Sam Strother and Shawna Tibbs are vice presidents of Mutual of Seattle Insurance Company and co-director of the companys pension fund management division. An important new client, The North-Western Municipal Alliance, has requested that Mutual of Seattle present an investment seminar to the mayors of the represented cities, and Strother and Tibbs, who will make the actual presentation, have asked you to help them by answering the following questions.

a. What are the key features of a bond?

b.What are call provisions and sinking fund provisions? Do these provisions make bonds more or less risky?

c.How does one determine the value of any asset whose value is based on expected future cash flows?

d.How is the value of a bond determined? What is the value of a 10-year, $1,000 par value bond with a 10% annual coupon if its required rate of return is10%?

e.1)What would be the value of the bond described in Part d if, just after it had been issued, the expected inflation rate rose by 3 percentage points, causing investors to require a 13% return? Would we now have a discount or a premium bond?

(2) What would happen to the bonds value if inflation fell and declined to7%? Would we now have a premium or a discount bond?

(3)Whatwouldhappentothevalueofthe10-yearbondovertimeiftherequiredrateofreturnremainedat13%?Ifitremainedat7%?(Hint:Withafinancialcalculator,enterPMT,I/YR,FV,and,andthenchangeNtoseewhathappenstothePVasthebondapproachesmaturity.)