In: Finance
Company X has a beta of 0.70, while Company Y's beta is 1.20. The required return on the stock market is 11.00%, and the risk-free rate is 4.25%. A fund has $3500 invested in company X stock and $4500 invested in the stock of company Y. a) What is fund's required rate of return? b) Suppose you sell all of your holdings in stock Y and invest $4500 in stock Z having beta of 1.5. What is the fund's new beta after this transaction?
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Solution a) Beta of Stock X = 0.70
Investment in stock X = $3500
Beta of Stock Y = 1.20
Investment in stock Y = $4500
Total investment in the fund = Investment in stock X + Investment in stock Y
= $3500 + $4500 = $8000
Weight of stock X in the fund = Investment in stock X/Total investment in the fund
= 3500/8000 = 43.75%
Weight of stock Y in the fund = Investment in stock Y/Total investment in the fund
= 4500/8000 = 56.25%
Beta of the fund = ∑Weight of Individual Security in a Portfolio×Beta of Individual Security
Beta of the fund = 43.75%*0.70 + 56.25%*1.20 = 0.98125
According to the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), the required return of the fund = Risk-free rate + Beta*(Market return - Risk-free rate)
Required return of the fund (using CAPM) = Rf + beta* (Rm - Rf)
where Rf = risk-free rate = 4.25%;
Rm = market return = 11%
Hence, the required return of the fund = 4.25% + 0.98125*(11% - 4.25%)
= 4.25% + 0.98125*6.75%
= 4.25% + 6.6234375%
= 10.87%
Solution b) All of the holdings in stock Y are sold and $4500 are invested in stock Z having beta of 1.5.
Beta of Stock X = 0.70
Investment in stock X = $3500
Beta of Stock Z = 1.50
Investment in stock Z = $4500
Total investment in the fund = Investment in stock X + Investment in stock Z
= $3500 + $4500 = $8000
Weight of stock X in the fund = Investment in stock X/Total investment in the fund
= 3500/8000 = 43.75%
Weight of stock Z in the fund = Investment in stock Z/Total investment in the fund
= 4500/8000 = 56.25%
Beta of the fund = ∑Weight of Individual Security in a Portfolio×Beta of Individual Security
Beta of the fund = 43.75%*0.70 + 56.25%*1.5 = 1.15
Hence, beta of the new portfolio = 1.15