1. You are a corporate treasurer seeking to raise funds for your firm. What are some advantages of raising funds via a financial intermediary (FI) rather than by selling securities to the public?
2. The one-year spot rate is currently 4%; the one-year spot rate one year from now will be 3%; and the one-year spot rate two years from now will be 6%. Under the unbiased expectations theory, what must today's three-year spot rate be? Suppose the three-year spot rate is actually 3.75%, how could you take advantage of this? Explain.
3. Is there a trade-off between controlling domestic inflation and maintaining a sustainable pattern of international trade?
4. In what ways are hedge funds different from mutual funds?
5. You are considering purchasing 5-year corporate bonds as an investment. You have a choice of terms available. Which of the following terms would you find desirable, ceteris paribus? How does each feature affect the bond's required rate of return? Explain.
a) call feature
b) convertible feature
c) warrants
d) sinking fund
e) debenture
6. Who are the major buyers of mortgages after they have been originated? What is the difference between selling with recourse or without recourse? Which is most common?
7. Why does the size of the U.S. current account deficit put pressure on the value of the dollar to decline? How does the size of the capital account affect that pressure? Explain.