Difficulty: 02 Medium
Learning Objective: 01-02
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Blooms: Analyze
Topic: The Five Core Principles of Money and Banking
30. Suppose that IBM considers expanding its operations. The expansion will require $400 million for two new factories which the corporation plans to raise by selling stock and bonds. Which of the core principles will come into play as investors decide whether or not to buy the stock and the bonds?
Ans: The five core principles are: 1) Time has value; #2) Risk requires compensation; #3) Information is the basis for decisions; #4) Markets determine prices and allocate resources; #5) Stability improves welfare. Investors considering buying IBM's stock and bonds would surely have principle #2 in mind; they would assess the risk involved in IBM's expansion and want to
be compensated for it. This would clearly involve information (principle #3). Principle #1 would come into play with the bonds; are they 1-year bonds? 5-year bonds? The longer the time period involved, everything else constant, the greater the return investors would require. Principles #4 and #5 are not totally irrelevant here, as investors will rely on markets to price the stocks and bonds and will judge IBM's expansion based on the outlook for the economy as a whole (stability).
Difficulty: 02 Medium
Learning Objective: 01-02
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Blooms: Analyze
Topic: The Five Core Principles of Money and Banking
31. A borrower seeking a mortgage today is often presented with the choice between a mortgage whose interest rate and monthly payment stays fixed for the duration of the loan, or a mortgage whose interest rate and monthly payment can change as other interest rates change. Typically the interest rate on the fixed-rate mortgage is higher. Having learned the five core principles, does this make sense?
Ans: Yes. The lender is shifting risk to the borrower. The risk here is that the lender agrees to a mortgage at (for example) 6% but then over the life of the loan (which can be 10, 25, even 30 years) interest rates in the market go up, putting the lender in the position of being "stuck" with the 6%. If the rate on the mortgage would change with market rates the lender would not have the risk. But remember, risk requires compensation, so to entice the borrower to take on the added risk the lender provides an inducement in the lower rate. A smart borrower will make the decision about whether or not the lower but changeable rate is a good decision based on information about interest rates (information, stability), and the decision may also depend on how long the borrower plans to live in the house (time).
Difficulty: 03 Hard
Learning Objective: 01-02
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Blooms: Analyze
Topic: The Five Core Principles of Money and Banking