In: Finance
An equity portfolio is worth $100 million with the benchmark of the Dow jones Industrial Average. The Dow is currently at 10,000 and the corresponding portfolio beta is 1.2. The multiplier for the Dow is 10.
1) Please compute the number of contracts needed to double the portfolio beta.
2) Please compute the number of contracts needed to cut the beta in half.
We have following formula to calculate the number of contracts required
Number of contracts = {Total value of indexed equity portfolio / (Index value * multiplier for index)} *beta
Where,
Total value of indexed equity portfolio = $100 million
Index value (Dow jones Industrial Average) = 10,000
Multiplier for index = 10
Portfolio beta = 1.2
Therefore,
Number of contracts = {$100,000,000 / (10,000 * $10)}*1.2
= {$100,000,000 / $100,000}*1.2
= 1,200
1) Please compute the number of contracts needed to double the portfolio beta.
Number of contracts needed to double the portfolio beta = {Total value of indexed equity portfolio / (Index value * multiplier for index)} *beta
Where,
Total value of indexed equity portfolio = $100 million
Index value (Dow jones Industrial Average) = 10,000
Multiplier for index = 10
Portfolio beta = 1.2 *2 = 2.4
Therefore,
Number of contracts = {$100,000,000 / (10,000 * $10)}*2.4
= {$100,000,000 / $100,000}*2.4
= 2,400
2) Please compute the number of contracts needed to cut the beta in half.
Number of contracts needed to cut the beta in half = {Total value of indexed equity portfolio / (Index value * multiplier for index)} *beta
Where,
Total value of indexed equity portfolio = $100 million
Index value (Dow jones Industrial Average) = 10,000
Multiplier for index = 10
Portfolio beta = 1.2/2 = 0.6
Therefore,
Number of contracts = {$100,000,000 / (10,000 * $10)}*2.4
= {$100,000,000 / $100,000}*0.6
= 600