June Klein, CFA, manages a $100 million (market value) U.S. government bond portfolio for an institution. She anticiptes a small parallel shift in the yield curve and wants to fully hedge the portfolio against any such change.
PORTFOLIO AND TREASURY BOND FUTURES CONTRACT CHARACTERISTICS
Conversion Factor Portfolio Value /
Security Modified Basis Point For Cheapest to Future Contract
Portfolio Duration Value Deliver Bond Price
U.S. Treasury Bond 10 years $100,000.00 Not Applicable $100,000,000
Futures Contract 8 years $75.32 1 94-05
a. Discuss two reasons for using futures rather than selling bonds to hedbe a bond portfolio. No calculations required.
b. Formulate Klein's hedging strategy using only the futures contract shown. Calculate the number of futures contracts to
implement the strategy. Show all calculations.
c. Determine how each of the following should change in value if interest rates increase by 10 basis points as anticipated.
Show all calculations.
(1) The original portfolio
(2) The Treasury bond futures position
(3) The newly hedged portfolio
d. State three reasons why Klein's hedging strategy might not fully protect the portfolio against interest rate risk.
e. Describe a zero-duration hedging strategy using only the government bond portfolio and options on U.S. Treasury