In: Finance
Suppose you have a choice between four bond portfolios: Portfolio A is composed of five 10-year bonds with a $1000 face value and annual coupons paying 9%, and five 5-year bonds with a $1000 face value and annual coupons paying 10%. Portfolio B is composed of ten 10-year coupon bonds with a $1000 face value with annual coupons paying 9%. Portfolio C is composed of five 10-year bonds with a face value of $1000 and coupons paying 9%, and a 10-year bond with a face value of $5000 and coupon paying 10%. Portfolio D is composed of a one 10-year $10,000 bond paying 9.25%. Which portfolio has the highest duration?
Portfolio A: 5 numbers of 10-year bonds @ 9% coupon + 5 numbers of 5-year bonds @ 10% coupon
Portfolio B: 10 numbers of 10-year bonds @ 9% coupon
Portfolio C: 5 numbers of 10-year bonds @ 9% coupon + 1 number of 10-year bond @10% coupon
Portfolio D: 1 number of 10-year bonds @ 9.25% coupon
Recall:
Portfolio A has 5 years bond in it. These bonds will lower the weighted average duration. Hence, A will have the least duration.
B, C & D all have 10 years maturity bonds. D has bonds @ 9.25% coupon. Higher coupon bonds will have lower duration. Hence, D's duration is lower than that of B & C.
B has all the bonds of 9% coupon while C has one bond of higher coupon (10%). The presence of this bond will lower the weighted average of the duration and hence C will have lower duration than B.
Hence, portfolio B has the highest duration.