Homework 2
1. Based on economists’ forecasts and analysis, one-year Treasury bill rates and liquidity premiums for the next four years are expected to be as follows:
R1 = 5.95 percent
E(r2) = 6.25 percent L2 = 0.05 percent
E(r3) = 6.75 percent L3 = 0.10 percent
E(r4) = 7.15 percent L4 = 0.12 percent
Using the liquidity premium hypothesis, what should be the current rate on four-year Treasury securities?
2. The Wall Street Journal reports that the current rate on 10-year Treasury bonds is 6.25 percent, on 20-year Treasury bonds is 7.95 percent, and on a 20-year corporate bond is 10.75 percent. Assume that the maturity risk premium is zero. If the default risk premium and liquidity risk premium on a 10-year corporate bond is the same as that on the 20-year corporate bond, calculate the current rate on a 10-year corporate bond.
3. A 7.5 percent coupon bond with 13 years left to maturity is priced to offer a 6.25 percent yield to maturity. You believe that in one year, the yield to maturity will be 7.0 percent. If this occurs, what would be the total return of the bond in dollars and percentage terms? (Assume interest payments are semiannual.)
4. A 2.50 percent coupon municipal bond has 12 years left to maturity and has a price quote of 98.45. The bond can be called in four years. The call premium is one year of coupon payments. Compute and discuss the bond’s current yield, yield to maturity, taxable equivalent yield (for an investor in the 35 percent marginal tax bracket), and yield to call. (Assume interest payments are semiannual and a par value of $5,000.)
5. A corporate bond with a 6.5 percent coupon has 15 years left to maturity. It has had a credit rating of BBB and a yield to maturity of 7.2 percent. The firm has recently gotten into some trouble and the rating agency is downgrading the bonds to BB. The new appropriate discount rate will be 8.5 percent. What will be the change in the bond’s price in dollars and percentage terms? (Assume interest payments
