Selected 2016-FRR Financial Risk and Regulation Questions Answers

Asian options are a type of option where the payoff depends on the average price of the underlying asset over a certain period.

This characteristic makes them suitable for consumers who want to hedge against price fluctuations over a period rather than at a single point in time.

For a natural gas consumer concerned with the average price over the course of a month, Asian options provide the necessary hedging mechanism.

The modified duration of a bond portfolio is calculated as the value-weighted average of the modified durations of the component bonds. This approach accounts for the proportion of the total portfolio value that each bond represents, providing a more accurate measure of the portfolio's sensitivity to changes in interest rates.

To minimize the variability of net interest income, Gamma Bank should aim to have a duration gap of zero. This means that the weighted average duration of assets matches the weighted average duration of liabilities, thus immunizing the bank’s net interest income against changes in interest rates.

Under Basel II, Tier 1 capital, also known as core capital, includes:

Equity Capital: This includes common stock and retained earnings. It is the highest quality of capital because it is fully available to cover losses.

Accrued Profits to Reserves: Profits that are retained and not distributed as dividends are added to reserves, increasing the bank's capital base.

This combination of equity capital and retained earnings ensures that Tier 1 capital is robust and able to absorb significant losses, thereby providing a strong financial cushion.