MB Chapter 7 Quiz
C
Dishonest corporate accounting procedures caused stock prices to A) increase due to higher expected dividend growth and higher future sales price. B) decrease due to lower expected dividend growth and lower required return. C) decrease due to lower expected dividend growth and higher required return. D) increase due to higher expected dividend growth and lower required return.
D
During the past decade, the average rate of monetary growth has been 5%, and the average inflation rate has been 5%. Everything else held constant, if the Federal Reserve announces that the new rate of monetary growth will be 10%, the rational expectation forecast of the inflation rate will be A) 5%. B) between 5 and 10%. C) less than 5%. D) 10%. E) more than 10%.
A
Economists have focused more attention on the formation of expectations in recent years. This increase in interest can probably best be explained by the recognition that A) expectations influence the behavior of participants in the economy and thus have a major impact on economic activity. B) expectations influence only a few individuals, have little impact on the overall economy, but can have important effects on a few markets. C) expectations influence many individuals, have little impact on the overall economy, but can have distributional effects. D) models that ignore expectations have little predictive power, even in the short run.
D
Everything else held constant, an increase in uncertainty due to threat of war will A) increase stock prices due to a higher required return. B) depress stock prices due to a lower required return. C) increase stock prices due to a lower required return. D) depress stock prices due to a higher required return.
D
Evidence against market efficiency includes A) failure of technical analysis to outperform the market. B) the random walk behavior of stock prices. C) the inability of mutual fund managers to consistently beat the market. D) the January effect.
A
Evidence in support of the efficient markets hypothesis includes A) the failure of technical analysis to outperform the market. B) the small-firm effect. C) the January effect. D) excessive volatility.
D
Excessive volatility refers to the fact that A) stock returns display mean reversion. B) stock prices can be slow to react to new information. C) stock price tend to rise in the month of January. D) stock prices fluctuate more than is justified by dividend fluctuations.
C
Financial markets quickly eliminate unexploited profit opportunities through changes in A) dividend payments. B) tax laws. C) asset prices. D) monetary policy.
C
For small investors, the best way to pursue a ʺbuy and holdʺ strategy is to A) buy and sell individual stocks frequently. B) buy no-load mutual funds with high management fees. C) buy no-load mutual funds with low management fees. D) buy load mutual funds.
The stockʹs price should fall. The price had adjusted based on the statement of expected earnings. When the actual number turned out to be lower than expected, the stock price changes to reflect the additional information.
If a corporation announces that it expects quarterly earnings to increase by 25% and it actually sees an increase of 22%, what should happen to the price of the corporationʹs stock if the efficient markets hypothesis holds, everything else held constant?
A
If a forecast made using all available information is not perfectly accurate, then it is A) still a rational expectation. B) not a rational expectation. C) an adaptive expectation. D) a second-best expectation.
C
If a mutual fund outperforms the market in one period, evidence suggests that this fund is A) highly likely to consistently outperform the market in subsequent periods due to its superior investment strategy. B) likely to under-perform the market in subsequent periods to average its overall returns. C) not likely to consistently outperform the market in subsequent periods. D) not likely to outperform the market in any subsequent period.
B
If additional information is not used when forming an optimal forecast because it is not available at that time, then expectations are A) obviously formed irrationally. B) still considered to be formed rationally. C) formed adaptively. D) formed equivalently.
C
If expectations are formed adaptively, then people A) use more information than just past data on a single variable to form their expectations of that variable. B) often change their expectations quickly when faced with new information. C) use only the information from past data on a single variable to form their expectations of that variable. D) never change their expectations once they have been made.
C
If expectations of the future inflation rate are formed solely on the basis of a weighted average of past inflation rates, then economics would say that expectation formation is A) irrational. B) rational. C) adaptive. D) reasonable.
A
If market participants notice that a variable behaves differently now than in the past, then, according to rational expectations theory, we can expect market participants to A) change the way they form expectations about future values of the variable. B) begin to make systematic mistakes. C) no longer pay close attention to movements in this variable. D) give up trying to forecast this variable.
A
If the optimal forecast of the return on a security exceeds the equilibrium return, then: A) the market is inefficient. B) no unexploited profit opportunities exist. C) the market is in equilibrium. D) the market is myopic.
C
In a rational bubble, investors can have ________ expectations. A) irrational B) adaptive C) rational D) myopic
D
In asset markets, an assetʹs price is A) set equal to the highest price a seller will accept. B) set equal to the highest price a buyer is willing to pay. C) set equal to the lowest price a seller is willing to accept. D) set by the buyer willing to pay the highest price.
D
In rational expectations theory, the term ʺoptimal forecastʺ is essentially synonymous with A) correct forecast. B) the correct guess. C) the actual outcome. D) the best guess.
C
In the Gordon Growth Model, the growth rate is assumed to be ________ the required return on equity. A) greater than B) equal to C) less than D) proportional to
A
In the Gordon growth model, a decrease in the required rate of return A) increases the current stock price. B) increases the future stock price. C) reduces the future stock price. D) reduces the current stock price.
B
In the generalized dividend model, a future sales price far in the future does not affect the current stock price because A) the present value cannot be computed. B) the present value is almost zero. C) the sales price does not affect the current price. D) the stock may never be sold.
A
In the generalized dividend model, if the expected sales price is in the distant future A) it does not affect the stock price. B) it is more important than dividends in determining a stockʹs price. C) it is equally important with dividends in determining the stockʹs price. D) it is less important than dividends but still affects a stockʹs price.
B
In the generalized dividend model, the current stock price is the sum of A) the actual value of the future dividend stream. B) the present value of the future dividend stream. C) the present value of the future dividend stream plus the actual future sales price. D) the present value of the future sales price.
D
In the one-period valuation model, an increase in the required return A) increases the expected sales price of a stock. B) increases the current price of a stock. C) reduces the expected sales price of a stock. D) reduces the current price of a stock.
A
In the one-period valuation model, the current stock price increases if A) the expected sales price increases. B) the expected sales price falls. C) the required return increases. D) dividends are cut.
A
In the one-period valuation model, the value of a share of stock depends upon A) the present value of both dividends and the expected sales price. B) only the present value of the future dividends. C) the actual value of the dividends and expected sales price received in one year. D) the future value of dividends and the actual sales price.
B
Information plays an important role in asset pricing because it allows the buyer to more accurately judge ________. A) liquidity B) risk C) capital D) policy
B
Mean reversion refers to the fact that A) small firms have higher than average returns. B) stocks that have had low returns in the past are more likely to do well in the future. C) stock returns are high during the month of January. D) stock prices fluctuate more than is justified by fundamentals.
A
New information about an asset can result in a decrease in the assetʹs price due to A) an expected decrease in the level of future dividends. B) a decrease in the required rate of return. C) an expected increase in the dividend growth rate. D) an expected increase in the future sales price.
C
One of the assumptions of the Gordon Growth Model is that dividends will continue growing at ________ rate. A) an increasing B) a fast C) a constant D) an escalating
B
People have a strong incentive to form rational expectations because A) they are guaranteed of success in the stock market. B) it is costly not to do so. C) it is costly to do so. D) everyone wants to be rational.
B
Periodic payments of net earnings to shareholders are known as A) capital gains. B) dividends. C) profits. D) interest.
B
Psychologists have found that people tend to be ________ in their own judgments. A) underconfident B) overconfident C) indecisive D) insecure
D
Rational expectations forecast errors will on average be ________ and therefore ________ be predicted ahead of time. A) positive; can B) positive; cannot C) negative; can D) zero; cannot
A
Rules used to predict movements in stock prices based on past patterns are, according to the efficient markets hypothesis, A) a waste of time. B) profitably employed by all financial analysts. C) the most efficient rules to employ. D) consistent with the random walk hypothesis.
B
Sometimes one observes that the price of a companyʹs stock falls after the announcement of favorable earnings. This phenomenon is A) clearly inconsistent with the efficient markets hypothesis. B) consistent with the efficient markets hypothesis if the earnings were not as high as anticipated. C) consistent with the efficient markets hypothesis if the earnings were not as low as anticipated. D) consistent with the efficient markets hypothesis if the favorable earnings were expected.
D
Stockholders are residual claimants, meaning that they A) have the first priority claim on all of a companyʹs assets. B) are liable for all of a companyʹs debts. C) will never share in a companyʹs profits. D) receive the remaining cash flow after all other claims are paid.
D
Studies of mutual fund performance indicate that mutual funds that outperformed the market in one time period usually A) beat the market in the next time period. B) beat the market in the next two subsequent time periods. C) beat the market in the next three subsequent time periods. D) do not beat the market in the next time period.
No, this prediction is not using rational expectations. Although Barbara based her guess on the information that was available to her at the time, additional information was readily available that could have been used to improve her prediction.
Suppose Barbara looks out in the morning and sees a clear sky so decides that a picnic for lunch is a good idea. Last night the weather forecast included a 100% chance of rain by midday but Barbara does not watch the local news program. Is Barbaraʹs prediction of good weather at lunchtime rational? Why or why not?
C
Survey evidence does conclusively show that A) people are always truthful when filling out a survey. B) every participant in a market must react for the market price to change. C) if the way a variable moves changes, the way expectations of this variable are formed will change also. D) surveys are always reliable.
A
Survey evidence may be a poor guide to market behavior because A) a marketʹs behavior may not be equally influenced by the expectations of all the survey participants. B) survey questions are ambiguous. C) the survey takers record answers however they want to. D) the survey has too many participants.
A
Terrorist attacks on the United States caused A) a decrease in stock prices due to lower expected growth and greater risk. B) a decrease in stock prices due to lower expected dividend growth and reduced uncertainty. C) an increase in stock prices due to an increased required return. D) an increase in stock prices due to higher expected dividend growth.
B
Tests of rational expectations in markets other than financial markets required the use of survey data from market participants. One problem with using survey data is A) it is not readily available. B) the responses are not always reliable. C) it leads to market churning. D) it requires the use of a technical analyst.
C
Tests used to rate the performance of rules developed in technical analysis conclude that technical analysis A) outperforms the overall market. B) far outperforms the overall market, suggesting that stockbrokers provide valuable services. C) does not outperform the overall market. D) does not outperform the overall market, suggesting that stockbrokers do not provide services of any value.
C
The January effect refers to the fact that A) most stock market crashes have occurred in January. B) stock prices tend to fall in January. C) stock prices have historically experienced abnormal price increases in January. D) the football team winning the Super Bowl accurately predicts the behavior of the stock market for the next year.
A
The advantage of a ʺbuy-and-hold strategyʺ is that A) net profits will tend to be higher because there will be fewer brokerage commissions. B) losses will eventually be eliminated. C) the longer a stock is held, the higher will be its price. D) profits are guaranteed.
B
The efficient markets hypothesis indicates that investors A) can use the advice of technical analysts to outperform the market. B) do better on average if they adopt a ʺbuy and holdʺ strategy. C) let too many unexploited profit opportunities go by if they adopt a ʺbuy and holdʺ strategy. D) do better if they purchase loaded mutual funds.
C
The efficient markets hypothesis predicts that stock prices follow a ʺrandom walk.ʺ The implication of this hypothesis for investing in stocks is A) a ʺchurning strategyʺ of buying and selling often to catch market swings. B) turning over your stock portfolio each month, selecting stocks by throwing darts at the stock page. C) a ʺbuy and hold strategyʺ of holding stocks to avoid brokerage commissions. D) following the advice of technical analysts.
C
The efficient markets hypothesis suggests that allocating your funds in the financial markets on the advice of a financial analyst A) will certainly mean higher returns than if you had made selections by throwing darts at the financial page. B) will always mean lower returns than if you had made selections by throwing darts at the financial page. C) is not likely to prove superior to a strategy of making selections by throwing darts at the financial page. D) is good for the economy.
B
The efficient markets hypothesis suggests that if an unexploited profit opportunity arises in an efficient market, A) it will tend to go unnoticed for some time. B) it will be quickly eliminated. C) financial analysts are your best source of this information. D) prices will reflect the unexploited profit opportunity.
A
The efficient markets hypothesis suggests that investors A) should purchase no-load mutual funds which have low management fees. B) can use the advice of technical analysts to outperform the market. C) let too many unexploited profit opportunities go by if they adopt a ʺbuy and holdʺ strategy. D) act on all ʺhot tipsʺ they hear.
B
The elimination of unexploited profit opportunities requires that ________ market participants be well informed. A) all B) a few C) zero D) many
A
The major criticism of the view that expectations are formed adaptively is that A) this view ignores that people use more information than just past data to form their expectations. B) it is easier to model adaptive expectations than it is to model rational expectations. C) adaptive expectations models have no predictive power. D) people are irrational and therefore never learn from past mistakes.
B
The number and availability of discount brokers has grown rapidly since the mid -1970s. The efficient markets hypothesis predicts that people who use discount brokers A) will likely earn lower returns than those who use full-service brokers. B) will likely earn about the same as those who use full-service brokers, but will net more after brokerage commissions. C) are going against evidence suggesting that full-service brokers can help outperform the market. D) are likely to outperform the market by a wide margin.
C
The small-firm effect refers to the A) negative returns earned by small firms. B) returns equal to large firms earned by small firms. C) abnormally high returns earned by small firms. D) low returns after adjusting for risk earned by small firms.
B
The tech stock crash of 2000 is evidence in support of A) the efficient markets hypothesis. B) a rational bubble. C) rational expectations. D) the small-firm effect.
B
The theory of rational expectations, when applied to financial markets, is known as A) monetarism. B) the efficient markets hypothesis. C) the theory of strict liability. D) the theory of impossibility.
D
The value of any investment is found by computing the A) present value of all future sales. B) present value of all future liabilities. C) future value of all future expenses. D) present value of all future cash flows.
D
The view that expectations change relatively slowly over time in response to new information is known in economics as A) rational expectations. B) irrational expectations. C) slow-response expectations. D) adaptive expectations.
D
To say that stock prices follow a ʺrandom walkʺ is to argue that stock prices A) rise, then fall, then rise again. B) rise, then fall in a predictable fashion. C) tend to follow trends. D) cannot be predicted based on past trends.
B
Using the Gordon growth formula, if D1 is $1.00, ke is 10% or 0.10, and g is 5% or 0.05, then the current stock price is A) $10. B) $20. C) $30. D) $40.
C
Using the Gordon growth formula, if D1 is $2.00, ke is 12% or 0.12, and g is 10% or 0.10, then the current stock price is A) $20. B) $50. C) $100. D) $150.
A
Using the Gordon growth model, a stockʹs price will increase if A) the dividend growth rate increases. B) the growth rate of dividends falls. C) the required rate of return rises. D) the expected sales price rises.
C
Using the one-period valuation model, assuming a year-end dividend of $0.11, an expected sales price of $110, and a required rate of return of 10%, the current price of the stock would be A) $110.11. B) $121.12. C) $100.10. D) $100.11
D
Using the one-period valuation model, assuming a year-end dividend of $1.00, an expected sales price of $100, and a required rate of return of 5%, the current price of the stock would be A) $110.00. B) $101.00. C) $100.00. D) $96.19.
Stockholders have the right to vote on issues brought before the stockholders, be the residual claimant , that is, receive a portion of any net earnings of the corporation, and the right to sell the stock.
What rights does ownership interest give stockholders?
C
When a corporation announces a major decline in earnings, the stock price may initially decline significantly and then rise back to normal levels over the next few weeks. This impact is called ________. A) the January effect B) mean reversion C) market overreaction D) the small-firm effect
A
Which of the following accurately summarize the empirical evidence about technical analysis? A) Technical analysts fare no better than other financial analysison average they do not outperform the market. B) Technical analysts tend to outperform other financial analysis, but on average they nevertheless under-perform the market. C) Technical analysts fare no better than other financial analysis, and like other financial analysts they outperform the market. D) Technical analysts fare no better than other financial analysis, and like other financial analysts they under-perform the market.
Use the Gordon Growth Model. $5(1 + .05)/(.12-.05) = $75
You believe that a corporationʹs dividends will grow 5% on average into the foreseeable future. If the companyʹs last dividend payment was $5 what should be the current price of the stock assuming a 12% required return?
D
You read a story in the newspaper announcing the proposed merger of Dell Computer and Gateway. The merger is expected to greatly increase Gatewayʹs profitability. If you decide to invest in Gateway stock, you can expect to earn A) above average returns since you will share in the higher profits. B) above average returns since your stock price will definitely appreciate as higher profits are earned. C) below average returns since computer makers have low profit rates. D) a normal return since stock prices adjust to reflect expected changes in profitability almost immediately.
No, if this information is readily available it will already be reflected in the stock price.
Your best friend calls and gives you the latest stock market ʺhot tipʺ that he heard at the health club. Should you act on this information? Why or why not?
A
________ and ________ may provide an explanation for stock market bubbles. A) Overconfidence; social contagion B) Underconfidence; social contagion C) Overconfidence; social isolationism D) Underconfidence; social isolationism
B
________ occurs when people are more unhappy when they suffer losses than they are happy when they achieve gains. A) Loss fundamentals B) Loss aversion C) Loss leader D) Loss cycle
C
A change in perceived risk of a stock changes A) the expected dividend growth rate. B) the expected sales price. C) the required rate of return. D) the current dividend.
D
A monetary expansion ________ stock prices due to a decrease in the ________ and an increase in the ________, everything else held constant. A) reduces; future sales price; expected rate of return B) reduces; current dividend; expected rate of return C) increases; required rate of return; future sales price D) increases; required rate of return; dividend growth rate
D
A phenomenon closely related to market overreaction is A) the random walk. B) the small-firm effect. C) the January effect. D) excessive volatility.
D
A situation when an asset price differs from its fundamental value is A) a random walk. B) an inflation. C) a deflation. D) a bubble.
B
A stockholderʹs ownership of a companyʹs stock gives her the right to A) vote and be the primary claimant of all cash flows. B) vote and be the residual claimant of all cash flows. C) manage and assume responsibility for all liabilities. D) vote and assume responsibility for all liabilities.
B
A stockʹs price will fall if there is A) a decrease in perceived risk. B) an increase in the required rate of return. C) an increase in the future sales price. D) current dividends are high.
D
According to rational expectations theory, forecast errors of expectations A) are more likely to be negative than positive. B) are more likely to be positive than negative. C) tend to be persistently high or low. D) are unpredictable.
D
According to rational expectations, A) expectations of inflation are viewed as being an average of past inflation rates. B) expectations of inflation are viewed as being an average of expected future inflation rates. C) expectations formation indicates that changes in expectations occur slowly over time as past data change. D) expectations will not differ from optimal forecasts using all available information.
C
According to the efficient markets hypothesis, purchasing the reports of financial analysts A) is likely to increase oneʹs returns by an average of 10%. B) is likely to increase oneʹs returns by about 3 to 5%. C) is not likely to be an effective strategy for increasing financial returns. D) is likely to increase oneʹs returns by an average of about 2 to 3%.
D
According to the efficient markets hypothesis, the best strategy for betting on an athletic tournament, such as the NCAA basketball tournaments, is to A) randomly pick the winners in each round. B) watch as many games as possible on television so you are as well informed as the ʺexperts.ʺ C) always select the underdog to win. D) select the highest seeded team to win each round.
C
According to the efficient markets hypothesis, the current price of a financial security: A) is the discounted net present value of future interest payments. B) is determined by the highest successful bidder. C) fully reflects all available relevant information. D) is a result of none of the above.
B
An expectation may fail to be rational if A) relevant information was not available at the time the forecast is made. B) relevant information is available but ignored at the time the forecast is made. C) information changes after the forecast is made. D) information was available to insiders only.
A
Another way to state the efficient markets condition is: in an efficient market, A) unexploited profit opportunities will be quickly eliminated. B) unexploited profit opportunities will never exist. C) arbitrageurs guarantee that unexploited profit opportunities never exist. D) every financial market participant must be well informed about securities.
D
Which of the following types of information most likely allows the exploitation of a profit opportunity? A) Financial analystsʹ published recommendations B) Technical analysis C) Hot tips from a stockbroker D) Insider information
