FINA 450 Chapter 6

1) If an identical product can be sold in two different markets, and no restrictions exist on the sale or transportation of product between markets, the product's price should be the same in both markets. This is known as:

a. equilibrium
b. interest rate parity
c. the law of one price
d. relative PPP

1) If an identical product can be sold in two different markets, and no restrictions exist on the sale or transportation of product between markets, the product's price should be the same in both markets. This is known as:

a. equilibrium
b. interest rate parity
c. the law of one price
d. relative PPP

C

2) The Economist publishes annually the "Big Mac Index" by which they compare the prices of the McDonald's Corporation's Big Mac hamburger around the world. The index estimates the exchange rates for currencies based on the assumption that the burgers in question are the same across the world and therefore, the price should be the same. If a Big Mac costs $2.54 in the United States and 294 yen in Japan, what is the estimated exchange rate of yen per dollar as hypothesized by the Hamburger index?

a. Y 115.75/$
b. Y 124/$
c. $.0081/Y
d. $.0086/Y

A

3) If the current exchange rate is 113 Japanese yen per U.S. dollar, the price of a Big Mac hamburger in the United States is $3.41, and the price of a Big Mac hamburger in Japan is 280 yen, then other things equal, the Big Mac hamburger in Japan is:

A. overpriced
b. correctly priced
c. underpriced
d. not enough info

C

4) The price of a Big Mac in the U.S. is $3.41 and the price in Mexico is Peso 29.0. What is the implied PPP of the Peso per dollar?

a. peso 10.8/$
b. peso 11.76/$
c. peso 8.50/$
d. none of the above

C

5) Assume the implied PPP rate of exchange of Mexican Pesos per U.S. dollar is 8.50 according to the Big Mac Index. Further, assume the current exchange rate is Peso 10.80/$1. Thus, according to PPP and the Law of One Price, at the current exchange rate the peso is:

a. correctly valued
b. undervalued.
c. overvalued
d. insufficient info

B

6) According to the Big Mac Index, the implied PPP exchange rate is Mexican peso 8.50/$1 but the actual exchange rate is peso 10.80/$1. Thus, at current exchange rates the peso appears to be ________ by ________.

a. overvalued; approx. 27%
b. undervalued; approx. 21%
c. overvalued; approx. 21%
d. undervalued; approx. 27%

B

7) Other things equal, and assuming efficient markets, if a Honda Accord costs $24,682 in the U.S., then at an exchange rate of $1.57/£, the Honda Accord should cost ________ in Great Britain.

a. 15721 pounds
b. 10795 pounds
c. 38751 pounds
d. 24682 pounds

A

8) One year ago the spot rate of U.S. dollars for Canadian dollars was $1/C$1. Since that time the rate of inflation in the U.S. has been 4% greater than that in Canada. Based on the theory of Relative PPP, the current spot exchange rate of U.S. dollars for Canadian dollars should be approximately:

a. $1/C$
b. $1.04/C$
c. $.96/C$
d. relative ppp cannot answer this question

B

9) ________ states that differential rates of inflation between two countries tend to be offset over time by an equal but opposite change in the spot exchange rate.

a. relative ppp
b. international fisher effect
c. fisher effect
d. absolute ppp

A

10) Two general conclusions can be made from the empirical tests of purchasing power parity (PPP):

a. ppp holds up well over the short run but poorly in long run, and theory holds better for low rates of inflation.
b. ppp holds up well over the long run and poorly for short run, and better for higher rates of inflation.
c. ppp holds up well over the short run but poorly for long run, and better for higher rates of inflation.
d. ppp holds up well over the long run but poorly in short run, and better for lower rates of inflation.

B

11) A country's currency that strengthened relative to another country's currency by more than that justified by the differential in inflation is said to be ________ in terms of PPP.

a. overvalued
b. overcompensating
c. undercompensating
d. undervalued

A

12) If we set the real effective exchange rate index between Canada and the United States equal to 100 in 1998, and find that the U.S. dollar has risen to a value of 112.6, then from a competitive perspective the U.S. dollar is:

A)
undervalued.
B)
overvalued.
C)
very competitive.
D)
There is not enough information to answer this question.

B

13) If we set the real effective exchange rate index between the United Kingdom and the United States equal to 100 in 2005, and find that the U.S. dollar has changed to a value of 91.4, then from a competitive perspective the U.S. dollar is:

A) equally valued.
B) undervalued.
C) overvalued.
D) There is not enough information to answer this question.

B

14) The government just released international exchange rate statistics and reported that the real effective exchange rate index for the U.S. dollar vs the Japanese yen decreased from 105 last year to 95 currently and is expected to fall still further in the coming year. Other things equal U.S. ________ to/from Japan think this is good news and U.S. ________ to/from Japan think this is bad news.

A) importers; importers
B) importers; exporters
C) exporters; exporters
D) exporters; importers

D

15) Exchange rate pass-through may be defined as:

A) the PPP of lesser-developed countries.
B) the bid/ask spread on currency exchange rate transactions.
C) the practice by Great Britain of maintaining the relative strength of the currencies of the Commonwealth
countries under the current floating exchange rate regime.
D) the degree to which the prices of imported and exported goods change as a result of exchange rate
changes.

D

16) Phillips NV produces DVD players and exports them to the United States. Last year the exchange rate was $1.25/euro and Plillips charged 120 euro per player in Euroland and $150 per DVD player in the United States. Currently the spot exchange rate is $1.45/euro and Phillips is charging $160 per DVD player. What is the degree of pass through by Phillips NV on their DVD players?

A) 4.1% B) 92% C) 33.3% D) 41.7%

D

17) Jaguar has full manufacturing costs of their S-type sedan of £22,803. They sell the S-type in the UK with a 20% margin for a price of £27,363. Today these cars are available in the US for $55,000 which is the UK price multiplied by the current exchange rate of $2.01/£. Jaguar has committed to keeping the US price at $55,000 for the next six months. If the UK pound appreciates against the USD to an exchange rate of $2.15/£, and Jaguar has not hedged against currency changes, what is the amount the company will receive in pounds at the new exchange rate?

A) £55,000 B) £25,581 C) £22,803 D) £27,363

B

18) Jaguar has full manufacturing costs of their S-type sedan of £22,803. They sell the S-type in the UK with a 20% margin for a price of £27,363. Today these cars are available in the US for $55,000 which is the UK price multiplied by the current exchange rate of $2.01/£. Jaguar has committed to keeping the US price at $55,000 for the next six months. If the UK pound appreciates against the USD to an exchange rate of $2.15/£, and Jaguar has not hedged against currency changes, what is the percentage margin the company will realize given the new exchange rate?

A) 7.2% B) 20.0% C) 12.2% D) 15.3%

C

19) The price elasticity of demand for DVD players manufactured by Sony of Japan is greater than one. If the Japanese yen appreciates against the U.S. dollar by 10% and the price of the Sony DVD players in the U.S also rises by 10%, then other things equal, the total dollar sales revenues of Sony DVDs would:
A) decline.
B) increase.
C) stay the same.
D) insufficient information

A

20) If a market basket of goods cost $100 is the US and €70 in France, then the PPP exchange rate would be $.70/€.

FALSE

21) The assumptions for relative PPP are more rigid than the assumptions for absolute PPP.

FALSE

22) Empirical tests prove that PPP is an accurate predictor of future exchange rates.

FALSE

23) Consider the price elasticity of demand. If a product has price elasticity less than one it is considered to have relatively elastic demand.

FALSE

1) ________ states that nominal interest rates in each country are equal to the required real rate of return plus compensation for expected inflation.

A) Absolute PPP
B) The Law of One Price
C) Relative PPP
D) The Fisher Effect

D

2) In its approximate form the Fisher effect may be written as ________. Where: i = the nominal rate of interest, r = the real rate of return and π = the expected rate of inflation.

A) i = r + 2 pi
B) i = (r)(pi)
C) i = r + pi + (r)(pi)
D) i = r + pi

D

3) Assume a nominal interest rate on one-year U.S. Treasury Bills of 2.60% and a real rate of interest of 1.00%. Using the Fisher Effect Equation, what is the approximate expected rate of inflation in the U.S. over the next year?

A) 1.60% B) 2.10% C) 1.00% D) 2.05%

A

4) Assume a nominal interest rate on one-year U.S. Treasury Bills of 3.80% and a real rate of interest of 2.00%. Using the Fisher Effect Equation, what is the exact expected rate of inflation in the U.S. over the next year?

A) 1.72% B) 1.84% C) 1.80% D) 1.76%

D

5) The relationship between the percentage change in the spot exchange rate over time and the differential between comparable interest rates in different national capital markets is known as:

A) the international Fisher Effect.
B) the law of one price.
C) relative PPP.
D) absolute PPP.

A

6) According to the international Fisher Effect, if an investor purchases a five-year U.S. bond that has an annual interest rate of 5% rather than a comparable British bond that has an annual interest rate of 6%, then the investor must be expecting the ________ to ________ at a rate of at least 1% per year over the next 5 years.

A) U.S. dollar; depreciate
B) U.S. dollar; appreciate
C) British pound; appreciate
D) British pound; revalue

B

7) ________ states that the spot exchange rate should change in an equal amount but in the opposite direction to the difference in interest rates between two countries.

A) Fisher-closed
B) Fisher-open
C) The Fisher Effect
D) none of the above

B

8) A ________ is an exchange rate quoted today for settlement at some time in the future.

A) currency rate
B) yield curve
C) forward rate
D) spot rate

C

9) Assume the current U.S. dollar-British spot rate is 0.6993£/$. If the current nominal one-year interest rate in the U.S. is 5% and the comparable rate in Britain is 6%, what is the approximate forward exchange rate for 360 days?

A) £0.6993/$
B) £1.42/$
C) £0.7060/$
D) £1.43/$

C

10) Assume the current U.S. dollar-yen spot rate is 90 ¥/$. Further, the current nominal 180-day rate of return in Japan is 1% and 2% in the United States. What is the approximate forward exchange rate for 180 days?

A) ¥89.12/$
B) ¥90.45/$
C) ¥90.89/$
D) ¥89.55/$

D

11) The current U.S. dollar-yen spot rate is 125¥/$. If the 90-day forward exchange rate is 127 ¥/$ then the yen is selling at a per annum ________ of ________.

A) premium; 6.30%
B) discount; 6.30%
C) premium; 1.57%
D) discount; 1.57%

B

12) The forward rate is calculated from all the following observable data items EXCEPT:

A) the spot exchange rate
B) the foreign currency deposit rate
C) the home currency deposit rate
D) the forecast of the future spot exchange rate

D

13) The theory of ________ states that the difference in the national interest rates for securities of similar risk and maturity should be equal to but opposite in sign to the forward rate discount or premium for the foreign currency, except for transaction costs.

A) the law of one price
B) absolute PPP
C) international Fisher Effect
D) interest rate parity

D

14) With covered interest arbitrage:

A) the arbitrageur trades in both the spot and future currency exchange markets.
B) a "riskless" arbitrage opportunity exists.
C) the market must be out of equilibrium.
D) all of the above

D

15) Arbitragers applying Covered Interest Arbitrage drive the international currency and money markets toward the equilibrium described by:

A) the purchasing power parity.
B) the nominal effective exchange rate index.
C) the effective exchange rate index.
D) the interest rate parity.

D

16) Covered interest arbitrage moves the market ________ equilibrium because ________.

A) toward; purchasing a currency on the spot market and selling in the forward market narrows the
differential between the two
B) toward; investors are now more willing to invest in risky securities
C) away from; demand for the stronger currency forces up interest rates on the weaker security
D) away from; purchasing a currency on the spot market and selling in the forward market increases the
differential between the two

A

17) The final component of the equation for the Fisher Effect, (r)(π), where r = the real rate of return and π = the expected rate of inflation, is often dropped from the equation because the number is simply too large for most Western economies.

FALSE

18) Empirical studies show that the Fisher Effect works best for short-term securities.

TRUE

19) The current U.S. dollar-yen spot rate is ¥125/$. If the 90-day forward exchange rate is ¥127/$ then the yen is at a forward premium.

FALSE

The premium or discount on forward currency exchange rates between any two countries is visually obvious
when you plot the interest rates of each country on the same yield curve. The currency of the country with the
higher yield curve should be selling at a forward discount.

TRUE

21) Use interest rate parity to answer this question. A U.S. investor has a choice between a risk-free one-year U.S. security with an annual return of 4%, and a comparable British security with a return of 5%. If the spot rate is $1.43/£, the forward rate is $1.44/£, and there are no transaction costs, the investor should invest in the U.S. security.

FALSE

22) Both covered and uncovered interest arbitrage are risky operations in the sense that even without default in the securities, the returns are unknown until all transactions are complete.

FALSE

23) All that is required for a covered interest arbitrage profit is for interest rate parity to not hold.

TRUE

24) COVERED interest arbitrage (CIA), is where investors borrow in countries and currencies exhibiting relatively low interest rates and convert the proceeds into currencies that offer much higher interest rates. The transaction is "covered," because the investor does not sell the higher yielding currency proceeds forward.

FALSE

1) If the forward rate is an unbiased predictor of the expected spot rate, which of the following is NOT true?

A) The distribution of possible actual spot rates in the future is centered on the forward rate.
B) The expected value of the future spot rate at time 2 equals the present forward rate for time 2 delivery,
available now.
C) The future spot rate will actually be equal to what the forward rate predicts.
D) All of the above are true.

C

2) Which of the following is NOT an assumption of market efficiency?

A) All relevant information is quickly reflected in both spot and forward exchange markets.
B) Transaction costs are low or nonexistent.
C) Instruments denominated in other currencies are perfect substitutes for one another.
D) All of the above are true.

D

3) Empirical tests have yielded ________ evidence about market efficiency with a general consensus that developing foreign markets are ________.

A) conflicting; not efficient
B) consistent; inefficient
C) conflicting; efficient
D) none of the above

A

4) If exchange markets were not efficient, it would pay for a firm to spend resources on forecasting exchange rates.

TRUE

5) If the forward exchange rate is an unbiased predictor of future spot rates, then future spot rates will always be equal to current forward rates.

FALSE

6) If exchange markets were efficient, the deviation of the actual future quote and today's forward rate will be zero.

FALSE

1) According to the International Fisher Effect, the forecast change in the spot rate between two countries is equal to:

A) but the opposite sign to the difference between inflation rates.
B) but the opposite sign to the difference between nominal interest rates.
C) the current spot rate multiplied by the ratio of the inflation rates in the respective countries.
D) but the opposite sign to the difference between real interest rates.

B

2) In their approximate form, PPP, IRP, and forward rates as an unbiased predictor of the future spot rate lead to similar forecasts of the future spot rate.

TRUE