Term Liabilities should use long term assets.
1. Nominal Spread - Spread Between Bond Yield + Treasury of same maturity.2. Z-Spread - Spread added to the treasury spot curve to force equality3. O.A.S. Uses an interest rate treeWeighted Average and Sum.
Decompose payment streams to separately immunize each liability. Possible If:1. Assets & Liab have the same PV2. Assets & Liab. have the same duration3. The range of the distribution of durations > duration of the liabilities* This will still only protect from parallel shifts in Yield Curve. * Treat expected cash inflows as zeroes.
Duration Calculates changes for a parallel yield curve shift.Key rate shows effects of a twist in the yield curve.
Minimize Reinvestment Risk - minimize the distribution of maturities around a single liability date. Bullet securities close to liability dateMaturity Variance (M squared) - Variance of different maturities of bonds used in immunization vs. Liability.
Uses a multifactor model to find same risk factors in different securities:1. Separate bonds by risk factors.2. Measure the values of each cell to determine cell weight3. Buy a sample of bonds from each cell at exact weight.

20 CFA Level 3 Practice Exams 2015 Questions with Instant Answers on Fixed Income

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the underlying security in the futures contract is not identical to the asset being hedged
measures the portfolio's sensitivity to twists in the yield curve
1. Select a bond with an effective duration equal to the duration of the liability2. Set the PV of the bond equal to the PV of the portfolio
- Measure of the relative extent to which the terminal value of an immunized portfolio falls short of its target value as a result of nonparallel changes in interest rates- Portfolios that have the lowest levels of reinvestment risk will do the best job of immunization
1. pure bond indexing2. enhanced indexing by matching primary risk factors3. enhanced indexing by small risk factor mismatches4. active management by larger risk factor mismatches5. full-blown active management
1. market value risk - varies directly with maturity2. income risk - the more dependent on income, the longer the maturity profile3. credit risk - credit risk of benchmark/portfolio should be similar4. liability framework risk - mismatches in the firm's asset/liability structure
measures the effect of changes in only one variable - the others are held constant
- First level of indexing designed to earn about the same return as the index- Maintain exposure to large risk factors (duration) and pursue relative value strategies
the standard deviation of alpha across several periods
concentrating the maturities of the bonds around the liability date
change in price = -duration x breakeven yield change
- a collateralized loan, where the difference between the sale and repurchase prices is the interest on the loan- the lender in a repurchase agreement is exposed to credit risk, if the collateral remains in the borrower's custody
- price risk and reinvestment risk exactly offset each other- standard condition is risk minimization
1. default risk2. credit spread risk3. downgrade risk
a swap spread is the spread paid by the fixed-rate payer over the rate on the on-the-run Treasury with the same maturity as the swap
the first bond matures several years before the liability date and the other several years after the liability date
call risk or prepayment risk
increases in the number of new bond issues are sometimes associated with narrower spreads and relatively strong returns
spot (cash) price - futures price at delivery

37 CFA Level 3 Practice Exams 2015 Questions with Instant Answers on Fixed Income

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Duration is typically higher than the duration of an otherwise identical, but unleveraged, bond portfolio, given that the duration of liabilities is low relative to the duration of the assets they are financing.
Long a fixed-rate bond + Short a floating-rate bond
X − V(t)X=exercise priceV= Market value of bond at time t
Default riskCredit spread riskDowngrade risk
Physical transfer (costly)Bank account transfer (less costly than above, involve fees and charges)Deliver the sec to custodial account at seller account (minimum cost)
Unhedged position exposed to price risk. Hedge position exposed to basis risk.Difference between cash price and future price.
Duration for an option=Delta of optionxDuration of underlying instrumentx(Price of underlying)/ (Price of option instrument)D of option depends upon D of underlying, Delta and more on the last Price of underlying relative to price of option instrument (the higher the higher exposure to interest rate)
Options can also be used by managers seeking to protect against a decline in reinvestment rates resulting from a drop in interest rates. The purchase of call options can be used in such situations. The sale of put options provides limited protection in much the same way that a covered call writing strategy does in protecting against a rise in interest rates.
When decision makers have strong convictions, a one-strategy approach may be optimal; in the more likely case of uncertainty, strategy combinations may produce the best expected risk/return trade-off.
incorrect duration calculations, inaccurate projected basis values, inaccurate yield beta estimates

Thursday, March 26, 2015

28 CFA Level 2 Practice Exams Free Questions and Answers on Fixed Income

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market expects future short-term interest rates to increase
extra expected return demanded by investors as compensation for the lower liquidity of long-term bonds
market expects future short-term rates to decrease
those that are replaced by on-the-run issues
securities that have 20-30 years maturityi. Semi-annual coupon bonds
a supply and demand modeli. Lenders and borrowers have investment horizons and match maturities to their investment horizons
(separate trading of registered interest and principal securities)a. Basically ZCB t-notes/bonds because the treasury does not issue ZCB with maturities of over 1 year
securities that mature in one year or less form issuancei. ZCB
greater demand for short-term money in comparison to long-term moneya. Short-term yields will be lower
a. If yields go up, the price decline is lower for the more convex bondb. If yields go down, the price increase is higher for more convex bonds
greater demand for long-term money in comparison to short-term moneya. Long-term yields will be lower
an increase in yield results in a smaller price change than a decrease in yield of equal magnitudea. More curvature means more convexityb. Duration measures provide good approximations of price change only for small changes in yield

59 CFA Level 2 Practice Questions Free with Instant Answers on Fixed Income

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1. Perceived riskiness of the issuer2. Type of issuer3. Term or maturity of the issue4. Embedded Options5. Taxability of interest received by investors6. Expected liquidity of the issue
It tells investors about their expectations relative to what the market consensus expects. This allows them to make decisions based upon what the market expects.
An analysis of working capital is important in order to determine a firm's capacity to meet current obligations. In analyzing working capital, the normal working capital requirements of both a company and industry should be considered. In addition, the components of working capital (such as accounts receivable, accounts payable and so forth) should be assessed. For example, although accounts receivable are considered to be liquid, an increase in the average days receivables (which is accounts receivable div
A fixed charge coverage ratio would be materially different from an interest coverage ratio calculation of simple pretax interest coverage if there are fixed obligations other than interest that are significant. If there are other fixed obligations, a more appropriate coverage ratio would include these other obligations, and should compute a fixed charge coverage ratio. An example of other significant fixed obligations is lease payments. An analyst must also be aware of any contingent liabilities, such as a
1. How absolute priority holds. In liquidation it holds, but reorg it may not.2. The outcome is different. Liquidation all assets are distributed while in reorg mix of both cash and assets from new org can be distributed
Traditional call provision - call price is fixed and is either sold at a par or premium. Make-whole, payment when the issuer calls a bond is determined by the present value of the remaining payments discounted at a small spread over a maturity-matched Treasury yield.
Risk of defaultCorporate downgrade riskCorporate credit spread riskDefault Loss Rate = Default Rate*[100% - Recovery Rate]Default:Bankruptcy filing (Ch. 11 or Ch.7)Missing interest/principal paymentDistressed exchangeSuspension of payments
For TIPS, the inflation-adjusted principal is the principal that the Treasury Department will base both the dollar amount of the coupon payment and the maturity value on. It is adjusted semiannually. Part of the adjustment for inflation comes in the coupon payment since it is based on the inflation-adjusted principal. However, the U.S. government has decided to tax the adjustment each year. This feature reduces the attractiveness of TIPS as investments in accounts of tax-paying entities.
Financial assets are a package of cash flows with each cash flow discounted by a rate appropriate for the period received
With a make-whole call provision, the payment when the issuer calls a bond is determined by the present value of the remaining payments discounted at a small spread over a maturity-matched Treasury yield. The specified spread which is fixed over the bond's life is called the make-whole premium. Because the spread is small relative to the market spread at issuance, the bondholder is highly likely to benefit when the issuer invokes this option.
The purpose of an interest coverage ratio is to measure the number of times interest charges are covered by earnings.
Senior claims can use it to exercise clout in the reorganization process to insure they get the best possible deal.
Analysts investigate the bank lines of credit because a firm's bank lines of credit often constitute a significant portion of its total debt. These lines of credit should be closely analyzed in order to determine the flexibility afforded to the company. The lines of credit should be evaluated in terms of undrawn capacity as well as security interests granted. The analysis also involves a determination as to if the line contains a "material adverse change" clause under which the bank may withdraw a line of c
Working capital is considered a primary measure of a company's financial flexibility. It is defined as current assets less current liabilities. Working capital measures include the current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) and the acid test (cash, marketable securities, and receivables divided by current liabilities). The stronger the company's liquidity measures, the better it can weather a downturn in business and reduction in cash flow.
Tier 1 - eligible paper rated "1" by at least two rating agencies, may only hold 5% in an individual issuerTier 2 - eligible paper that is not Tier 1
The yield curve is the graphical depiction of the relationship between the yield on bonds of the same credit quality, but different maturities. The yield curve is usually constructed from observations of prices and yields in the Treasury Market.
In terms of TIPS it is the coupon rate. Rate which an investor earns above the inflation rate.
An analysis of covenants found in a bond indenture is part of assessing the credit risk of a bond issuer. The purpose of analyzing the covenants (or provisions) is to examine the procedures for areas of corporate management operatives. These covenants are safeguards for the bondholder. Covenants must also be analyzed for ambiguity. Thus, analyst must pay careful attention to the definitions in indentures because they vary from indenture to indenture.
Disagree. Typically in response to changing market conditions or because the issuer has raised the desired amount of funds at a given maturity.
Leveraged loan, usually using closed end funds selling at a discount to NAV

31 CFA Level 2 Practice Exams Free Questions and Answers on Fixed Income

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Bond ratings indicate probability of default1. Downgrade risk (AAA highest) 2. Default risk 3. Credit spread risk
Determined by bid-ask spread
Coupon is reset on a periodic basis (reference rate + fixed margin)
Approximation of price sensitivity of portfolio bonds to a parallel shift in the yield curve
Approximate price change due to 1% change in yield
Increased volatility = increase value of options
Up = decrease in liquidity- lower sale price, decreased returnsDown = increase in liquidity
Yield to Maturity = IRR = coupon reinvestment income + coupons + par
Likely to be called when interest rates low (also repayments more likely)
Duration X (.01) x Price = Dollar duration
If Foreign currency depreciates, reduces returns

Monday, March 23, 2015

Top 246 Updated CFA Level 1 Exam Questions Free with Answers on Fixed Income-Part 1

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Simultaneous combination of both cap and floor.
When bonds are redeemed under the call provisions specified in the bond indenture.
Risk of investor's principal being returned when interest rates fall, and as a result reinvesting at a lower rate.
Absolute protection against call prior to maturity.
1) Regular Cycle Auction-Single Price2) Regular Cycle Auction - Multiple Price3) Ad Hoc auction System4) Tap System.
Cpn moves in direction opposite to reference rateNew Coupon Rate = Constant Rate (K) - (L * Reference Rate)Where K is the constant and L is the multiplier
Issued in a local mkt by a foreign issuer.
Cpn Rate > Current Yld > YTMCpn Rate > required mkt yld, then bd price > par valuePremium/Price decreases to par as bd approaches mat.
Refers to bond and note principal payments with the coupons stripped off. Those derived from stripped bonds are denoted (bp) and those from stripped notes (NP).
If interest rates have risen and/or the creditworthiness of the issuer has deteriorated so that the market price of the bond has fallen below par.
If the Discount Rate or Required Yld Increases then PV Decreases.If the Discount Rate or Required Yld Decreases then PV Increases.
Price returns to par.
Investors should receive the same total return from investing in a 2 yr bd as investing in a 1 yr bd, and then rolling the proceeds into a second 1 yr bd.The two 1 year rates multiplied together will equal the 2 year rate squared.
Scaling factorNew Coupon Rate = (b * Reference Rate) (+) or (-) Quoted Margin.
Bonds that do not pay interest; Instead sold at a deep discount from par values. Market convention states semi-annual compounding used when pricing zeros.
(1) Default Risk(2) Credit Spread Risk(3) Downgrade Risk
1) Uncertainty of Principal Cash Flow2) Uncertainty of Coupon Cash Flow3) Bond Convertible/exchangeable.
Diff btwn a Bd's Yld and comparable Risk Free Bd's Yld. All else equal the riskier the bd the higher the spread.
Interest that is either payable or receivable, and that has been recognized, but not yet paid or received. Accrued interest occurs as a result of the difference in timing of a security's cash flows and the measurement of these cash flows.
Coupon formulas based on inflation; Coupon Formula Ex.: 3% + annual change in CPI.
Effective Convexity takes into account changes in cash flows due to embedded options, while modified convexity does not.The difference between modified convexity and effective convexity mirrors the difference between modified duration and effective duration.
Current yield is concerned only with coupon cash flow, but does not consider capital gains/losses or reinvestment income.Current Yield = Annual Cash Coupon Payment / Bond Price.
Reinvestment Risk increases if1) Coupons are Higher2) Maturities are Longer.
YTC - Investors are typically interested in knowing what the yield will be if the bond is called by the issuer at the first possible date. This is called yield to first call or yield to call (YTC).
Grants bondholder right to convert bond into a fixed number of common shares. Options adds value to bond.