1) Describe the objective and risk profile of a classic stock-bond or balanced fund portfolio. 2)Appraise the Treasuries bond and note market and the main risks attached to them 3)Indicate the characteristics of the S&P Index in terms of underlying market, component stocks, weighting methodology. 4)Appraise the components of a stock return and the difference with the return on a bond. 5)Briefly discuss what an inverted yield curve is and what this shape of the yield curve could imply in terms of the future market conditions. 6)Describe the marking-to-market process in a futures exchange and define initial margin, variation margin and maintenance margin.