Foundation of Risk Management Topic 1 - 4 Flashcards
What is the definition of risk in an investing context?
Uncertainty surrounding outcomes
the potential for negative outcomes like unexpected investment losses
What is the trade-off between risk and return?
There is a natural trade-off between risk and return, where opportunities with high risk have the potential for high returns and those with lower risk offer lower return potential.
What is the primary purpose of risk management?
The primary purpose of risk management is to reduce or eliminate the potential for expected losses and manage the variability of unexpected losses
How does risk taking differ from risk management?
Risk taking involves the active acceptance of additional risk in pursuit of greater gains, whereas risk management focuses on mitigating, reducing, or eliminating risks.
What are the key steps in the risk management process?
The key steps include
1. identifying risks,
2. measuring and managing risks,
3. differentiating expected from unexpected risks,
4. developing and monitoring a risk mitigation strategy.
What are some common techniques for identifying risks?
Common techniques include brainstorming with business leaders, analyzing loss data, scenario analysis, and consulting industry resources.
What are the strategic decisions involved in risk management?
Strategic decisions can include
1. avoiding
2. retaining
3. mitigating
4. transferring risks,
depending on the perceived rewards relative to risks.
What are major challenges faced in risk management?
Major challenges include managing the dispersion of risks, avoiding concentration of risk, preventing market disruptions, and handling the misuse of derivatives.
What are the main categories of risk?
- Market risks
- Credit risks
- Liquidity risks
- Operational risks
- Legal and regulatory risks
- Business and strategic risks
- Reputation risks
What is Market Risk and its subtypes?
Market risk refers to losses due to changes in market prices and rates. Subtypes include:
1. Interest rate risk
2. Equity price risk
3. Foreign exchange risk
4. Commodity price risk.
Define Interest Rate Risk and provide an example.
Interest rate risk is the risk of losses resulting from changes in interest rates. Example: If interest rates rise, the value of bonds typically decreases.
What is Equity Price Risk?
Equity price risk involves the volatility of stock prices due to general market movements or specific company-related factors.
Explain Foreign Exchange Risk with an example.
Foreign exchange risk occurs from changes in currency exchange rates. Example: A U.S. company may face losses on its European sales if the euro weakens against the dollar.
What causes Commodity Price Risk?
Commodity price risk stems from the volatility in commodity prices due to market concentration and limited trading liquidity.
Describe Credit Risk and its four subtypes.
Credit risk is the potential for a loss when a counterparty fails to meet its obligations. Subtypes include:
1. Default risk
2. Bankruptcy risk
3. Downgrade risk
4. Settlement risk.
What is Default Risk?
Default risk is the potential non-payment of scheduled interest or principal on a debt obligation by the borrower.
Explain Liquidity Risk and its two divisions.
Liquidity risk is the risk of not being able to meet cash needs or convert assets into cash. It is divided into
1. Funding liquidity risk
2. Market liquidity risk (also known as trading liquidity risk).
What is Operational Risk? Give examples.
Operational risk refers to losses from failed internal processes, human errors, or external events. Examples include technology failures, data entry errors, and natural disasters.
Define Legal and Regulatory Risk.
Legal risk involves losses from litigation, while regulatory risk involves losses from changes in laws or regulations affecting business practices.
What are Business and Strategic Risks?
Business risk relates to the variability in operational factors affecting profits, and strategic risk involves decisions impacting long-term business goals.
What is Reputation Risk and how can it arise?
Reputation risk is the risk of damage to a firm’s reputation, potentially leading to financial losses. It can arise from financial issues or unethical practices.
How do risk factors interact in risk management?
Risk factors can interact and correlate with each other, complicating risk management and assessment processes.
What is the Value at Risk (VaR) and its importance?
VaR is a statistical measure used to estimate the potential loss in value of risky assets over a defined period. It is crucial for assessing the risk exposure of portfolios.
Explain Risk-Adjusted Return on Capital (RAROC).
RAROC is a measure of return adjusted for the risk taken, used to assess whether the returns from an investment justify the risks involved.
What are the four main risk management strategies?
Accept the Risk
Avoid the Risk
Mitigate the Risk
Transfer the Risk
Under what circumstances might a firm decide to accept a risk?
A firm might accept a risk if the impact is small and the cost of managing it exceeds the potential benefit, or if the risk is integral to the business model, such as direct exposure to market price movements in a gold mining company.
What does avoiding risk involve, and can you give an example?
Avoiding risk involves eliminating activities that pose unnecessary risks. Example: A company might stop operations in a business unit if its risk is unnecessary for the overall function of the business, such as during a financial crisis.
How can a firm mitigate risk, and provide an example?
A firm can mitigate risk by reducing the likelihood or impact of the risk through various strategies. Example: A bank might offer loans at higher interest rates with enhanced collateral requirements to mitigate credit risk.
What does transferring risk entail, and what are the associated risks?
Transferring risk involves shifting the risk to another party, usually through insurance or derivatives. This introduces counterparty risk, where the other party may not fulfill their obligations.
What is risk appetite and how does it influence risk management decisions?
Risk appetite is the level and types of risk a firm is willing to retain. It guides risk management decisions, ensuring they align with the firm’s willingness and ability to handle risk, influenced by internal controls and regulatory constraints.
Describe the process of risk mapping.
Risk mapping involves creating an inventory of all known and potential risks, analyzing their magnitude, timing, and impact, and understanding how different risks interact with each other.
What are some advantages of hedging risk exposures?
Advantages include stabilizing cash flows, reducing earnings volatility, lowering the cost of capital, and signaling financial stability to stakeholders.
What are some disadvantages of hedging risk exposures?
Disadvantages include high costs, complexity, potential mismatches between hedging strategies and actual risks, and the risk of management becoming complacent about other risk management practices.
How does a firm’s risk appetite relate to its risk management process?
The firm’s risk appetite defines the maximum level of risk it is willing to accept, shaping its risk management strategy, from identifying potential risks to implementing and adjusting the risk management plan.
What is operational risk in a business context?
Risks associated with a firm’s day-to-day operations which impact the income statement, like production and sales, which can fluctuate expenses and revenues.
What is financial risk in a business context?
Risks related to a firm’s balance sheet, including assets and liabilities, influenced by market conditions such as interest rates and exchange rates.
How can a company hedge operational risks?
By using derivatives like futures to lock in prices for raw materials, thus stabilizing production costs regardless of market volatility.
How can financial risks be hedged?
Through instruments like interest rate swaps, which allow firms to manage fluctuations in interest rates affecting their debt.
Define pricing risk and a method to hedge it.
Pricing risk involves potential changes in input costs. It can be hedged using forward contracts to fix input costs at a predetermined rate.
What is foreign currency risk and how can it be managed?
This risk arises from fluctuations in exchange rates affecting revenues and assets. Hedging strategies include using forward contracts and currency options to stabilize exchange rates.
Explain interest rate risk and its hedging approach.
Interest rate risk refers to the potential negative impact of interest rate fluctuations. It can be managed using interest rate swaps or swaptions.
Describe a forward contract and its purpose.
A forward contract is a customized agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined future date and price, used to hedge against price changes.
What are futures contracts?
Futures are standardized forward contracts traded on exchanges that facilitate the buying and selling of assets at agreed-upon prices in the future, minimizing counterparty risk.
What is the function of options in financial markets?
Options provide the right, not the obligation, to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying asset at a specific price before a certain date, allowing for strategic risk management.
What is a swap contract?
Swap contracts involve two parties exchanging cash flows or financial obligations to manage various risks, such as interest rate or currency risk.