Economics Quiz
Sample Midterm #1 Questions
1. Which of the following does not constitute a form of direct foreign investment?
a. Franchising
b. International trade
c. Joint ventures
d. Acquisitions of existing operations
e. Establishment of new foreign subsidiaries
2. Which of the following theories identifies specialization as a reason for international business?
a. theory of comparative advantage.
b. imperfect markets theory.
c. product cycle theory.
d. none of the above
3. Agency costs faced by multinational corporations (MNCs) may be larger than those faced by purely domestic firms because
a. Monitoring of managers located in foreign countries is more difficult.
b. Foreign subsidiary managers raised in different cultures may not follow …show more content…
uniform goals.
c. MNCs are relatively large.
d. All of the above
e. A and B only
4. Which of the following industries would most likely take advantage of lower costs in some less developed foreign countries?
a. assembly line production.
b. specialized professional services.
c. nuclear missile planning.
d.
planning for more sophisticated computer technology.
5. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) increased restrictions on:
a. trade between Canada and Mexico.
b. trade between Canada and the U.S.
c. direct foreign investment in Mexico by U.S. firms.
d. none of the above.
6. Which of the following is mentioned in the text as a possible means by which the government may attempt to improve its balance of trade position (increase its exports or reduce its imports).
a. It could attempt to reduce its home currency's value.
b. The government could require firms to engage in outsourcing.
c. The government could require that its local firms pursue outsourcing.
d. All of the above are mentioned.
7. If a country's government imposes a tariff on imported goods, that country's current account balance will likely ____ (assuming no retaliation by other governments).
a. decrease
b. increase
c. remain unaffected
d. either A or C are possible
8. Assume that a bank's bid rate on Swiss francs is $.45 and its ask rate is $.47. Its bid-ask percentage spread is: a. about 4.44%.
b. about 4.26%.
c. about 4.03%.
d. about 4.17%.
9. If a U.S. firm desires to avoid the risk from exchange rate fluctuations, and it is receiving 100,000 in …show more content…
90 days, it could:
a. obtain a 90-day forward purchase contract on euros.
b. obtain a 90-day forward sale contract on euros.
c. purchase euros 90 days from now at the spot rate.
d. sell euros 90 days from now at the spot rate.
10. LIBOR is:
a. the interest rate commonly charged for loans between banks.
b. the average inflation rate in European countries.
c. the maximum loan rate ceiling on loans in the international money market.
d. the maximum deposit rate ceiling on deposits in the international money market.
e. the maximum interest rate offered on bonds that are issued in London.
11. Eurobonds:
a. can be issued only by European firms.
b. can be sold only to European investors.
c. A and B
d. none of the above
12. A Japanese yen is worth $.0080, and a Fijian dollar (F$) is worth $.5900. What is the value of the yen in
Fijian dollars (i.e., how many Fijian dollars do you need to buy a yen)?
a. 73.75.
b. 125.
c. 1.69.
d. 0.014.
e. none of the above
13.A quotation representing the value of a foreign currency in dollars is referred to as a(n) ____ quotation; a quotation representing the number of units of a foreign currency per dollar is referred to as a(n) ____ quotation. a. direct; indirect
b. indirect; direct
c. direct; direct
d. indirect; indirect
e. cannot be answered without more information
14. The value of the Australian dollar (A$) today is $0.73. Yesterday, the value of the Australian dollar was
$0.69. The Australian dollar ____ by ____%.
a. depreciated; 5.80
b. depreciated; 4.00
c. appreciated; 5.80
d. appreciated; 4.00
15. Baylor Bank believes the New Zealand dollar will appreciate over the next five days from $.48 to $.50.
The following annual interest rates apply:
Currency
Dollars
New Zealand dollar (NZ$)
Lending Rate
7.10%
6.80%
Borrowing Rate
7.50%
7.25%
Baylor Bank has the capacity to borrow either NZ$10 million or $5 million.
If Baylor Bank's forecast is correct, what will its dollar profit be from speculation over the five-day period (assuming it does not use any of its existing consumer deposits to capitalize on its expectations)?
a. $521,325.
b. $500,520.
c. $104,262.
d. $413,419.
e. $208,044.
16. If inflation increases substantially in Australia while U.S. inflation remains unchanged, this is expected to place ____ pressure on the value of the Australian dollar with respect to the U.S. dollar.
a. upward
b. downward
c. either upward or downward (depending on the degree of the increase in Australian inflation) d. none of the above; there will be no impact
17. The one-year forward rate of the British pound is quoted at $1.60, and the spot rate of the British pound is quoted at $1.63. The forward ____ is ____ percent.
a. discount; 1.9
b. discount; 1.8
c. premium; 1.9
d. premium; 1.8
18.If your firm expects the euro to substantially depreciate, it could speculate by ____ euro call options or ____ euros forward in the forward exchange market.
a. selling; selling
b. selling;
purchasing
c. purchasing; purchasing
d. purchasing; selling
19.Assume that a speculator purchases a put option on British pounds (with a strike price of $1.50) for $.05 per unit. A pound option represents 31,250 units. Assume that at the time of the purchase, the spot rate of the pound is $1.51 and continually rises to $1.62 by the expiration date. The highest net profit possible for the speculator based on the information above is:
a. $1,562.50.
b. $1,562.50.
c. $1,250.00.
d. $625.00.
20. You purchase a call option on pounds for a premium of $.03 per unit, with an exercise price of $1.64; the option will not be exercised until the expiration date, if at all. If the spot rate on the expiration date is
$1.65, your net profit per unit is:
a. $.03.
b. $.02.
c. $.01.
d. $.02.
e. none of the above
21. A U.S. corporation has purchased currency call options to hedge a 70,000 pound payable. The premium is
$.02 and the exercise price of the option is $.50. If the spot rate at the time of maturity is $.65, what is the total amount paid by the corporation if it acts rationally?
a. $33,600.
b. $46,900.
c. $44,100.
d. $36,400.
22. Which of the following is not true regarding the Mexican peso crisis?
a. Mexico encouraged firms and consumers to buy an excessive amount of imports because the peso was stronger than it should have been.
b. Many speculators based in the U.S. speculated on the potential decline in the peso by investing their funds in Mexico.
c. In December of 1994, the central bank of Mexico allowed the peso to float freely.
d. The central bank of Mexico increased interest rates after the peso declined in value in order to prevent investors from withdrawing their investments in Mexico's debt securities.
e. All of the above are true.
1. Which of the following does not constitute a form of direct foreign investment?
a. Franchising
b. International trade
c. Joint ventures
d. Acquisitions of existing operations
e. Establishment of new foreign subsidiaries
2. Which of the following theories identifies specialization as a reason for international business?
a. theory of comparative advantage.
b. imperfect markets theory.
c. product cycle theory.
d. none of the above
3. Agency costs faced by multinational corporations (MNCs) may be larger than those faced by purely domestic firms because
a. Monitoring of managers located in foreign countries is more difficult.
b. Foreign subsidiary managers raised in different cultures may not follow …show more content…
uniform goals.
c. MNCs are relatively large.
d. All of the above
e. A and B only
4. Which of the following industries would most likely take advantage of lower costs in some less developed foreign countries?
a. assembly line production.
b. specialized professional services.
c. nuclear missile planning.
d.
planning for more sophisticated computer technology.
5. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) increased restrictions on:
a. trade between Canada and Mexico.
b. trade between Canada and the U.S.
c. direct foreign investment in Mexico by U.S. firms.
d. none of the above.
6. Which of the following is mentioned in the text as a possible means by which the government may attempt to improve its balance of trade position (increase its exports or reduce its imports).
a. It could attempt to reduce its home currency's value.
b. The government could require firms to engage in outsourcing.
c. The government could require that its local firms pursue outsourcing.
d. All of the above are mentioned.
7. If a country's government imposes a tariff on imported goods, that country's current account balance will likely ____ (assuming no retaliation by other governments).
a. decrease
b. increase
c. remain unaffected
d. either A or C are possible
8. Assume that a bank's bid rate on Swiss francs is $.45 and its ask rate is $.47. Its bid-ask percentage spread is: a. about 4.44%.
b. about 4.26%.
c. about 4.03%.
d. about 4.17%.
9. If a U.S. firm desires to avoid the risk from exchange rate fluctuations, and it is receiving 100,000 in …show more content…
90 days, it could:
a. obtain a 90-day forward purchase contract on euros.
b. obtain a 90-day forward sale contract on euros.
c. purchase euros 90 days from now at the spot rate.
d. sell euros 90 days from now at the spot rate.
10. LIBOR is:
a. the interest rate commonly charged for loans between banks.
b. the average inflation rate in European countries.
c. the maximum loan rate ceiling on loans in the international money market.
d. the maximum deposit rate ceiling on deposits in the international money market.
e. the maximum interest rate offered on bonds that are issued in London.
11. Eurobonds:
a. can be issued only by European firms.
b. can be sold only to European investors.
c. A and B
d. none of the above
12. A Japanese yen is worth $.0080, and a Fijian dollar (F$) is worth $.5900. What is the value of the yen in
Fijian dollars (i.e., how many Fijian dollars do you need to buy a yen)?
a. 73.75.
b. 125.
c. 1.69.
d. 0.014.
e. none of the above
13.A quotation representing the value of a foreign currency in dollars is referred to as a(n) ____ quotation; a quotation representing the number of units of a foreign currency per dollar is referred to as a(n) ____ quotation. a. direct; indirect
b. indirect; direct
c. direct; direct
d. indirect; indirect
e. cannot be answered without more information
14. The value of the Australian dollar (A$) today is $0.73. Yesterday, the value of the Australian dollar was
$0.69. The Australian dollar ____ by ____%.
a. depreciated; 5.80
b. depreciated; 4.00
c. appreciated; 5.80
d. appreciated; 4.00
15. Baylor Bank believes the New Zealand dollar will appreciate over the next five days from $.48 to $.50.
The following annual interest rates apply:
Currency
Dollars
New Zealand dollar (NZ$)
Lending Rate
7.10%
6.80%
Borrowing Rate
7.50%
7.25%
Baylor Bank has the capacity to borrow either NZ$10 million or $5 million.
If Baylor Bank's forecast is correct, what will its dollar profit be from speculation over the five-day period (assuming it does not use any of its existing consumer deposits to capitalize on its expectations)?
a. $521,325.
b. $500,520.
c. $104,262.
d. $413,419.
e. $208,044.
16. If inflation increases substantially in Australia while U.S. inflation remains unchanged, this is expected to place ____ pressure on the value of the Australian dollar with respect to the U.S. dollar.
a. upward
b. downward
c. either upward or downward (depending on the degree of the increase in Australian inflation) d. none of the above; there will be no impact
17. The one-year forward rate of the British pound is quoted at $1.60, and the spot rate of the British pound is quoted at $1.63. The forward ____ is ____ percent.
a. discount; 1.9
b. discount; 1.8
c. premium; 1.9
d. premium; 1.8
18.If your firm expects the euro to substantially depreciate, it could speculate by ____ euro call options or ____ euros forward in the forward exchange market.
a. selling; selling
b. selling;
purchasing
c. purchasing; purchasing
d. purchasing; selling
19.Assume that a speculator purchases a put option on British pounds (with a strike price of $1.50) for $.05 per unit. A pound option represents 31,250 units. Assume that at the time of the purchase, the spot rate of the pound is $1.51 and continually rises to $1.62 by the expiration date. The highest net profit possible for the speculator based on the information above is:
a. $1,562.50.
b. $1,562.50.
c. $1,250.00.
d. $625.00.
20. You purchase a call option on pounds for a premium of $.03 per unit, with an exercise price of $1.64; the option will not be exercised until the expiration date, if at all. If the spot rate on the expiration date is
$1.65, your net profit per unit is:
a. $.03.
b. $.02.
c. $.01.
d. $.02.
e. none of the above
21. A U.S. corporation has purchased currency call options to hedge a 70,000 pound payable. The premium is
$.02 and the exercise price of the option is $.50. If the spot rate at the time of maturity is $.65, what is the total amount paid by the corporation if it acts rationally?
a. $33,600.
b. $46,900.
c. $44,100.
d. $36,400.
22. Which of the following is not true regarding the Mexican peso crisis?
a. Mexico encouraged firms and consumers to buy an excessive amount of imports because the peso was stronger than it should have been.
b. Many speculators based in the U.S. speculated on the potential decline in the peso by investing their funds in Mexico.
c. In December of 1994, the central bank of Mexico allowed the peso to float freely.
d. The central bank of Mexico increased interest rates after the peso declined in value in order to prevent investors from withdrawing their investments in Mexico's debt securities.
e. All of the above are true.