--%>

Analysis On Financial Indices

On a weekly basis, starting from week ending on 18/1, you need to produce a weekly performance report of the major indices around the world following this structure: 

Currencies
a. USD vs Yen, vs GBP(GBP/USD), vs. Swiss Franc (USD/CHF)
b. Euro vs USD, Yen, GBP, Swiss Franc
c. US Dollar Index

DELIVERABLES

Analyze US Dollar Index, the concept of cost of carry, future contract specifications for WTI, Gold via CME Group site.

1. For each index, calculate weekly, Year-to-Date, 12-month(rolling) returns, 3Y CAGR & 5Y CAGR (in case you cannot find the data from the web or Datastream just skip the respective index)

2. Calculate the average annual returns, standard deviation and the cross-correlations for as much from the above indices/asset classes for the following periods:
a. JAN 2007- DEC 2009
b. JAN 2010- DEC 2012
c. JAN 2002- DEC 2012
using i) daily or weekly and ii)monthly data

3. Plot the average returns (y-axis) and standard deviations (x-axis) for the period JAN 2002 - DEC 2012

4. Given the above results, which of these indices/asset classes would you be most / least interested investing in?

5. How do you explain the differences in the correlation figures?

6. Describe briefly each index / asset class from the ones in the list above.

  • Add the definitions of all indices, # of companies/countries included 
  • Weighting method: price weighted, value-weighted, equal-weighted 
  • top 5 of companies/countries in the basket/index - whenever you have access to constituents/members. 
  • Briefly analyze the structure and potential advantages for each index/asset class 
  • List at least one (1) Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) that you could invest in so that to track each one of these indices. 

7. Monitor major headlines and be ready to discuss the direction of the markets from week to week. The 2013 Outlook reports provided you with the key factors / themes that will be influencing the markets this year.

 

 

 

 

   Related Questions in Finance Basics

  • Q : What do you mean by Without Regard To

    What do you mean by Without Regard To Fiscal Year (WRTFY): Where an appropriation has no period of restriction on its accessibility.

  • Q : Define Reversion Reversion : The return

    Reversion: The return of the unused part of an appropriation to the fund from which the appropriation was made, usually two years (that is, four years for federal funds) after the last day of an appropriation’s accessibility period. The Budget A

  • Q : How is finance associated to accounting

    How is finance associated to the disciplines of accounting and economics? Financial management is basically a combination of accounting and economics. Firstly, financial managers employ accounting information such

  • Q : Define Control Sections Control

    Control Sections: The sections of the Budget Act (that is, 1.00 to the end) giving specific controls on the appropriations itemized in the Section 2.00 of Budget Act.

  • Q : Difference in annuities due or ordinary

    Normal 0 false false

  • Q : Define Allocation Allocation : The

    Allocation: The distribution of funds or costs from one account or misuse to one or more accounts or appropriations (example, the allocation of employee compensation funding from the statewide 9800 Budget Act items to the departmental Budget Act items

  • Q : Define Obligations Obligations : The

    Obligations: The amounts that a governmental unit might legally be needed to pay out of its resources. Budgetary authority should be obtainable before obligations can be formed. For budgetary aims, obligations comprise payables for goods or services r

  • Q : Define Overhead Unit Overhead Unit :

    Overhead Unit: The organizational unit which benefits the production of an article or a service however that can’t be directly related with an article or service to share out all of its expenditures to elements and/or work authorizations. The co

  • Q : Financial crisis of India during 1997 I

    I have to explain Financial crisis of India during 1997. Can someone help me in this question ?

  • Q : Why do businesses spend efforts to

    Why do businesses spend effort, time and money to generate forecasts?  Describe.Businesses succeed or fail based on how well prepared they are to deal along with the situations they confront in the future. Hence they expend considerable sum