Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____ 1. An option that gives the holder the right to sell a stock at a specified price at some future time is
a. a call option.
b. a put option.
c. an out-of-the-money option.
d. a naked option.
e. a covered option.
____ 2. Call options on XYZ Corporation’s common stock trade in the market. Which of the following statements is
most correct, holding other things constant?
a. The price of these call options is likely to rise if XYZ’s stock price rises.
b. The higher the strike price on XYZ’s options, the higher the option’s price will be.
c. Assuming the same strike price, an XYZ call option that expires in one month will sell at a
higher price than one that expires in three months.
d. If XYZ’s stock price stabilizes (becomes less volatile), then the price of its options will
increase.
e. If XYZ pays a dividend, then its option holders will not receive a cash payment, but the
strike price of the option will be reduced by the amount of the dividend.
____ 3. GCC Corporation is planning to issue options to its key employees, and it is now discussing the terms to be
set on those options. Which of the following actions would decrease the value of the options, other things held
constant?
a. GCC’s stock price suddenly increases.
b. The exercise price of the option is increased.
c. The life of the option is increased, i.e., the time until it expires is lengthened.
d. The Federal Reserve takes actions that increase the risk-free rate.
e. GCC’s stock price becomes more risky (higher variance).
____ 4. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a. Put options give investors the right to buy a stock at a certain strike price before a
specified date.
b. Call options give investors the right to sell a stock at a certain strike price before a
specified date.
c. Options typically sell for less than their exercise value.
d. LEAPS are very short-term options that were created relatively recently and now trade in
the market.
e. An option holder is not entitled to receive dividends unless he or she exercises their option
before the stock goes ex dividend.
____ 5. Deeble Construction Co.’s stock is trading at $30 a share. Call options on the company’s stock are also
available, some with a strike price of $25 and some with a strike price of $35. Both options expire in three
months. Which of the following best describes the value of these options?
a. The options with the $25 strike price will sell for $5.
b. The options with the $25 strike price will sell for less than the options with the $35 strike
price.
c. The options with the $25 strike price have an exercise value greater than $5.
d. The options with the $35 strike price have an exercise value greater than $0. e. If Deeble’s stock price rose by $5, the exercise value of the options with the $25 strike
price would also increase by $5.
____ 6. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a. If the underlying stock does not pay a dividend, it does not make good economic sense to
exercise a call option prior to its expiration date, even if this would yield an immediate
profit.
b. Call options generally sell at a price greater than their exercise value, and the greater the
exercise value, the higher the premium on the option is likely to be.
c. Call options generally sell at a price below their exercise value, and the greater the
exercise value, the lower the premium on the option is likely to be.
d. Call options generally sell at a price below their exercise value, and the lower the exercise
value, the lower the premium on the option is likely to be.
e. Because of the put-call parity relationship, under equilibrium conditions a put option on a
stock must sell at exactly the same price as a call option on the stock.
____ 7. Suppose you believe that Johnson Company’s stock price is going to increase from its current level of $22.50
sometime during the next 5 months. For $310.25 you can buy a 5-month call option giving you the right to
buy 100 shares at a price of $25 per share. If you buy this option for $310.25 and Johnson’s stock price
actually rises to $45, what would your pre-tax net profit be?
a. ?$310.25
b. $1,689.75
c. $1,774.24
d. $1,862.95
e. $1,956.10
____ 8. Suppose you believe that Delva Corporation’s stock price is going to decline from its current level of $82.50
sometime during the next 5 months. For $510.25 you could buy a 5-month put option giving you the right to
sell 100 shares at a price of $85 per share. If you bought this option for $510.25 and Delva’s stock price
actually dropped to $60, what would your pre-tax net profit be?
a. ?$510.25
b. $1,989.75
c. $2,089.24
d. $2,193.70
e. $2,303.38
____ 9. The current price of a stock is $22, and at the end of one year its price will be either $27 or $17. The annual
risk-free rate is 6.0%, based on daily compounding. A 1-year call option on the stock, with an exercise price
of $22, is available. Based on the binominal model, what is the option’s value?
a. $2.43
b. $2.70
c. $2.99
d. $3.29
e. $3.62
____ 10. An analyst wants to use the Black-Scholes model to value call options on the stock of Ledbetter Inc. based on
the following data:
• The price of the stock is $40.
• The strike price of the option is $40.
• The option matures in 3 months (t = 0.25).
• The standard deviation of the stock’s returns is 0.40, and the variance is 0.16. • The risk-free rate is 6%.
Given this information, the analyst then calculated the following necessary components of the Black-Scholes
model:
• d1 = 0.175
• d2 = ?0.025
• N(d1) = 0.56946
• N(d2) = 0.49003
N(d1) and N(d2) represent areas under a standard normal distribution function. Using the Black-Scholes
model, what is the value of the call option?
a. $2.81
b. $3.12
c. $3.47
d. $3.82
e. $4.20