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Charles Connor, CFA, is a portfolio manager at Apple Investments, LLC . Apple is a U .S .-based firm offering a wide spectrum of investment products and services. Connor manages the Biogene Fund, a domestic equity fund specializing in small capitalization growth stocks. The Biogene Fund generally takes significant positions in stocks, commonly owning 4.5-5% of the outstanding shares. The fund's prospectus limits positions to a maximum of 5% of the shares outstanding. The performance of the Biogene Fund has been superior over the last few years, but for the last two quarters the fund has underperformed its benchmark by a wide margin. Connor is determined to improve his performance numbers going forward.
The Biogene prospectus allows Connor to use derivative instruments in his investment strategy. Connor frequently uses options to hedge his fund's exposure as he builds or liquidates positions in his portfolio since Biogene's large positions often take several weeks to acquire. For example, when he identifies a stock to buy, he often buys call options to gain exposure to the stock. As he buys the stock, he sells off the options or allows them to expire. Connor has noticed that the increased volume in the call options often drives the stock price higher for a few days. He has seen a similar negative effect on stock prices when he buys large amounts of put options.
The end of the quarter is just a few days away, and Connor is considering three transactions:
Transaction A: Buying Put Options on Stock A
The Biogene Fund owns 4,9% of the outstanding stock of Company A, but Connor believes the stock is fully valued and plans to sell the entire position. He anticipates that it will take approximately 45 trading days to liquidate the entire Biogene position in Stock A
The Biogene Fund owns 5% of the outstanding stock of Company B . Connor believes there is significant appreciation potential for Stock B, but the stock price has dropped in recent weeks. Connor is hoping that by taking an option position, there will be a carryover effect on ihe stock price before quarter end.
Transaction C: Selling the Biogene Fund's Entire Position in .Stock C
Connor believes that Stock C is still attractive, but he is selling the stock with the idea that he will repurchase the position next month. The motivation for the transaction is to capture a capital loss that will reduce the Biogene Fund's tax expense for the year.
Apple has an investment banking department that is active in initial public offerings (IPOs). George Arnold, CFA, is the senior manager of the IPO department. Arnold approached Connor about Stock D, a new IPO being offered by Apple. Stock D will open trading in two days. Apple had offered the IPO to all of its clients, but approximately 20% of the deal remained unsold. Having read the prospectus, Connor thinks Stock D would be a good fit for his fund, and he expects Stock D to improve his performance in both the short and long term. Connor is not aware of any information related to Stock D beyond that provided in the prospectus. Connor asked to purchase 5% of the IPO, but Arnold limited Biogene's share to 2%, explaining:
'With Biogene's reputation, any participation will make the unsold shares highly marketable. Further, we may need Biogene to acquire more Stock D shares at a later date if the price does not hold up.'
Connor is disappointed in being limited to 2% of the offering and suggests to Arnold in an e-mail that, given the 2% limitation, Biogene will not participate in the IPO . Arnold responded a few hours later with the following message:
'I have just spoken with Ms. D, the CFO of Stock D . Although it is too late to alter the prospectus, management believes they will receive a large contract from a foreign government that will boost next year's sales by 20% or more. I urge you to accept the 2%---you won't be sorry!'
After reviewing Arnold's e-mail, Connor agrees to the 2% offer.
Based upon Connor's acceptance of the 2% limitation after receiving the e-mail from Arnold:

Ron Natin heads a committee that oversees the USA Insurance portfolio with total assets of $25 billion. The portfolio has 15% of total assets allocated to foreign investments, which include both international stocks and bonds. The committee has adopted a position that the domestic markets are efficient and thus, has indexed the domestic portion of the portfolio. Each unique asset class in the domestic portfolio has been benchmarked individually. The committee believes that foreign markets are less efficient and utilizes active managers for this asset class. The foreign allocation is 60% stocks and 40% bonds. The committee has divided the foreign stock portfolio equally among three different managers. The committee closely monitors the risk level of these managers by reviewing their portfolio betas (current betas: 1.1, 0.95, and 1.3).
As part of his committee responsibilities, Natin is required to review all reports and speeches prepared by other members of the committee before they are presented to the public. One of the committee members, Mclanie Henley, has submitted a speech on the subject of international diversification and the international capital asset pricing model (ICAPM) that she will give to a group of MBA students at a local university. Following are excerpts from her proposed speech:
International investment and diversification is an important concern in money management and, of the many relevant issues to discuss, there are two key insights that I will Take time to explain. First of all, it is essential to realize that the currency exposure of a foreign stock investment is the sensitivity of the stock price to a change in the value of the local currency and that a positive correlation between stock prices and the local currency would mean that the local stock price increases as a result of a depreciation of the local currency. Second, as future asset managers you should realize that improvements in a foreign nation's economic activity that result in an increase in real interest rates will decrease bond prices, but will be offset by an appreciation of the home currency.
The ICAPM is similar to the domestic CAPM in several ways. For example, both models assume that investors are risk-averse, preferring lower levels of risk and greater expected returns, that all investors have the same expectations for the risk and return of every asset, and that all investors should hold some combination of a risk-free asset and the market portfolio.
The IGAPM is a useful construct to determine asset prices in a global context. Strategies that depend explicitly on asset prices derived from the ICAPM can rely on these asset prices even if currency hedging is inhibited in certain markets by legal restrictions on such activities.
The committee monitors the investments of its equity managers by modeling the expected returns of each individual stock. The model used is (he ICAPM. One such stock, a Swiss medical equipment manufacturer, has a world beta of 1.2. The world market risk premium is 4%, and the Swiss franc offers a risk premium of 0.5%. The currency exposure is 0.5, and the applicable risk-free rate is 5%. The expected return on this stock according to the ICAPM model is closest to:

Marie Williams, CFA, and David Pacious, CFA, are portfolio managers for Stillwell Managers. Williams and Pacious are attending a conference held by Henri Financial Education on the fundamentals of valuation for common stock, preferred stock, and other assets
During the conference, the presenter uses an example of four different companies to illustrate the valuation of common stock from the perspective of a minority shareholder.
During the conference, the presenter uses an example of four different companies to illustrate the valuation of common stock from the perspective of a minority shareholder.
* Firm A is a noncyclical consumer products firm with a 50 year history. The firm pays a $1.80 dividend per share and attempts to increase dividends by 4% a year. Earnings and dividends have steadily increased for the past
20 years.
* Firm B is a technology firm. It has never paid a dividend and does not expect to in the near future. Furthermore, due to large investments in new factories and equipment, the firm is not expected to generate positive free cash flow in the foreseeable future.
* Firm C is an industrial firm with currently very little competition and a dividend growth rate of 9% a year. However, the profits in its product market have started to attract competitors and it is expected that Firm C's profits will slowly decline such that the dividend growth steadily falls each year until it reaches a growth rate of 4% a year.
* Firm D is a pharmaceutical firm that is currently enjoying high profits and paying dividends. However, the firm's strongest selling drug is coming off patent in three years. With no other drugs in the pipeline, the firm's dividend growth rate is expected to drop abruptly in three years and settle at a lower growth rate.
The next day, Pacious decides to put what he learned into practice. The stock he is valuing, Maple Goods and Services, currently pays a dividend of $3.00. The dividend growth rate is 25% and is expected to steadily decline over the next 8 years to a stable rate of 7% thereafter. Given its risk, Pacious estimates that the required return is 5%.
Williams analyzes the value of Mataka Plastics stock. Its dividend is expected to grow at a rate of 18% for the next four years, after which it will grow at 4%. This year's dividend is $5.00 and Williams estimates the required return at 15%.
From the seminar, Pacious learned that a firm's health can be gauged by the present value of its future investment opportunities (PVGO). Tackling a calculation, he uses the following example for Wood Athletic Supplies:
Stock price $90.00
Current earnings $5.50
Expected earnings $6.00
Required return on stock 15%
Pacious and Williams discuss the characteristics of firms in various stages of growth, where firms experience an initial growth phase, a transitional phase, and a maturity phase in their life. They both agree that the Gordon Growth Model is not always appropriate. Pacious makes the following statements.
Statement I: For firms in the initial growth phase, earnings are rapidly increasing, there are little or no dividends, and there is heavy reinvestment. The return on equity is, however, higher than the required return on the stock, the free cash flows to equity are positive, and the profit margin is high.
Statement 2: When estimating the terminal value in the three-stage dividend growth model, it can be estimated using the Gordon Growth Model or a price-multiple approach.
Which of the following best describes the appropriate valuation techniques for the Henri presentation scenarios?

Debbie Angle and Craig Hohlman arc analysts for a large commercial bank, Arbutus National Bank. Arbutus lias extensive dealings in both the spot and forward foreign exchange markets. Angle and Hohlman are providing a refresher course on foreign exchange relations for its traders. Unless indicated otherwise, Angle tells the traders to assume that real interest rates arc equivalent throughout the world.
Angle uses a three country example from North America to illustrate foreign exchange parity relations. In it, the Canadian dollar is expected to depreciate relative to the U .S . dollar and the Mexican peso. Nominal, one year interest rates in the United States are 7% and are 13% in Mexico. From this data and using the uncovered interest rate parity relationship, Angle forecasts future spot rates.
During their presentation, Hohlman discusses the effect of monetary and fiscal policies on exchange rates. He cites a historical example from the United States, where the Federal Reserve shifted to an expansionary-monetary policy to stimulate economic growth. This shift was largely unanticipated by the financial markets because the markets thought the Federal Reserve was more concerned with inflationary pressures. Hohlman states that the effect of this policy was an increase in economic growth and an increase in inflation. The cumulative effect on the dollar was unchanged, however, because, according to Hohlman, an increase in U .S . economic growth would strengthen the dollar whereas an increase in inflation would weaken the dollar.
Regarding U .S . fiscal policies, Hohlman states that if these were unexpectedly expansionary, real interest rates would increase, which would produce an appreciation of the dollar. But, Hohlman adds, an increase in the federal budget would encourage imports such that the overall short-run effect would be for a decrease in the value of the dollar.
Using this same historical example, Angle discusses capital flows and the effect on the balance-of-payments components. Angle makes the following statements:
Statement 1; Differences in real interest rates will cause a flow of capital into those countries with the highest available real rates of interest. Therefore, there will be an increased demand for those currencies, and they will appreciate relative to the currencies of countries whose available real rates of return are low.
Statement 2: The flow of foreign capital into U .S . investments, net of outflows of U .S . capital, is measured by the financial account. In the case of an expansionary fiscal policy, the financial account will increase and move towards a surplus.