Q&A Hero

Q: Writers of naked call options generally expect stock prices to decline or remain stable.

Q: Long-term equity anticipation securities (LEAPS) are nothing more than a long-term option.

Q: Calls used to cover a short sale guarantee that no loss can occur.

Q: A call option with a speculative premium of $3 and a strike price of $55 with an intrinsic value of $3 may be related to a stock that is selling for $58 per share.

Q: If a stock price increased by 76.5% and the leverage for the option was calculated to be 1.5, the option price increased by 25.5%.

Q: A call option selling for $8 with a $45 strike price on stock with a market price of $40 has a speculative premium of $3.

Q: The speculative premium of a put as a percentage of stock price represents the percent decline in the stock price necessary to break even.

Q: Option contracts expire on the last Friday of the month.

Q: Generally, the longer the exercise period, the lower the speculative premium.

Q: A put or call cannot be purchased for a life of more than the standardized periods of 3, 6, or 9 months.

Q: A put is an option to buy 100 shares of common stock at a specified price for a given period of time.

Q: Generally, the higher the beta, the greater the speculative premium.

Q: A naked option write is a conservative strategy.

Q: The maximum possible loss on a strategy of buying put options is limited to the options premium under all circumstances.

Q: Option writers must own common stock in order to write call options on that particular stock.

Q: If the market price is above the strike price, a call is "in-the-money."

Q: If an investor buys an option assuming a stock has bottomed out, but the stock continues to fall, the most he or she can lose is the price of the option, including commissions.

Q: "In-the-money" and "out-of-the-money" generally mean the same thing regarding put and call options.

Q: Assume you bought a convertible bond two years ago for $920. The bond has a conversion ratio of 30. At the time the bond was purchased, the stock was selling at $25 per share. The bond pays $100 in annual interest. The stock pays no cash dividend. Assume after two years the stock price rises to $45, and the firm forces investors to convert to common stock by calling the bond (there is no conversion premium). Would you have been better off if you had bought the stock directly or bought the convertible bond and eventually converted it into common stock?

Q: A convertible bond has a face value of $1,000 and the conversion price is $40 per share. The stock is selling at $30 per share. The bond pays $65 per year in interest and is selling in the market for $950. It matures in 7 years. Market rates are 10% annually. (a) What is the conversion ratio? (b) What is the conversion value? (c) What is the conversion premium (in dollars and percent)? (d) What is the floor or pure bond value (using annual analysis)? (e) Compute the downside risk as a percentage.

Q: The popularity of options is due to the likelihood of an average investor earning superior returns.

Q: The International Securities Market is an ECN (electronic communication network) trading options and has not been a major factor in its competition with the Chicago Board Options Exchange.

Q: When warrants are exercised, the company goes through an accounting process to determine the new number of shares created. This process assumes that the company:A.creates one new share for every warrant exercised.B.reduces the number of shares created by the amount of shares that can be bought in the market with the proceeds of the cash generated by the exercise of the warrants.C.creates one new share in the ratio of the exercise price and the current stock price.D.None of the above

Q: Corporations may use warrants for which of the following reasons? A.To issue debt under normal circumstances B.To use as an 'add-on' in a merger or acquisition agreement C.To lower the cost of the bonds to the corporation D.None of the above

Q: The Options Clearing Corporation is equally owned by its major trading exchanges.

Q: From an institutional investor's standpoint, many convertible securities lack liquidity because: A.of small trading volume. B.of the small amount of convertibles that are usually issued by one company. C.of the high premiums that usually come in with buying a convertible. D.A and B

Q: As the stock price moves higher, the conversion premium that the investor is willing to pay: A.becomes higher. B.stays the same. C.becomes lower. D.None of the above

Q: The Options Clearing Corporation functions as a middleman or broker, bringing together writers and buyers of options.

Q: The more volatile the stock price as measured by beta or standard deviation of returns, A.the higher the conversion premium. B.the lower the conversion premium. C.the higher the interest rate. D.the lower the interest rate.

Q: Option trading thrives under volatile pricing conditions and uncertainty.

Q: Generally, the best time to buy convertible bonds is when interest rates are _________ and when stock prices are _______. A.low; low B.high; low C.low; high D.high; high

Q: The strike price refers to the premium paid by the option buyer for the right to exercise the option.

Q: Which of the following statements about convertible securities is true? A.They provide a guaranteed income stream, minimum value, and conversion B.The conversion premium is influenced by the volatility of the underlying common stock, term to maturity, and dividend payment relative to interest rate C.They are potentially dilutive to earnings and must be taken into consideration in the calculation of both primary and fully diluted earnings per share D.All of the above are true

Q: Assume that a firm has warrants outstanding that allow the holder to buy one share of stock at $22 per share. Also assume the stock is selling at $28 per share and warrants are now selling at $10 per warrant. You can invest $1,000 in the stock or the warrants. Assume the stock goes to $44 and the warrants trade at their intrinsic value when the stock is at $44. Would you have a larger total dollar profit by initially investing in the stock or the warrants?

Q: A firm has warrants outstanding for investors to purchase 50,000 shares at $25 per share. The current stock price is $40. The firm has l million shares outstanding and earnings per share of $1.50. What are earnings per share when all these warrants are exercised? A.$1.43 B.$1.47 C.$1.45 D.None of the above

Q: Sharpie Cookies has warrants outstanding which allow the holder to purchase 2 shares of stock per warrant at $26 per share. The common stock is currently selling for $28 per share. The warrant has a market value of $6. Calculate the intrinsic value of the warrant and speculative premium.Intrinsic value = $4Speculative Premium = $2

Q: When is the best time to convert a convertible bond to common stock? A.When the call price exceeds the conversion value B.After the conversion ratio decreases C.When the conversion value is below the pure bond value D.None of the above

Q: Why are warrants less desirable than convertible debentures as financing devices for the creation of new common stock? A.There is no device for forcing investors to exercise warrants B.The conversion of convertible securities erases debt on the balance sheet C.Warrants increase the equity of a firm when exercised, but there is no change in the debt D.All of the above

Q: How are warrants used by corporations? A.To decrease the volatility of their common stock B.To allow for issuance of debt at rates lower than would otherwise be required C.To decrease the dilution of earnings per share D.More than one of the above

Q: What factor(s) would cause the pure bond value to go up? A.A decrease in the market interest rate B.An increase in stock price C.A change in the conversion ratio D.More than one of the above

Q: What factor(s) could cause the pure bond value to change? A.A call provision B.An increase in stock price C.A change in market interest rates D.More than one of the above

Q: Which of the following statements explains the premium paid over the intrinsic value of a warrant? A.The higher the price volatility of the common stock, the greater the premium B.The market value may fall below the intrinsic value because of the downside risk C.The greater the time period over which the option may be exercised, the higher the premium D.More than one of the above are true

Q: What is the percentage downside risk on a bond with market value of $900, conversion value of $800, and pure bond value of $650? A.66.7% B.27.7% C.55.6% D.None of the above

Q: A warrant carries an option to purchase two shares at $35. The warrant's minimum value is determined to be $25. At what price is this company's common stock currently trading? A.$25.5 B.$50.0 C.$47.5 D.$70.0 E.$95.0

Q: What is the minimum value on a bond with market value of $900, conversion value of $800, and pure bond value of $650? A.$900 B.$800 C.$700 D.$650

Q: Warrants are considered to be highly speculative because: A.they are attached to the bond issue. B.they have a short life and their value is magnified by movements in the stock price. C.the intrinsic value is highly volatile. D.ownership of warrants provides no dividends or interest.

Q: What is the percentage conversion premium of a convertible bond with market value of $900, conversion value of $800, and par value of $1,000? A.25% B.20% C.12.5% D.10.5%

Q: Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a warrant? A.It is an option to buy a specified number of shares of stock at a given price over a given period of time B.It represents a cash inflow to the issuing company when exercised C.When exercised, it replaces debt on the balance sheet D.It allows the bond to carry a lower coupon rate

Q: Which of the following statements describes the relationship between the market value, pure bond value, and associated stock price related to a convertible bond? A.Both increase as the common stock price increases B.Market value approaches the pure bond value as the stock price approaches zero C.As stock price increases, the pure bond value increases D.None of the above

Q: What variables are needed to calculate basic earnings per share? A.Adjusted earnings after taxes, number of shares outstanding, and number of common shares from all potential securities convertible into common stock B.Earnings after taxes and number of shares outstanding C.Adjusted earnings after taxes, shares outstanding, common stock equivalents, and all convertibles D.Earnings after taxes, common shares outstanding, and all convertible preferred stock

Q: A company has a convertible bond with a conversion price of $27 per share. The company's common stock is currently trading at $23 per share. What is the conversion value of the bond (rounded to whole dollars)? A.$1,000 B.$800 C.$852 D.$828

Q: What variables are needed to calculate diluted earnings per share? A.Adjusted earnings after taxes, number of shares outstanding, and number of common shares from all potential securities convertible into common stock B.Adjusted earnings after taxes and number of shares outstanding C.Adjusted earnings after taxes, shares outstanding, common stock equivalents, and all convertibles D.Earnings after taxes, common shares outstanding, and all convertible preferred stock

Q: What is the conversion ratio of a $1,000 bond convertible at $27 per share? The coupon rate is 10% and the market rate 12%. This company's common stock is currently trading at $23 per share. A.37.04 shares B.43.478 shares C.83 shares D.35.2 shares

Q: From the corporate financial officer's viewpoint, which of the following is a reason for not calling a bond for redemption when the conversion value is above the par value? A.Calling the bond may encourage everyone to take the stock rather than the par value in cash B.The after-tax cost of the dividends on the new shares might be higher than the after-tax cost of the interest expense on the existing convertible bond C.The chief financial officer might want to wait until interest rates decline before calling the bond D.The number of new shares on the market will cause the diluted earnings per share to decline

Q: Which of the following statements about a convertible security is not true? A.It may be either a bond or share of preferred stock B.It provides level interest payments C.The best time to buy is when both bond and stock prices are low D.All of the statements are true

Q: From the corporate financial officer's viewpoint, which of the following is not an advantage of issuing convertible bonds? A.The market value of the firm's common stock may rise dramatically B.Interest rates are generally lower than on straight debt instruments C.Conversion may enhance the firm's stock price D.None of the above are advantages

Q: The value of a warrant is the market value of the stock minus the option price of the warrant divided by the number of shares it will buy.

Q: A forced conversion is when the company calls the convertible security knowing the owners will take stock and thus convert debt to equity.

Q: If a warrant is detachable from its bond, the bond converts upon exercise of the warrant.

Q: Convertible securities are a good investment for conservative investors, for they offer regular income and potential downside protection against falling stock prices.

Q: The market price of the bond will not go below the pure bond value regardless of what happens to the price of the common stock.

Q: A warrant is an option to buy a bond at a specific price over a given period of time.

Q: It is normal to issue convertibles and not have their presence reflect dilution until they are converted.

Q: If the stock price is low or declining, the pure bond value is not very important in determining the bond price.

Q: A drawback to using convertibles is their dilutive effect.

Q: Convertible securities have been used as a medium of exchange for acquiring other companies' stock in mergers and acquisitions.

Q: Dilution of EPS by warrants is not reflected in computations of earnings.

Q: A company usually would not want to issue convertible securities if its stock is undervalued in the market.

Q: Many warrants are callable.

Q: Companies usually force conversion when conversion values are low.

Q: Premiums paid for warrants often are related to time.

Q: Convertible bonds tend to pay better interest rates than straight bonds, since convertibles are of lower risk.

Q: The leverage associated with a warrant increases as the stock price increases.

Q: Floor values are sensitive to interest rates.

Q: A warrant with an intrinsic value of zero cannot sell at a premium.

Q: The shorter the term to maturity, the higher the conversion premium for the bond.

Q: The premium of warrants tends to decrease as the stock price rises.

Q: The amount of downside risk cannot vary.

Q: Downside risk is:

Q: A convertible bond's price is usually the same as the stock price times the conversion ratio.