WorksheetsDeterminants of forward and futures price
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 7mins
You enter into a 6-month forward contract on a non-dividend-paying stock. The current stock price is $30. The risk-free interest rate is 5% per annum, with continuous compounding. What is the forward price of the stock?
$30.75
$30.38
$31.54
$31.50
A stock index currently stands at 350. The risk-free interest rate is 4% per annum (continuous compounding), and the dividend yield on the index is 3% per annum. What should be the futures price for a 4-month contract?
353.50
350.00
351.17
352.34
By selling short a futures contract of $100,000 at a price of 115 you are agreeing to deliver
$100,000 face value securities for $115,000.
$115,000 face value securities for $110,000.
$100,000 face value securities for $100,000.
$115,000 face value securities for $115,000
Why does index arbitrage work?
Futures contracts require no initial investment
Futures prices always predict future spot prices
The index can be replicated by holding the underlying stocks
Stock indices pay fixed dividends
Consider a 1 -year futures contract on an investment asset that provides no income. The storage costs is $3 per unit with payment made at the end of the year. Spot price is $250 per unit, risk-free rate is 8% per annum for all maturities. What is the theoretical futures price F0 of the investment asset?
$294.46
$278.38
$288.43
$273.80
A futures contract allows the short position to choose any delivery date within a specified delivery period. Suppose the futures price increases with time to maturity (i.e., c>y)
When is it optimal for the short position to deliver the underlying asset?
At which point in the delivery period should the futures price be calculated?
Deliver as late as possible; calculate price at the end of the delivery period
Deliver as early as possible; calculate price at the beginning of the delivery period
Deliver in the middle of the delivery period; calculate price at the middle
Delivery timing is irrelevant; calculate price at maturity
In the context of forward contracts, what does it mean when an asset is said to provide a known yield?
The asset pays a fixed cash amount at known dates during the contract’s life.
The asset’s income is known as a percentage of its price at the time the income is paid.
The asset provides no income before the forward contract matures.
The asset’s income depends on future market interest rates.
Which statement correctly distinguishes a forward contract from a futures contract?
Both allow delivery on any date chosen by the long position
Forward contracts allow flexible delivery dates, futures do not
Forward contracts have a single specified delivery date, while futures allow a delivery period
Both contracts require daily marking to market
Under no-arbitrage conditions, the futures price of a stock index:
Increases at rate r+q
Increases at rate r and decreases at rate q
Increases at rate q−r
Is independent of dividends
It is sometimes argued that a forward exchange rate is an unbiased predictor of the future spot exchange rate. Under which of the following circumstances is this statement correct?
When interest rates in the two countries are equal.
When the exchange rate has no systematic risk and investors require a risk premium equal to zero.
When the forward contract is fairly priced using covered interest rate parity.
When the forward exchange rate is set by arbitrage and transaction costs are negligible.
