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HPR and HPY Calculations in Investments

This document contains sample questions and solutions for a portfolio management tutorial. Question 1 asks to calculate the holding period return (HPR) and holding period yield (HPY) on an investment in Cara Cotton stock that was purchased for $65 per share and sold for $61 per share a year later, with $3 per share in dividends received during that year. Question 2 provides annual returns for two stocks over 5 years and asks to calculate and compare various return measures like the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and geometric mean for each stock. Question 3 gives the possible returns and probabilities for Madison Leather Corp stock and asks to calculate the expected return. Question 4 provides

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
94 views2 pages

HPR and HPY Calculations in Investments

This document contains sample questions and solutions for a portfolio management tutorial. Question 1 asks to calculate the holding period return (HPR) and holding period yield (HPY) on an investment in Cara Cotton stock that was purchased for $65 per share and sold for $61 per share a year later, with $3 per share in dividends received during that year. Question 2 provides annual returns for two stocks over 5 years and asks to calculate and compare various return measures like the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and geometric mean for each stock. Question 3 gives the possible returns and probabilities for Madison Leather Corp stock and asks to calculate the expected return. Question 4 provides

Uploaded by

rosario correia
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

FINC712 Portfolio Management & Investment Analysis

Tutorial 1_Q&A

Question 1

On August 15, you purchased 100 shares of stock in Cara Cotton Company
at $65 a share and a year later you sold it for $61 a share. During the year
you received dividends of $3 a share. Calculate the HPR and HPY on your
investment in Cara Cotton.

Question 2

During the past 5 years you owned two stocks that had the following rates of
return:

Year Stock T Stock B


1 0.19 0.08
2 0.08 0.03
3 -0.12 -0.09
4 -0.03 0.02
5 0.15 0.04

a) Calculate the annual arithmetic mean rate of return for each stock.
Which stock is the most desirable by this measure?

b) Calculate the standard deviation of the annual rate of return for stock T.
Knowing that the standard deviation for stock B’s returns is equal to
0.06348, indicate which is the preferable stock by this measure.

c) Compute the coefficient of variation for each stock. According to this


measure of relative risk, which stock is preferable?

d) Compute the geometric mean rate of return for each stock. Discuss the
difference between the arithmetic and the geometric means for each
stock.
FINC712 Portfolio Management & Investment Analysis
Tutorial 1_Q&A

Question 3

You are considering acquiring shares of common stock in the Madison


Leather Corporation. Your rate of return expectations are as follows:

MADISON LEATHER CORP.


Possible rate of return Probability
-0.10 0.30
0.00 0.10
0.10 0.30
0.25 0.30

Calculate the expected return [E(Ri)] on your investment in Madison Leather


Corp.

Question 4

During the past year, you had a portfolio that contained US government T-
bills (short-term government bonds), long-term government bonds and
common stocks. The rates of return on each of them were as follows:

US government T-bills 5.50%


US government long-term bonds 7.50%
US companies common stocks 11.60%

During the year, the consumer price index, which measures the general rise
in prices, went from 160 to 172. Calculate the rate of inflation during this
year. Calculate the real rates of return on each of the investment on your
portfolio based on the inflation rate.

Common questions

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The Holding Period Rate (HPR) is calculated by adding the dividend received and the final sale price, subtracting the original purchase price, and dividing the result by the original purchase price. For Cara Cotton Company, HPR is ((61 + 3) - 65) / 65 = -0.0154 or -1.54%. Holding Period Yield (HPY) is expressed as a percentage, which here is -1.54% .

Diversification involves spreading investment across various assets to reduce overall risk. In a portfolio with T-bills, government bonds, and stocks, diversification minimizes unsystematic risk inherent in individual securities, as government bonds and T-bills are generally less volatile, providing stability. Common stocks offer higher potential returns but come with higher risk. This asset mix can lower the portfolio's volatility compared to holding stocks alone, balancing risk and return effectively .

Investors assess risk tolerance by examining both the standard deviation and the coefficient of variation of returns. Stock B has a lower standard deviation and coefficient of variation than Stock T, indicating it's a less risky investment. Risk-averse investors might prefer Stock B due to its stability, even with a lower arithmetic mean return. Conversely, risk-tolerant investors might choose Stock T for higher average returns, accepting greater variance .

The coefficient of variation (CV) measures risk per unit of return and is calculated by dividing the standard deviation by the mean return. It allows comparison of risk between assets with different means. For Stock T and Stock B, a lower CV indicates a more desirable investment as it implies less risk per unit of expected return. Calculating this for both stocks helps to determine which stock offers a higher return relative to its risk, making the stock with the lower CV preferable .

Analyzing expected returns and their probabilities helps in understanding risk-return dynamics. In Madison Leather Corporation's case, the significant probability of negative or zero return indicates high uncertainty. Weighing such risks against expected positive returns helps investors decide if potential earnings justify the risk. Investments with high variance in expected returns might favor risk-tolerant investors or require hedging strategies to mitigate potential losses, thereby informing strategic investment or portfolio allocation decisions .

The real rate of return is calculated by adjusting the nominal return for inflation. If the CPI increases from 160 to 172, the inflation rate is (172-160)/160 = 0.075 or 7.5%. For an investment, the real rate of return is nominal return minus inflation rate. Thus, with a nominal return of 11.6% on common stocks, the real return is 11.6% - 7.5% = 4.1% .

The expected rate of return is calculated by multiplying each possible rate of return by its probability and summing the results. For Madison Leather Corp., this is (-0.10 * 0.30) + (0.00 * 0.10) + (0.10 * 0.30) + (0.25 * 0.30) = 0.045 or 4.5% .

The arithmetic mean is commonly used for average expected return over single periods, whereas the geometric mean accounts for compounding over multiple periods and is typically smaller given the same data set, especially if returns vary significantly across periods. Recognizing this difference helps investors evaluate long-term performance more accurately, as the geometric mean better reflects compound growth rates over time and provides a more realistic measure of what an investor can expect to earn .

Inflation erodes purchasing power, thus reducing real investment returns. By adjusting nominal returns for inflation, investors understand the actual growth of their investment in real terms. For T-bills, bonds, and stocks, inflation adjustments reveal stocks often yield the highest real returns, albeit with higher risk, whereas T-bills typically provide lower real returns, prioritizing capital preservation. Understanding these dynamics helps investors align portfolios with financial goals and risk tolerance .

The geometric mean rate of return is calculated by taking the product of (1 plus each return rate), raising it to the power of 1/n (where n is the number of periods), and subtracting 1. For Stock T, the returns are 0.19, 0.08, -0.12, -0.03, and 0.15. The geometric mean is [(1.19)*(1.08)*(0.88)*(0.97)*(1.15)]^(1/5) - 1 = 0.0432 or 4.32%. It differs from the arithmetic mean, which is simply the sum of returns divided by the number of periods (0.054 or 5.4%) because the geometric mean accounts for the compounding effect over time .

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