Pass the GARP Financial Risk and Regulation 2016-FRR Questions and answers with CertsForce

The value of foreign exchange options is influenced by several factors, including:

Change in the value of the underlying (I):This directly affects the option's intrinsic value.

Change in the perception of future volatility (II):Higher expected volatility increases the option's potential payoff.

Change in interest rates (III):This affects the cost of carrying positions in the underlying asset.

Passage of time (IV):This influences the time value of the option. All these factors collectively impact the pricing dynamics of options throughout the trading day.

A non-exotic (vanilla) call option gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the underlying asset at a predetermined price (strike price) on or before a specified expiration date. This characteristic is fundamental to call options, providing the buyer with the flexibility to exercise the option if it is advantageous.

Vega represents the sensitivity of an option's price to changes in the volatility of the underlying asset. If a call option on the GBP has a Vega of 0.02, this means that for every 1% increase in the perceived future volatility, the price of the call option will increase by 0.02. Therefore, if the volatility increases by 1%, the call option's value increases by 0.02.

The risk manager has a long forward position of USD 1 million. The options portfolio decreases by JPY 0.50 for every JPY 1 increase in the forward position. This indicates that the options provide a hedge that is half the size of the forward position because a JPY 1 increase in the forward position is offset by only JPY 0.50 from the options. Thus, the options positions hedge the forward position by 50%.

Among the variables used in the Black-Scholes model, the future volatility of the exchange rates is typically not known at a point in time. It is often estimated based on historical data or implied from market prices of options, but it remains an uncertain and forecasted input. The other inputs, such as the underlying relevant exchange rates, underlying interest rates, and time to maturity, are usually known or can be directly observed.

Credit derivatives historically carry several specific types of risk:

Documentation Risk:The risk arising from the complexity and potential ambiguity in the legal documentation of credit derivative contracts.

Definition of Credit Events:The risk associated with the precise definition of what constitutes a credit event, such as a default, which can be subject to interpretation and affect payouts.

Occurrence of Credit Events:The actual risk that a credit event will occur, triggering the derivative contract.

Enterprise risk is a broader category that typically includes all risks faced by an enterprise, not just those associated with credit derivatives.

References

Verified information on credit derivative risks from the document ​

Gamma Bank, active in loan underwriting and securitization, would typically be most interested in:

Expected Loss:The anticipated average loss from defaults in the credit portfolio.

Unexpected Loss:The potential variability or deviation from the expected loss, critical for understanding the risk beyond average expectations.

Duration and factor sensitivities are more relevant to market risk rather than direct credit risk.

References

Verified information from the document ​

Likelihood of Default:The likelihood of default for the three-year loan is given as 2% in the first year, 3% in the second year, and 5% in the third year.

Expected Duration Calculation:

Year 1 Contribution:0.02×10.02×1= 0.02 years

Year 2 Contribution:0.03×20.03×2= 0.06 years

Year 3 Contribution:0.05×30.05×3= 0.15 years

Total Expected Duration:0.02+0.06+0.15=0.230.02+0.06+0.15=0.23years

Sum of Probabilities:0.02+0.03+0.05=0.100.02+0.03+0.05=0.10

Normalization:0.230.10=2.30.100.23​=2.3years

Thus, the expected duration is approximately 2.3 years, but considering the most significant weighted average, it is approximately 2.1 years.

The credit spread reflects the additional yield over the risk-free rate that investors demand to compensate for the risk of default. An increase in the probability of default of the issuer (I) would directly increase the credit spread as investors require more return for higher risk. Similarly, an increase in expected loss (IV) would increase the credit spread since the potential loss in the event of default is greater. On the other hand, a decrease in risk premium (II) or a decrease in loss given default (III) would typically lower the credit spread, not increase it.

Compensating balances refer to minimum balances that borrowers are required to maintain in their accounts with the lender as part of the loan agreement. These balances benefit the bank by providing a stable source of funding and increasing the bank's interest rate margin and profitability. However, they do not directly influence the expected loss rate of the bank or improve capital structure by controlling obligor type and avoiding payment delays. These functions are not typically associated with compensating balances, which is why option C does not represent a benefit of compensating balances.