Question #75

Reading: Reading 31 Valuation of Contingent Claims

PDF File: Reading 31 Valuation of Contingent Claims.pdf

Page: 36

Status: Unattempted

Correct Answer: A

Part of Context Group: Q75-78 First in Group
Shared Context
- Using Exhibit 3, which of the following statements about implications 1 and 2 is most accurate? A) Both implications are correct. B) Both implications are incorrect. C) Only one of the two implications is correct. Rachel Barlow is a recent graduate of Columbia University with a Bachelor's degree in finance. She has accepted a position at a large investment bank, but first must complete an intensive training program to gain experience in several of the investment bank's areas of operations. Currently, she is spending three months at her firm's Derivatives Trading desk. One of the traders, Jason Coleman, CFA, is acting as her mentor, and will be giving her various assignments over the three month period. One of the first projects Coleman asks Barlow to do is to compare different option trading strategies. Coleman would like Barlow to pay particular attention to strategy costs and their potential payoffs. Barlow is not very comfortable with option models, and knows she needs to be able to fully understand the most basic concepts in order to move on. She decides that she must first investigate how to properly price European and American style equity options. Coleman has given Barlow software that provides a variety of analytical information using three valuation approaches: the Black-Scholes model, the Binomial model, and Monte Carlo simulation. Barlow has decided to begin her analysis using a variety of different scenarios to evaluate option behavior. The data she will be using in her scenarios is provided in Exhibits 1 and 2. Note that all of the rates and yields are on a continuous compounding basis. Exhibit 1 Stock Price (S) $100.00 Strike Price (X) $100.00 Interest Rate (r) 7.0% Dividend Yield (q) 0.0% Time to Maturity (years) 0.5 Volatility (Std. Dev.) 20.0% Value of Put $3.9890 Exhibit 2 Stock Price (S) $110.00 Strike Price (X) $100.00 Interest Rate (r) 7.0% Dividend Yield (q) 0.0% Time to Maturity (years) 0.5 Volatility (Std. Dev.) 20.0% Value of Call $14.8445 N(d1) 0.8394 N(d2) 0.8025 Exhibit 3 Stock Price (S) $115.00 Strike Price (X) $100.00 Interest Rate (r) 7.0% Dividend Yield (q) 0.0% Time to Maturity (years) 0.5 Volatility (Std. Dev.) 20.0% Value of Call $19.2147 Value of Put $0.7753
Question
Barlow notices that the stock in Exhibit 1 does not pay dividends. If the stock begins to pay a dividend, how will the price of a call option on that stock be affected? The price of the call option:
Answer Choices:
A. may either increase or decrease
B. will decrease
C. will increase
Explanation
The call option value will decrease since the payment of dividends reduces the value of the underlying, and the value of a call is positively related to the value of the underlying.
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