- Given below is the Option Pricing Model (OPM) derived by Black and Scholes in 1973 for predicting the market price of call options.
Required:
State and briefly...(Solved)
Given below is the Option Pricing Model (OPM) derived by Black and Scholes in 1973 for predicting the market price of call options.
Required:
State and briefly explain the relationship between a call option‟s price and the following determinants:
1) the underlying stock‟s price.
2) the exercise price
3) the time to maturity
4) the risk-free rate.
Date posted: April 17, 2021. Answers (1)
- Quality Products (QP), Ltd a leading manufacturer in its field, is planning an expansion programme. It has
estimated that it will need to raise an additional...(Solved)
Quality Products (QP), Ltd a leading manufacturer in its field, is planning an expansion programme. It has
estimated that it will need to raise an additional Sh.100 million. QP Ltd. is discussing with its investment
banker the alternatives of raising the Sh.100 million through debt financing or through issuing additional
shares of equity. The debt to total asset ratio in its industry is 40%. QP Ltd.‟s balance sheet
and income statements are as follows:
The company expects to increase its total revenue by Sh.200 million and net operating income by Sh.26
million if the expansion is undertaken. The company‟s effective tax rate is 40% and dividend
payout has averaged about 60% of net income. At present, its cost of debt is 10% and its cost of equity
is 15%. If the additional funds are raised through debt, the cost of debt will be 10% and cost equity will be
15.2%. If the funds are raised by equity, the cost of debt will be 10% and the cost of equity will be 14.8%.
The current share price at which new equity can be sold is Sh.100.
Required:
Calculate the effects of the alternative forms of financing on:
a) The total value of equity of the firm.
b) The firm‟s total debt to equity ratio (based on balance sheet figures)
c) Price per ordinary share.
d) Total market-value of the firm.
e) The firm‟s weighted average cost of capital.
Date posted: April 17, 2021. Answers (1)
- City Graphics Limited is evaluating a new technology for its reproduction equipment. The technology will have a
three-year life and would cost Sh.800,000. Its impact on...(Solved)
City Graphics Limited is evaluating a new technology for its reproduction equipment. The technology will have a
three-year life and would cost Sh.800,000. Its impact on the company‟s cash flows is subject to risk.
In the first year, management estimates that there is an equal chance that the technology will either
succeed and save the company Sh.800,000 or fail saving it nothing at all.
If the technology fails in the first year, savings in the last two years will be zero. Even worse, there is a 40%
chance that additional Sh.240,000 may be required in the second year to convert back to the original process.
If the technology succeeds in the first year, the second year cash flows may be Sh.1,440,000, Sh.1,120,000 or
Sh.800,000 with probabilities of 0.20, 0.60 or 0.20 respectively. Third year cash flows are then expected to be
Sh.160,000 greater or Sh.160,000 less than cash flows in the second year, with equal chance of either
occurring.
All the cash flows above are after taxes.
Required:
a) A probability tree depicting the above cash flow possibilities.
b) Net present values for each possibility using a risk-free rate of 5%.
c) The expected net present value of the technology using a risk-free rate of 5%
Date posted: April 17, 2021. Answers (1)
- Agency problems can be resolved by proper corporate governance. Corporate governance lays emphasis on
shareholders rights and enhancement of shareholder value. In many countries including Kenya,...(Solved)
Agency problems can be resolved by proper corporate governance. Corporate governance lays emphasis on
shareholders rights and enhancement of shareholder value. In many countries including Kenya, the concept
of corporate governance has gained increasing prominence in recent times as evidenced by the issue of
corporate governance guidelines by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA).
Required:
a) Explain the reasons motivating the increasing interest in corporate governance.
b) Identify the benefits of good corporate governance to shareholders.
e) Write short notes on any five corporate governance guidelines issued by the Capital Markets
Authority (CMA) or similar authority in your country.
Date posted: April 17, 2021. Answers (1)
- The directors of ABC Electronics Ltd. are considering a takeover bid for XYZ Electronics Ltd. However,
they recognize that there are potential problems with any proposed...(Solved)
The directors of ABC Electronics Ltd. are considering a takeover bid for XYZ Electronics Ltd. However,
they recognize that there are potential problems with any proposed bid. First, the directors of ABC Ltd.
believe that any take-over bid would be resisted by the directors of XYZ Ltd.
Secondly, ABC Ltd. is short of cash and so any offer made to the shareholders of XYZ Ltd. would have to
be either in form of a share-for-share exchange or a loan capital-for-share exchange.
Required:
a) Identify and discuss four reasons why a company seeking to maximize the wealth of its shareholders
may wish to take over another company.
b) Evaluate the share-for-share exchange and loan capital-for-share exchange options as methods of
purchase consideration from the viewpoint of the shareholders of both companies.
c) Identify and discuss six defensive tactics the directors of XYZ Ltd. may employ to resist an
unwelcome bid.
Date posted: April 17, 2021. Answers (1)
- Explain with the aid of a diagram a protective put buying strategy.(Solved)
Explain with the aid of a diagram a protective put buying strategy.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- Explain and illustrate graphically the options concepts of being:
i) “at the money”
ii) “in the money”
iii) “out of the money”
for both a call and put option.(Solved)
Explain and illustrate graphically the options concepts of being:
i) “at the money”
ii) “in the money”
iii) “out of the money”
for both a call and put option.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- Using a numeric example, illustrate and explain the pay-offs of a futures option and a futures
contract.(Solved)
Using a numeric example, illustrate and explain the pay-offs of a futures option and a futures
contract.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- The table below gives the end-of-year levels of the price of an ordinary share in Kamili Ltd. and of
a representative Stock Exchange Index.
Required:
Use the information...(Solved)
The table below gives the end-of-year levels of the price of an ordinary share in Kamili Ltd. and of
a representative Stock Exchange Index.
Required:
Use the information to calculate the beta coefficient of Kamili Ltd.s ordinary shares, ignoring any
dividend payments. (Work to four decimal places only at each stage of calculation).
Using the beta calculated in the question above above, and given a risk-free rate of 5% a year and an expected return from equities generally of 8% a year, calculate the expected rate of return on Kamili
Ltd.‟s ordinary shares.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- What assumptions must be made in deriving the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)?(Solved)
What assumptions must be made in deriving the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)?
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- A comparative study of the records of two oil companies, A Ltd. and B Ltd., in terms of their asset composition, capital structure and profitability...(Solved)
A comparative study of the records of two oil companies, A Ltd. and B Ltd., in terms of their asset composition, capital structure and profitability shows that they have been very similar for the past five years. The only significant difference between the two firms is their dividend policy. A Ltd. maintains a constant dividend per share while B Ltd. maintains a constant dividend pay-out ratio. Relevant data is as follows:
Required:
a) For each company, determine the dividend pay-out ratio and the price – earnings ratio for each of
the five years.
b) B Ltd‟s management is surprised that the shares of this company have not performed as well
as A Ltd‟s in the stock exchange. What explanation would you offer for this state of affairs?
c) Comment on the applicability of the Simple Price/Earnings (P/E) ratio to the typical technology
(IT) company with a high valuation and heavy losses.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- Corporate bonds have recently started gaining prominence as disintermediation financial instruments in developing countries.
i) Distinguish between financial intermediation and financial facilitation.
ii) Explain the relationship between...(Solved)
Corporate bonds have recently started gaining prominence as disintermediation financial instruments in developing countries.
i) Distinguish between financial intermediation and financial facilitation.
ii) Explain the relationship between the price of bonds and:
1. Interest rates in the market generally.
2. Term to maturity of the bonds.
iii) Explain any three theories that can help explain the term “structure of interest rates”
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- Gathura Ltd. is evaluating the acquisition of a heady duty forklit. The company can either purchase
the equipment through the use of its normal financing mix...(Solved)
Gathura Ltd. is evaluating the acquisition of a heady duty forklit. The company can either purchase
the equipment through the use of its normal financing mix (30% debt and 70% equity) or lease it.
The following additional information is available:
1. Acquisition price Sh.8,000,000
2. Useful life 4 years
3. Salvage value Sh.1,600,000
Depreciation method – straight line
Annual (before tax and depreciation) cash savings Sh.2,400,000
Rate of interest on a four year period 10%
Marginal tax rate 10%
Annual lease rentals Sh.2,400,000
Annual operating expenses Sh. 400,000
Cost of capital 12%
Required:
i) Evaluate whether acquisition of the forklift through purchase is justified.
ii) Should Gathura Ltd. lease the asset?
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- State the main ways of classifying leases.(Solved)
State the main ways of classifying leases.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- Outline the advantages of swaps.(Solved)
Outline the advantages of swaps.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- Large companies with significant borrowings or overseas trade often use interest rate swaps and currency swaps.
Required:
Explain how interest rate swaps and currency swaps may be...(Solved)
Large companies with significant borrowings or overseas trade often use interest rate swaps and currency swaps.
Required:
Explain how interest rate swaps and currency swaps may be used.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- A Kenyan company has agreed to sell goods to an importer in Zedland at an invoiced price of
Z 150,000 (Zed (Z) is the currency of...(Solved)
A Kenyan company has agreed to sell goods to an importer in Zedland at an invoiced price of
Z 150,000 (Zed (Z) is the currency of Zedland). Of this amount, Z 60,000 will be payable on
shipment, Z 45,000 one month after shipment and Z 45,000 three months after shipment.
The quoted foreign exchange rates (Z per KSh.) at the date of shipment as as follows:
Spot 1.690 - 1.692
One month 1.687 - 1.690
Three months 1.680 - 1.684
The company decides to enter into appropriate forward exchange contracts through a bank in
order to hedge these transactions.
Required:
i) State the advantages of hedging in this way.
ii) Calculate the amount in Kenya Shillings that the Kenyan Company would receive.
iii) Comment with hindsight on the wisdom of hedging in this instance, assuming that the spot rates at
the dates of receipt of the two instalments of Z 45,000 were as follows:
Fist instalment 1.69 - 1.69
Second instalment 1.700 - 1.704
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- The Lakeside Company Limited is considering investing in a project requiring an initial outlay of Sh.100
million. The project life is two years after which there...(Solved)
The Lakeside Company Limited is considering investing in a project requiring an initial outlay of Sh.100
million. The project life is two years after which there would be no expected salvage value. The possible
incremental after-tax cash flows and associated probabilities of occurrence as as follows:
The company‟s required rate of return for this investment is 12%.
Required:
a) i) The expected net present value of the project.
ii) Suppose that the possibility of abandonment exists and that the abandonment value of the project at
the end of the first is Sh.50 million after taxes is abandonment the right choice?
iii) Calculate the new expected net present value assuming that the company would abandon the project if it
is advantageous to do so. What are the implications of this calculation to you as a Finance Manager?
b) Identify the case for and against Sensitivity Analysis as a method of handling risk in capital budgeting.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- The Kenyan economy has been performing poorly in the recent past and many companies have
retrenched workers while yet others have closed their operations. Many product...(Solved)
The Kenyan economy has been performing poorly in the recent past and many companies have
retrenched workers while yet others have closed their operations. Many product and skilled people
are having to start their own small enterprises.
As a consultant for small and medium size firms, write a brief report, explaining the various ways
in which small and medium size enterprises can raise capital for investment.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)
- In the recent past, the government has been aggressively wooing multinational companies to
come and invest their resources in Kenya.
Analyze the key decision areas that a...(Solved)
In the recent past, the government has been aggressively wooing multinational companies to
come and invest their resources in Kenya.
Analyze the key decision areas that a financial analyst would have to advise a company that
is considering making direct investment in Kenya and discuss the risks involved.
Date posted: April 16, 2021. Answers (1)