Portfolio Management Flashcards

1
Q

Which type of mutual fund trades at it’s net asset value per share?

A

Open-ended mutual fund

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Investors can buy newly issued shares of mutual funds

A

Open-ended mutual fund (@ NAV)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Mutual fund pruchased for market determined prices:

A

Closed-ended mutual fund

Small minimuim investment required

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Which type of mutual fund trades at premium or discount?

A

closed-ended funds & ETFS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

professionally managed pools of investor money that do not take new investment into the fund or redeem investor shares

A

Closed-ended fund:
Traded: OTC or exchange traded

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Which type of pooled investment vehicles are least likely to have a capital gains distribution?

A

ETF

there might be a cap gain/loss on the shares sold, but the gain/loss from the sale is not a distribution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Passively managed pools of funds, that are invested to match a particular index

A

ETF

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

attempts to profit from arbitrage opportunities in interest rate securities

A

fixed income arbitrage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Make only a few large investments in private companies with the intent of selling the restructured companies in three to five years

A

buyout funds/private equity firms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

The key difference between a wrap account and a mutual fund is that in a wrap account:

A

the assets are owned directly by the individual

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

A more diversified portfolio will have a diversification ratio that is:

A

Lower ratio, compared to less diversified portfolio

Low ratio: A portfolio containing the highest number of securities from different industries will be the most diversified and will have the lowest diversification ratio
High ratio: A portfolio of stocks from the same industry is likely to have a higher diversification ratio than a portfolio of stocks from different industries.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

The ratio of an equally weighted portfolio’s standard deviation of return to the average standard deviation of the securities in the portfolio is known as the

A

diversification ratio

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

acquires entire public companies, takes them private, and reorganizes the companies to increase their value

A

private equity fund/buyout fund

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Modern portfolio theory concludes that an investor should:
-evaluate potential investments from a _____ perspective
-consider how the investment will affect the _______ of an investor’s portfolio as a whole

A

portfolio level
risk and return characteristics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

This return measure uses the IRR of the inflows and outflows of a portfolio:

A

Money-weighted return

The discount rate that makes the PV of cash inflows = PV of cash outflows

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

This return measure measures compound growth; the rate at which $1 compounds over a specific performance horizon:

A

Time-weighted return

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

When the manager does not direct the flow of cash into and out of the account, the preferred return measure is:

A

Time-weighted reutrn

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

When the manager controls the money flows into and out of an account, the return measure that is most appropriat is:

A

money-weighted return

Would be best used for someone who makes frequent additions/withdrawals; Money-weighted return takes the cash flows and their timing specifically into account and conveys to the client the average growth rate of all money invested in a portfolio.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Return adjusted for inflation

A

real return

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Measures the increase in an investor’s purchasing power; how much more goods or services can she purchase at the end of the year due to the increase in value of her investments

A

Real return

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

For two stock, their prices will tend to move together over time and they will tend to produce rates of return greater than their mean returns at the same time and produce rates of return less than their mean returns at the same time, if they are:

A

positive covariance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

The portfolio on the minimum-variance frontier with the lowest standard deviation is:

A

the global minimum-variance portfolio; attainable but not the optimal risky portfolio

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

With respect to the mean–variance theory, the optimal portfolio is determined by each individual investor’s

A

risk preference

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

If given the standard deviation of the portfolio, we are given the weighted average average, meaning the correlation between the securities =

A

1 (perfectly positively correlated)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

= Actual return – expected risk-adjusted return

A

Abnormal return

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Plots expected return against the standard deviation of return (total risk):

A

Efficient frontier

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Describes the risk/return tradeoff of various combinations of the market portfolio and a riskless asset, for efficient portfolios:

A

CML

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Describes the risk/return tradeoff for individual securities or portfolios

A

SML

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

The slope of the security market line (SML) is best derived from the:

A

Market risk premium (MRP)

The risk free rate is the intercept term

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

the risk that extreme events are more likely than the organization’s managers/analysis have assumed

A

tail risk/downside risk; usually a result of model risk- using inappropriate model assumptions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

The probability of extreme negative outcomes in the tail of a distribution

A

Value at risk VAR (Measure of tail risk)

Conditional VaR is the expected value of a loss, given that the loss exceeds a minimum amount.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

The magnitude of extreme negative outcomes in the tail of a distribution.

A

Conditional value at risk (Measure of tail risk)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

uncertainty about whether the counterparty a transaction will fulfill its contractual obligations

A

credit risk (financial risk)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

uncertainty about market prices of assets (stocks, commodities, and currencies) and interest rates

A

Market risk (financial risk)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Buying insurance is best described as a method for an organization to:

A

Transfer a risk

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

the risk that the organization will run out of cash and therefore be unable to continue operating

A

Solvency risk

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

arises from faulty processes or human error within the organization

A

Operational risk

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

The process of:
Identifying an organization’s risk tolerance, identify the risks it faces,
and monitor or address these risks.

A

Risk management process;

The goal is not to minimize or eliminate risks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

modeling the effects of changes in multiple inputs at the same time

A

Scenario analysis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

examines the effects of changes in a single input

A

Stress testing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

refers to managing a risk by modifying the distribution of outcomes.

A

Risk shifting; usually with a derivatives contract

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

A security’s beta is best estimated by the slope of:

A

the Security’s characteristic line

Securitity’s characteristic line is based on the market model, Ri = α + βi (Rmkt – Rf)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

Measures the market risk of an asset or portfolio

A

Beta

Beta= systematic risk

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

measures the interest rate sensitivity of the value of a fixed-income security or portfolio

A

Duration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

measures the interest rate sensitivity of the value of a derivative

A

RHo

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

senior management’s oversight of the organization’s risk management

A

Risk governance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

The process of defining a level of risk to be taken, with the goal of maximizing the portfolio’s value

A

Risk management process

48
Q

the top-down process and guidance that defines risk tolerance, provides risk oversight and guidance to align risk with enterprise goals

A

risk governance

49
Q

a process that addresses a common set of factors within different organizations

A

risk management framework

50
Q

Provides top decision-makers with a forum for considering risk management issues, at the operational level

A

Risk committee; part of the risk governance structure, at the operational level

51
Q

Risk tolerance an risk exposure should be:

A

kept in alignment; part of the risk management framework

52
Q

includes the qualitative assessment and evaluation of risk

A

Risk identification & measurement

53
Q

This process forces the firm to consider risk tradeoffs, so that the firm can invest where the return per unit of risk is the highest

A

Risk budgeting

54
Q

Indicates the minimum loss that will occur over a period with a specified probability:

A

VaR

55
Q

If a company has a one-day 5% Value at Risk of $1 million, this means:

A

5% of the time the firm is expected to lose at least $1 million in one day.

56
Q

Weighing costs versus benefits in light of the organization’s risk tolerance.

A

The choice of Risk-modification methods

57
Q

Looks for changes in intrinsic value; forward looking

A

fundamental analysis: what prices should be based on DCF

58
Q

Tries to predict future price changes in past trade prices and volume

A

Technical analysis

59
Q

In a candle stick chart, if the bar is open it signifies that:

A

the stock closed at a higher price than the open, on that trade day

60
Q

Downtrend line connects:
Uptrend line connect:

A

downtrend connects highs: lower highs & lower lows
uptrend connects lows: higher highs, higher lows

61
Q

Price where buying pressures limits a downtrend: Demand > Supply

A

Support (at the bottom-floor)

62
Q

Price where selling pressure limits an uptrend: Demand < Supply

A

Resistance (at the top- ceiling)

63
Q

A higher sharpe ratio indicates:

A

Higher excess return per unit of risk

64
Q

Risk and Expected return have a relationship:

A

Positive relationship; given by the upward sloping SML & CML

65
Q

Concludes that expected returns are a positive (linear) function of systematic risk:

A

CAPM

E(R)= Rf + B(R(m) - Rf))

Beta is systematic risk of the market

66
Q

Ensuring the quality of data—for example, by adjusting for bad or missing data

Ex: An analyst adjusts daily stock index data from two countries for their different market holidays.

A

Curation

67
Q

Refers to a perceived tendency for breached support levels to become resistance levels and breached resistance levels to become support levels:

A

Change in polarity

68
Q

Decreasing volume on each of the high prices in a head and shoulders pattern suggests:

(or each of the low prices in an inverse head and shoulders)

A

Weakening in the supply and demand forces that were driving the price trend

69
Q

Firm invests the majority of a portfolio passively and uses active strategies for the remaining portion:

A

Core-satellite approach

Example: A firm that invests the majority of a portfolio to track a benchmark index, and uses active investment strategies for the remaining portion

70
Q

Specifying the percentages of a portfolio’s value to allocate to specific asset classes

A

Strategic Asset Allocation

71
Q

Allocating a portfolio’s overall permitted risk among strategic asset allocation, tactical asset allocation, and security selection:

A

Risk budgeting

72
Q
  • Liquidity
  • Legality
  • Time horizon
  • Tax
  • Unique needs
A

IPS- Constraints

73
Q
  • Risk
  • Return
A

IPS- Objectives

Absolute & relative guidelines

74
Q

Jensen’s alpha is based on:

A

Systematic risk (market risk)

75
Q

Measures excess return per total risk

A

Sharpe ratio

(Measure of risk-adjusted return)

Total Risk: standard deviation

76
Q

Measures excess return per systematic risk

A

Treynor

(Measure of risk-adjusted return)

Systematic risk: beta risk

77
Q

Excess return is:

A

The return in excess of the Risk-free rate

78
Q

Difference in percentage return on a portfolio and the expected return on the market, for a portfolio that has the same risk:

A

M-squared

(Measure of risk-adjusted return)

79
Q

Measures the difference between the actual return on the portfolio & the expected return on a portfolio, given the same systematic risk:

A

Jensen’s alpha

(Measure of risk-adjusted return)

Given the beta of the portoflio, How did the portfolio do compared to the expected return for that beta
SML

80
Q

Measures based on systematic risk (beta) are appropriate for:

A

Well diversified portfolio

  • Treynor Measure
  • Jensen’s alpha
81
Q

Measures based on total risk are appropriate for:

A

Concentrated portfolios

  • M-squared
  • Sharpe Ratio

Total Risk: standard deviation

82
Q

Risk-adjusted return measures of excess return per unit of total risk:

A

Sharpe Ratio
M-squared

Total risk= standard deviation

Used for undivisified portfolios

83
Q

Risk adjusted return measures of excess return per unit of systematic risk:

A

Jensen’s alpha
Treynor Measure

Systematic risk= market risk= beta

Used for well diversified portfolios

84
Q

High beta stocks and low beta stocks will:

A

High beta: increase the systematic risk of a portfolio
Low beta: decrease the systematic risk of a portfolio

85
Q

The collection of large quantities of data from a variety of sources in multiple formats:

A

Big Data

86
Q

A primary driver of fintech is the increasingly ____ nature of data that firms must process:

A

Unstructured

tweets, texts

87
Q

A primary driver of fintech is the increasingly ____ nature of data that firms must process:

A

Unstructured

tweets, texts

88
Q
  1. Market prices reflect all known information.
  2. Market prices exhibit trends and countertrends that tend to persist.
  3. Market prices exhibit patterns and cycles that repeat themselves in predictable ways.
A

Key principles of Technical Analysis

89
Q

Investors may give themselves credit for recent market advances, fueling overconfidence bias:

A

Hindsight bias

Asset bubbles

90
Q

May cause investors to believe recent market highs are rational and keep them in the market even as market prices or company fundamentals have started to decline:

A

Anchoring

91
Q

Maintaining ownership records for physical assets by using distributed ledger technology:

A

Tokenization

Record & maintain ownership titles using distributed ledger technology

92
Q

Contracts that execute automatically when certain conditions are met:

A

Smart contracts

93
Q

Subset of distributed ledger technology:

A

Blockchain

94
Q

Irrational resistance to change due to comfort with an existing situation, is a type of emotional bias:

A

Status quo bias

Outcomes: endowment bias & regret aversion

95
Q

In choosing asset classes for establishing strategic allocation across assets, the manager would most prefer that:

A

Correlations of asset returns within an asset class > correlations of asset class returns

Correlation of stocks vs stocks > correlation of stock vs bonds

96
Q

The lower the correlation between two securities the:

A

Greater the risk reduction to a portfolio

97
Q

A risk-averse investor would prefer the portfolio with correlation coefficient that is:

A

Lowest Correlation

98
Q

A chart that displays the price of an asset relative to the price of another asset or benchmark over time

A

Relative Strength Chart

99
Q

This chart is most useful for intermarket analysis:

A

Relative strength chart

Useful for demonstrating whether one asset class or market has outperformed or underperformed another

100
Q

These charts are most useful for analyzing a single asset or market over time:

A

Candlestick
Volume Chart

101
Q

Bias that results from the likelihood that some anomalies will show up by chance in a large enough number of tests:

A

Data snooping

102
Q

For a single security alpha is the:

A

risk-adjusted/abnormal return for the period

103
Q

When estimating the risk adjusted (abnormal) return on a single stock, we use:

A

Jensen’s alpha

104
Q

When the forecasted stock return is less than the CAPM return, the stock is:

A

Overvalued

The security is returning less than the CAPM fair return

105
Q

All of the below are considered:

  • Inflation
  • interest rates
  • economic cycles
  • politics
  • natural disaster
A

Elements of systematic risk

An unexpected price is a non-systematic element

106
Q

Which type of asset allocation?

The decision to deliberately deviate from the policy portfolio:

A

Tactical asset allocation

107
Q

Asset allocation strategy that attempts to take advantage of temporary dislocations from the market conditions and assumptions that drove the policy portfolio decision:

A

Tactical asset allocation

108
Q

In terms of market bubbles, which behavioral bias is most strongly associated:

A

Overconfidence and excessive trading

self-attribution (form of overconfidence)

109
Q

Bubbles & crashs are well-known and well-documented yet, represent:

A

Market anomolies

110
Q

The halo effect is an example of:

A

Representativeness

111
Q

Algorithmic trading has increased:

A

trading destinations

global financial markets

112
Q

Streamlining post-trade processes is a benefit of:

A

DTL

real time clearing and settlement of securities trading

113
Q

When comparing stocks in the CAPM pricing model, there are no assumptions about the impact on expected return from a stock’s:

A

Unsystematic risk; Standard deviation

114
Q

Compared to a normal distribution, historical returns on major asset classes in developed markets have exhibited:

A

More frequent large negative deviations

positive excess kurtosis & negative skew

115
Q

The theory that bearing unsystematic risk will provide no additional expected return, assumes that unsystematic risk can be diversified away at:

A

no cost

116
Q

An investor willing to sell for 60, but would buy for 50, is showing:

A

endowment bias

valuing something you own more than you would if you didn’t own it