Practice Test 5 Flashcards
A bona fide speculator may exceed position limits if approved by the CFTC.
a. True
b. False
b. False
A bona fide hedger may exceed position limits. Speculators may not exceed position limits.
The authority to regulate margin on futures contracts is exercised by the:
a. CFTC
b. Exchanges
c. NFA
d. Futures commission merchant
b. Exchanges
Exchanges set margin requirements on futures contracts.
Fundamental analysis is concerned with supply factors while technical analysis is concerned with economic factors.
a. True
b. False
b. False
Fundamental analysis is concerned with both supply and economic factors. Technical analysis is concerned with charting price changes.
A bank intends to sell mortgages to investors in four months. To hedge, the bank should:
a. Sell GNMA certificates
b. Buy GNMA futures
c. Sell GNMA futures
d. Buy GNMA futures and sell GNMA certificates
c. Sell GNMA futures
A mortgage lender faces price risk if interest rates rise and a borrower’s loan terms have been set before the loan has been sold to investors. The bank would hedge by selling GNMA futures.
The NFA’s Compliance Director needs court approval to subpoena documents from an NFA member.
a. True
b. False
b. False
The NFA’s Compliance Director can subpoena documents without court approval.
Transportation is a factor in the carrying charge.
a. True
b. False
b. False
The carrying charge is made up of interest, storage and insurance. Transportation is not a factor in the carrying charge.
A MIT order to sell is started when the market trades at or below the entered price.
a. True
b. False
b. False
A market if touched (MIT) order is started when the futures contract trades, or is bid, at or above the order price.
The Environmental Protection Agency approves a stricter gasoline volatility standard. This causes the unleaded gasoline futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange to invert. The June-July spread is trading $.0240 bid/offered at $.0245. A customer enters an order to buy 5 July-sell 5 June spread positions at the market. The order is filled at $.0240. When the customer liquidates his spreads, the spread is still inverted and trading $.0110 bid/offered at $.0115. The spreads are liquidated at $.0115. The unleaded gasoline futures contract size is 42,000 gallons. The profit or loss as a result of this trade is:
a. $525 profit
b. $525 loss
c. $2,625 profit
d. $2,625 loss
c. $2,625 profit
The market is inverted. The price of June is .0240 over the price of July.
June
Sell .0240
Buy .0115
Profit .0125
Contract Size x 42,000 gallons
Profit $525 per contract
# of Contracts x 5
Profit $2,625
July
Buy .0000
Sell .0000
A CPO may not commingle funds of a pool that he operates with funds of any other pool or with his own funds.
a. True
b. False
a. True
A CPO may not commingle funds of a pool that he operates with funds of any other pool or with his own funds.
A NFA member who is under review by the Business Conduct Committee is subject to a trading restriction until the matter is resolved.
a. True
b. False
b. False
A NFA member under review by the Business Conduct Committee is not subject to a trading restriction until the matter is resolved.
To hedge a short GNMA cash position against a decrease in interest rates one should:
a. Buy GNMA futures
b. Sell GNMA futures
c. Buy GNMA futures and sell cash GNMAs
d. Sell GNMA futures and buy cash GNMAs
a. Buy GNMA futures
A person who is short GNMAs and satisfied with the current yield on GNMAs, is concerned that interest rates will decline prior to his funds becoming available to purchase GNMAs. To hedge this short cash position, he should buy GNMA futures.
When a call option is exercised, the writer receives a:
a. Long futures position
b. Short futures position
c. Notice to take delivery of the commodity
d. Notice to make delivery of the commodity
b. Short futures position
When a call option is exercised by the buyer, the writer (seller) is assigned a short futures position at the strike price.
An oil company that refines crude oil and buys it through cash forward contracts would need to hedge against declining prices of petroleum products. The most effective hedge would be to:
a. Buy crude oil futures
b. Sell crude oil futures
c. Buy heating oil futures
d. Sell heating oil futures
d. Sell heating oil futures
The oil company has locked in the price of crude oil through cash forward contracts and needs to protect against declining prices of petroleum products. The most effective hedge is to sell heating oil futures.
A strengthening basis would occur when the cash price remains unchanged and the futures price falls.
a. True
b. False
a. True
A strengthening basis would occur when the basis becomes more positive. If the cash price remains unchanged and the futures price falls, the basis becomes more positive.
When a NFA member is under investigation by the compliance staff of the NFA, he may resign from membership.
a. True
b. False
b. False
A NFA member cannot resign from membership if he has been charged with a violation or is under investigation by the NFA.
October sugar is trading 13.87 cents. The October 14 cent sugar call is trading 1.50 cents. This call has a delta of 40% (.4). Sugar rallies .50 cents on news of foreign buying of sugar contracts. The sugar futures contract is 112,000 pounds. What is the 14 cent call worth after the underlying futures contract has advanced .50 cents?
a. $1,456
b. $1,904
c. $14,056
d. $19,040
b. $1,904
The sugar futures contract changed in value by .50 cents. The delta of the call option is 40%. Therefore, the option premium will increase by .20 cents (.50 cents x .40). The original option premium (1.50 cents) plus the change in the option premium (.20 cents) equals the new option premium (1.70 cents). 1.70 cents x 112,000 lbs. (contract size) equals $1,904.
A firm that is long the basis establishes a hedge using 5 sugar futures contracts. When the hedge is placed, the firm’s basis is .30 cents under. When the hedge is lifted, the basis is .24 cents under. The futures contract size is 112,000 pounds. The change in basis means the company will have a:
a. $33,600.00 gain
b. $33,600.00 loss
c. $336.00 gain
d. $336.00 loss
c. $336.00 gain
A firm that is long the basis owns the cash product and has placed a selling hedge in the futures market. Since the basis is under (cash is lower than futures), the futures price is higher (over) the cash price. The question tells us that the hedge is established when futures are .30 cents over cash and lifted when futures are .24 cents over cash.
Cash | Futures
.00 SOLD .30 cents
.00 BUY .24 cents
.00 GAIN .06 cents
So, futures are sold for .30 cents, and then purchased at .24 cents. The result of the hedge is .06 cents profit.
.06 cents (or .0006) x 112,000 lbs. = $67.20 per contract x 5 contracts = $336.00 gain
Margin for soybean meal futures is $10 per ton. Soybean meal trades on the Chicago Board of Trade. The price quoted is per ton. A customer places a market order to sell 9 August soybean meal futures contracts. The market is trading $218.70 bid/offered at $218.75. The order is filled at $218.70. When the customer is ready to liquidate his position, the effects of the previous year’s drought and an increase in current demand has caused the price of soybean meal to rally. The position is liquidated at $221.40. Round-turn commissions are $70. The soybean meal futures contract is 100 tons. The resulting percentage of profit or loss, including commissions, on the margin deposited is:
a. 14%
b. 25%
c. 27%
d. 34%
d. 34%
The percentage loss, including commissions, on the margin deposited is 34%, calculated as follows:
Sell $218.70
Buy $221.40
Loss 2.70 per ton
Commission + .70 ($70 round-turn commission / 100 tons)
Total Loss $3.40 per ton
Total Loss $3.40 divided by $10 margin per ton = 34%.
A customer is long foreign currency calls. A weakening of the dollar will produce a profit.
a. True
b. False
a. True
A trader long foreign currency calls wants the dollar to weaken. This will cause the value of the foreign currency to increase. A trader buys a call option when he expects a price increase.
According to Rule 2-30, NFA members soliciting customer accounts must determine what additional risk disclosure information is appropriate for their customers.
a. True
b. False
a. True
NFA members soliciting a customer’s account must decide what additional risk disclosure information is appropriate to fully inform a customer of the risks associated with futures trading.
The price of soybeans is $5.50 per bushel. Margin is 35 cents per bushel. The customer deposited total margin of $5,250. The contract size is 5,000 bushels. The price of soybeans increases by 3%. Based upon the margin deposit, the amount of profit or loss realized by the customer would be:
a. 10.79%
b. 15.70%
c. 16.10%
d. 47.10%
d. 47.10%
The price of soybeans increases $.165 ($5.50 x .03). As a percent of the margin deposit of $.35, this represents a 47.1% profit:
.165 / .350 = 47.1%
A portfolio is valued at $3,500,000. The S&P 500 futures contract is trading 862.45 (contract value equals 250 x the index price). The number of contracts needed to hedge the portfolio is:
a. 8
b. 16
c. 4,058
d. 14,000
b. 16
If the S&P 500 is trading at 862.45, each contract provides a hedge of $215,612.50 (862.45 x 250 = $215,612.50). If the portfolio is valued at $3,500,000, it would take sixteen contracts to hedge ($3,500,000 divided by $215,612.50 = 16.2 contracts). 16.2 contracts = 16 contracts to hedge because you always round down.
A cotton farmer estimates his yield at 450,000 lbs. The cash price of cotton when he places his hedge is 58.79 cents/lb. He hedges by using 9 July cotton futures contracts. The futures hedge is established at a price of 61.05 cents/lb. When the hedge is lifted, the farmer sells his cotton in the cash market at 56.94 cents/lb. and his futures position is covered at 58.98 cents/lb. The net price per pound the farmer receives as a result of the hedge is:
a. 56.94 cents/lb.
b. 58.57 cents/lb.
c. 58.79 cents/lb.
d. 59.01 cents/lb.
d. 59.01 cents/lb.
The net price per pound is 59.01 cents, calculated as follows:
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The time value of an option increases as the option moves in the money.
a. True
b. False
b. False
The intrinsic value of an option increases as the option moves in the money.