金融市场与金融机构基础课后答案.doc

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 1 (Questions are in bold print followed by answers.) 1. What is the difference between a financial asset and a tangible asset? A tangible asset is one whose value depends upon certain physical properties, e.g. land, capital equipment and machines. A financial asset, which is an intangible asset, represents a legal claim to some future benefits or cash flows. The value of a financial asset is not related to the physical form in which the claim is recorded. 2. What is the difference between the claim of a debtholder of General Motors and an equityholder of General Motors? The claim of the debt holder is established by contract, which specifies the amount and timing of periodic payments in the form of interest as well as term to maturity of the principal. The debt holder stands as a creditor and in case of default, he has a prior claim on firm assets over the equity- holder. The equity holder has a residual claim to assets and income. He can receive funds only after other claimants are satisfied. Income is in terms of dividends, the amount and timing of which are not certain. 3. What is the basic principle in determining the price of a financial asset? The price of any financial asset is the present value of the expected cash flows or a stream of payments over time. Thus, the basic variables in determining the price are: expected cash flows, discount rate and the timing of these cash flows. 4. Why is it difficult to determine the cash flow of a financial asset? The estimation and determination of cash flows is difficult because of several reasons. These include accounting measures, possibility of default of the issuer, and embedded options in the security. Interest payments can also change over time. There is uncertainty as to the amount and the timing of these payments. 5. Why are the characteristics of an issuer important in determining the price of a financial asset? The characteristics of the issuer are important because these dete