CHAPTER7FUTURESANDOPTIONSONFOREIGNEXCHANGESUGGESTEDANSWERSANDSOLUTIONSTOEND-OF-CHAPTERQUESTIONSANDPROBLEMSQUESTIONS1.Explainthebasicdifferencesbetweentheoperationofacurrencyforwardmarketandafuturesmarket.Answer:TheforwardmarketisanOTCmarketwheretheforwardcontractforpurchaseorsaleofforeigncurrencyistailor-madebetweentheclientanditsinternationalbank.Nomoneychangeshandsuntilthematuritydateofthecontractwhendeliveryandreceiptaretypicallymade.Afuturescontractisanexchange-tradedinstrumentwithstandardizedfeaturesspecifyingcontractsizeanddeliverydate.Futurescontractsaremarked-to-marketdailytoreflectchangesinthesettlementprice.Deliveryisseldommadeinafuturesmarket.Ratherareversingtradeismadetocloseoutalongorshortposition.2.Inorderforaderivativesmarkettofunctionmostefficiently,twotypesofeconomicagentsareneeded:hedgersandspeculators.Explain.Answer:Twotypesofmarketparticipantsarenecessaryfortheefficientoperationofaderivativesmarket:speculatorsandhedgers.Aspeculatorattemptstoprofitfromachangeinthefuturesprice.Todothis,thespeculatorwilltakealongorshortpositioninafuturescontractdependinguponhisexpectationsoffuturepricemovement.Ahedger,on-the-other-hand,desirestoavoidpricevariationbylockinginapurchasepriceoftheunderlyingassetthroughalongpositioninafuturescontractorasalespricethroughashortposition.Ineffect,thehedgerpassesofftheriskofpricevariationtothespeculatorwhoisbetterable,oratleastmorewilling,tobearthisrisk.3.Whyaremostfuturespositionsclosedoutthroughareversingtraderatherthanheldtodelivery?Answer:Inforwardmarkets,approximately90percentofallcontractsthatareinitiallyestablishedresultintheshortmakingdeliverytothelongoftheassetunderlyingthecontract.Thisisnaturalbecausethetermsofforwardcontractsaretailor-madebetweenthelongandshort.Bycontrast,onlyaboutonepercentofcurrencyfuturescontractsresultindelivery.Whilefuturescontractsareusefulforspeculationandhedging,theirstandardizeddeliverydatesmakethemunlikelytocorrespondtotheactualfuturedateswhenforeignexchangeIM-1transactionswilloccur.Thus,theyaregenerallyclosedoutinareversingtrade.Infact,thecommissionthatbuyersandsellerspaytotransactinthefuturesmarketisasingleamountthatcoverstheround-triptransactionsofinitiatingandclosingouttheposition.4.HowcantheFXfuturesmarketbeusedforpricediscovery?Answer:TotheextentthatFXforwardpricesareanunbiasedpredictoroffuturespotexchangerates,themarketanticipateswhetheronecurrencywillappreciateordepreciateversusanother.BecauseFXfuturescontractstradeinanexpirationcycle,differentcontractsexpireatdifferentperiodicdatesintothefuture.Thepatternofthepricesofthesecontractsprovidesinformationastothemarket’scurrentbeliefabouttherelativefuturevalueofonecurrencyversusanotheratthescheduledexpirationdatesofthecontracts.Onewillgenerallyseeasteadilyappreciatingordepreciatingpattern;however,itmaybemixedattimes.Thus,thefuturesmarketisusefulforpricediscovery,i.e.,obtainingthemarket’sforecastofthespotexchangerateatdifferentfuturedates.5.Whatisthemajordifferenceintheobligationofonewithalongpositioninafutures(orforward)contractincomparisontoanoptionscontract?Answer:Afutures(orforward)contractisavehicleforbuyingorsellingastatedamountofforeignexchangeatastatedpriceperunitataspecifiedtimeinthefuture.Ifthelongholdsthecontracttothedeliverydate,hepaystheeffectivecontractualfutures(orforward)price,regardlessofwhetheritisanadvantageouspriceinco...
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