Chap 004
Chap 004
Chap 004
Chapter 04
Mutual Funds and other Investment Companies
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which one of the following statements regarding open-end mutual funds is false?
A. The funds redeem shares at net asset value.
B. The funds offer investors professional management.
C. The funds offer investors a guaranteed rate of return.
D. B and C.
E. A and B.
No investment offers a guaranteed rate of return.
Difficulty: Moderate
2. Which one of the following statements regarding closed-end mutual funds is false?
A. The funds always trade at a discount from NAV.
B. The funds redeem shares at their net asset value.
C. The funds offer investors professional management.
D. A and B.
E. None of the above.
Closed-end funds are sold at the prevailing market price.
Difficulty: Moderate
3. Which of the following functions do mutual fund companies perform for their investors?
A. Record keeping and administration
B. Diversification and divisibility
C. Professional management
D. Lower transaction costs
E. All of the above.
Mutual funds are attractive to investors because they offer all of the listed services.
Difficulty: Easy
4-1
4-2
4. Multiple Mutual Funds had year-end assets of $457,000,000 and liabilities of $17,000,000.
There were 24,300,000 shares in the fund at year-end. What was Multiple Mutual's Net Asset
Value?
A. $18.11
B. $18.81
C. $69.96
D. $7.00
E. $181.07
(457,000,000 - 17,000,000) / 24,300,000 = $18.11
Difficulty: Moderate
5. Growth Fund had year-end assets of $862,000,000 and liabilities of $12,000,000. There
were 32,675,254 shares in the fund at year-end. What was Growth Fund's Net Asset Value?
A. $28.17
B. $25.24
C. $19.62
D. $26.01
E. $21.56
(862,000,000 - 12,000,000) / 32,675,254 = $26.01
Difficulty: Moderate
Difficulty: Moderate
4-3
Difficulty: Moderate
8. Most actively managed mutual funds, when compared to a market index such as the
Wilshire 5000,
A. beat the market return in all years.
B. beat the market return in most years.
C. exceed the return on index funds.
D. do not outperform the market
E. None of the above is a correct statement.
Most actively managed mutual funds fail to equal the return earned by index funds, possibly
due to higher transactions costs.
Difficulty: Easy
9. Pools of money invested in a portfolio that is fixed for the life of the fund are called
A. closed-end funds.
B. open-end funds.
C. unit investment trusts.
D. REITS.
E. redeemable trust certificates.
Unit investment trusts are funds that invest in a portfolio, often fixed-income securities, and
hold it to maturity.
Difficulty: Easy
4-4
10. Investors in closed-end funds who wish to liquidate their positions must
A. sell their shares through a broker.
B. sell their shares to the issuer at a discount to Net Asset Value.
C. sell their shares to the issuer at a premium to Net Asset Value.
D. sell their shares to the issuer for Net Asset Value.
E. hold their shares to maturity.
Closed-end fund shares are sold on organized exchanges through a broker.
Difficulty: Moderate
11. Closed end funds are frequently issued at a ______ to NAV and subsequently trade at a
__________ to NAV.
A. discount, discount
B. discount, premium
C. premium, premium
D. premium, discount
E. No consistent relationship has been observed.
Closed-end funds are typically issued at a premium to Net Asset Value and subsequently trade
at a discount.
Difficulty: Moderate
Difficulty: Difficult
4-5
13. Which of the following statements about Real Estate Investment Trusts is true?
A. REITs invest in real estate or loans secured by real estate.
B. REITs raise capital by borrowing from banks and issuing mortgages.
C. REITs are similar to open-end funds, with shares redeemable at NAV.
D. All of the above are true.
E. Both A and B are true.
Real Estate Investment Trusts invest in real estate or real-estate-secured loans. They may raise
capital from banks and by issuing mortgages. They are similar to closed-end funds and shares
are typically exchange traded.
Difficulty: Moderate
14. Which of the following statements about Real Estate Investment Trusts is true?
A. REITs may be equity trusts or mortgage trusts.
B. REITs are usually highly-leveraged.
C. REITs are similar to closed-end funds.
D. All of the above are true.
E. Both A and C are true.
Real Estate Investment Trusts invest in real estate or real-estate-secured loans. They may raise
capital from banks and by issuing mortgages. They are similar to closed-end funds and shares
are typically exchange traded.
Difficulty: Moderate
15. Which of the following statements about Money Market Mutual Funds is true?
A. They invest in commercial paper, CDs, and repurchase agreements.
B. They usually offer check-writing privileges.
C. They are highly leveraged and risky.
D. All of the above are true.
E. Both A and B are true.
Money Market Mutual Funds invest in commercial paper, CDs, repurchase agreements, and
other money market securities. They usually offer check-writing privileges. Their NAV is is
fixed at $1 per share.
Difficulty: Moderate
4-6
4-7
16. In 2007 the proportion of mutual funds specializing in common stocks was
A. 21.7%
B. 28.0%
C. 56.8%
D. 73.4%
E. 63.5%
See Table 4.1.
Difficulty: Moderate
Difficulty: Moderate
18. In 2007 the proportion of mutual funds specializing in money market securities was
A. 21.7%
B. 28.0%
C. 54.1%
D. 73.4%
E. 22.6%
See Table 4.1.
Difficulty: Moderate
4-8
19. In 2007 the proportion of hybrid (bond and stock) mutual funds was
A. 21.7%
B. 28.0%
C. 54.1%
D. 6.3%
E. 22.6%
See Table 4.1.
Difficulty: Moderate
20. Management fees and other expenses of mutual funds may include
A. front-end loads.
B. back-end loads.
C. 12b-1 charges.
D. A and B only.
E. A, B and C.
All of the listed expenses may be included in the cost of owning a mutual fund.
Difficulty: Easy
21. The Profitability Fund had NAV per share of $17.50 on January 1, 2007. On December 31
of the same year the fund's NAV was $19.47. Income distributions were $0.75 and the fund
had capital gain distributions of $1.00. Without considering taxes and transactions costs, what
rate of return did an investor receive on the Profitability fund last year?
A. 11.26%
B. 15.54%
C. 16.97%
D. 21.26%
E. 9.83%
R = ($19.47 - 17.50 + .75 + 1.00) / $17.50 = 21.26%
Difficulty: Moderate
4-9
22. The Yachtsman Fund had NAV per share of $36.12 on January 1, 2007. On December 31
of the same year the fund's NAV was $39.71. Income distributions were $0.64 and the fund
had capital gain distributions of $1.13. Without considering taxes and transactions costs, what
rate of return did an investor receive on the Yachtsman Fund last year?
A. 22.92%
B. 17.68%
C. 14.39%
D. 18.52%
E. 14.84%
R = ($39.71 - 36.12 + .64 + 1.13) / $36.12 = 14.84%
Difficulty: Moderate
23. Investors' Choice Fund had NAV per share of $37.25 on January 1, 2007. On December
31 of the same year the fund's rate of return for the year was 17.3%. Income distributions
were $1.14 and the fund had capital gain distributions of $1.35. Without considering taxes and
transactions costs, what ending NAV would you calculate for Investors' Choice?
A. $41.20
B. $33.88
C. $43.69
D. $42.03
E. $46.62
.173 = (P - $37.25 + 1.14 + 1.35) / $37.25; P = $41.20
Difficulty: Moderate
4-10
Difficulty: Easy
25. Which of the following would increase the net asset value of a mutual fund share,
assuming all other things remain unchanged?
A. an increase in the number of fund shares outstanding
B. an increase in the fund's accounts payable
C. a change in the fund's management
D. an increase in the value of one of the fund's stocks
E. none of the above
A and B would decrease NAV and C would have an uncertain effect (and then only in the
future). However, an increase in the value of one of the fund's stocks would increase NAV.
Difficulty: Easy
4-11
Difficulty: Moderate
27. Jargon Rapid Growth is a mutual fund that has traditionally accepted funds from new
investors and issued new shares at net asset value. Jeremy Jargon manages the fund himself
and has become concerned that its level of assets has become too high for his management
abilities. He issues a statement that Jargon will no longer accept funds from new investors, but
will continue to accept additional investments from current shareholders. Which of the
following is true about Jargon Rapid Growth fund?
A. Jargon used to be an open-end fund but has now become a closed-end fund.
B. Jargon has always been an open-end fund and will remain an open-end fund.
C. Jargon has always been a closed-end fund and will remain a closed-end fund.
D. Jargon is an open-end fund but would change to a closed-end fund if it wouldn't accept
additional funds from current investors.
E. Jargon is violating SEC policy by refusing to accept new investors.
Because Jargon accepts funds from investors, it is an open-end fund. Once closed-end start
trading, they are only traded in the secondary market. However, when the decision was made
to stop accepting investments from new investors, it became a closed-fund.
Difficulty: Moderate
4-12
28. As of 2007, which class of mutual funds had the largest amount of assets invested?
A. stock funds
B. bond funds
C. mixed asset classes such as asset allocation funds
D. money market funds
E. global funds
See Table 4.1.
Difficulty: Easy
Difficulty: Easy
4-13
Difficulty: Moderate
31. The fee that mutual funds use to help pay for advertising and promotional literature is
called a
A. front-end load fee.
B. back-end load fee.
C. operating expense fee.
D. 12b-1 fee.
E. structured fee.
A and B are used to compensate the sales force and C is used to cover operating expenses.
Rule 12b-1 allows a small fee to cover advertising and promotion.
Difficulty: Easy
4-14
32. Patty O'Furniture purchased 100 shares of Green Isle mutual fund at a net asset value of
$42 per share. During the year Patty received dividend income distributions of $2.00 per share
and capital gains distributions of $4.30 per share. At the end of the year the shares had a net
asset value of $40 per share. What was Patty's rate of return on this investment?
A. 5.43%
B. 10.24%
C. 7.19%
D. 12.44%
E. 9.18%
R = ($40 - 42 + 2 + 4.3)/$42 = 10.238%
Difficulty: Moderate
33. Assume that you purchased 200 shares of Super Performing mutual fund at a net asset
value of $21 per share. During the year you received dividend income distributions of $1.50
per share and capital gains distributions of $2.85 per share. At the end of the year the shares
had a net asset value of $23 per share. What was your rate of return on this investment?
A. 30.24%
B. 25.37%
C. 27.19%
D. 22.44%
E. 29.18%
R = ($23 - 21 + 1.5 + 2.85)/$21 = 30.238%
Difficulty: Moderate
4-15
34. Assume that you purchased shares of High Flying mutual fund at a net asset value of
$12.50 per share. During the year you received dividend income distributions of $0.78 per
share and capital gains distributions of $1.67 per share. At the end of the year the shares had a
net asset value of $13.87 per share. What was your rate of return on this investment?
A. 29.43%
B. 30.56%
C. 31.19%
D. 32.44%
E. 29.18%
R = ($13.87 - 12.50 + 0.78 + 1.67)/$12.50 = 30.56%
Difficulty: Moderate
35. Assume that you purchased shares of a mutual fund at a net asset value of $14.50 per
share. During the year you received dividend income distributions of $0.27 per share and
capital gains distributions of $0.65 per share. At the end of the year the shares had a net asset
value of $13.74 per share. What was your rate of return on this investment?
A. 2.91%
B. 3.07%
C. 1.10%
D. 1.78%
E. -1.18%
R = ($13.74 - 14.50 + 0.27 + 0.65)/$14.50 = 1.103%
Difficulty: Moderate
4-16
36. Assume that you purchased shares of a mutual fund at a net asset value of $10.00 per
share. During the year you received dividend income distributions of $0.05 per share and
capital gains distributions of $0.06 per share. At the end of the year the shares had a net asset
value of $8.16 per share. What was your rate of return on this investment?
A. -18.24%
B. -16.1%
C. 16.10%
D. -17.3%
E. 17.3%
R = ($8.16 - 10.00 + 0.05 + 0.06)/$10.00 = -17.3%
Difficulty: Moderate
37. A mutual fund had year-end assets of $560,000,000 and liabilities of $26,000,000. There
were 23,850,000 shares in the fund at year end. What was the mutual fund's Net Asset Value?
A. $22.87
B. $22.39
C. $22.24
D. $17.61
E. $19.25
(560,000,000 - 26,000,000) / 23,850,000 = $22.389
Difficulty: Moderate
38. A mutual fund had year-end assets of $250,000,000 and liabilities of $4,000,000. There
were 3,750,000 shares in the fund at year-end. What was the mutual fund's Net Asset Value?
A. $92.53
B. $67.39
C. $63.24
D. $65.60
E. $17.46
(250,000,000 - 4,000,000) / 3,750,000 = $65.60
Difficulty: Moderate
4-17
39. A mutual fund had year-end assets of $700,000,000 and liabilities of $7,000,000. There
were 40,150,000 shares in the fund at year-end. What was the mutual fund's Net Asset Value?
A. $9.63
B. $57.71
C. $16.42
D. $17.87
E. $17.26
(700,000,000 - 7,000,000) / 40,150,000 = $17.26
Difficulty: Moderate
40. A mutual fund had year-end assets of $750,000,000 and liabilities of $7,500,000. There
were 40,000,000 shares in the fund at year-end. What was the mutual fund's Net Asset Value?
A. $9.63
B. $18.58
C. $16.42
D. $17.87
E. $17.26
(750,000,000 - 7,000,000) / 40,000,000 = $18.575
Difficulty: Moderate
41. A mutual fund had year-end assets of $465,000,000 and liabilities of $37,000,000. If the
fund NAV was $56.12, how many shares must have been held in the fund?
A. 4,300,000
B. 6,488,372
C. 8,601,709
D. 7,626,515
E. None of the above.
($465,000,000 - 37,000,000) / $56.12 = 7,626,515.
Difficulty: Moderate
4-18
42. A mutual fund had year-end assets of $521,000,000 and liabilities of $63,000,000. If the
fund NAV was $26.12, how many shares must have been held in the fund?
A. 17,534,456
B. 16,488,372
C. 18,601,742
D. 17,542,515
E. None of the above.
($521,000,000 - 63,000,000) / $26.12 = 17,534,456.
Difficulty: Moderate
43. A mutual fund had year-end assets of $327,000,000 and liabilities of $46,000,000. If the
fund NAV was $30.48, how many shares must have been held in the fund?
A. 11,354,751
B. 8,412,642
C. 10,165,476
D. 9,165,414
E. 9,219,160
($327,000,000 - 46,000,000) / $30.48 = 9,219,160.
Difficulty: Moderate
44. A mutual fund had year-end assets of $437,000,000 and liabilities of $37,000,000. If the
fund NAV was $60.12, how many shares must have been held in the fund?
A. 6,653,360
B. 8,412,642
C. 10,165,476
D. 9,165,414
E. 9,219,160
($437,000,000 - 37,000,000) / $60.12 = 6,653,359.947.
Difficulty: Moderate
4-19
45. A mutual fund had NAV per share of $19.00 on January 1, 2007. On December 31 of the
same year the fund's NAV was $19.14. Income distributions were $0.57 and the fund had
capital gain distributions of $1.12. Without considering taxes and transactions costs, what rate
of return did an investor receive on the fund last year?
A. 11.26%
B. 10.54%
C. 7.97%
D. 8.26%
E. 9.63%
R = ($19.14 - 19.00 + .57 + 1.12) / $19.00 = 9.63%
Difficulty: Moderate
46. A mutual fund had NAV per share of $23.00 on January 1, 2007. On December 31 of the
same year the fund's NAV was $23.15. Income distributions were $0.63 and the fund had
capital gain distributions of $1.26. Without considering taxes and transactions costs, what rate
of return did an investor receive on the fund last year?
A. 11.26%
B. 10.54%
C. 8.87%
D. 8.26%
E. 9.63%
R = ($23.15 - 23.00 + .63 + 1.26) / $23.00 = 8.869%
Difficulty: Moderate
4-20
47. A mutual fund had NAV per share of $26.25 on January 1, 2007. On December 31 of the
same year the fund's rate of return for the year was 16.4%. Income distributions were $1.27
and the fund had capital gain distributions of $1.85. Without considering taxes and
transactions costs, what ending NAV would you calculate?
A. $27.44
B. $33.88
C. $24.69
D. $42.03
E. $16.62
.164 = (P - $26.25 + 1.27 + 1.85) / $26.25; P = $27.435
Difficulty: Moderate
48. A mutual fund had NAV per share of $16.75 on January 1, 2007. On December 31 of the
same year the fund's rate of return for the year was 26.6%. Income distributions were $1.79
and the fund had capital gain distributions of $2.80. Without considering taxes and
transactions costs, what ending NAV would you calculate?
A. $17.44
B. $13.28
C. $14.96
D. $17.25
E. $16.62
.266 = (P - $16.75 + 1.79 + 2.80) / $16.75; P = $16.615
Difficulty: Moderate
4-21
49. A mutual fund had NAV per share of $36.15 on January 1, 2007. On December 31 of the
same year the fund's rate of return for the year was 14.0%. Income distributions were $1.16
and the fund had capital gain distributions of $2.12. Without considering taxes and
transactions costs, what ending NAV would you calculate?
A. $37.93
B. $34.52
C. $44.69
D. $47.25
E. $36.28
.14 = (P - $36.15 + 1.16 + 2.12) / $36.15; P = $37.931
Difficulty: Moderate
50. A mutual fund had NAV per share of $37.12 on January 1, 2007. On December 31 of the
same year the fund's rate of return for the year was 11.0%. Income distributions were $2.26
and the fund had capital gain distributions of $1.64. Without considering taxes and
transactions costs, what ending NAV would you calculate?
A. $37.93
B. $34.52
C. $45.10
D. $47.25
E. $36.28
.11 = (P - $37.12 + 2.26 + 1.64) / $37.12; P = $45.1032
Difficulty: Moderate
4-22
51. Differences between hedge funds and mutual funds are that
A. hedge funds are only subject to minimal SEC regulation.
B. hedge funds are typically open only to wealthy or institutional investors.
C. hedge funds managers can pursue strategies not available to mutual funds such as short
selling, heavy use of derivatives, and leverage.
D. are commonly structured as private partnerships.
E. all of the above
Hedge funds are typically open only to wealthy or institutional investors, are commonly
structured as private partnerships, are only subject to minimal SEC regulation, and can pursue
strategies not available to mutual funds such as short selling, heavy use of derivatives, and
leverage.
Difficulty: Moderate
52. Of the following types of mutual funds, an investor that wishes to invest in a diversified
portfolio of stocks worldwide (including the U.S.) should choose
A. international funds.
B. global funds.
C. regional funds.
D. emerging market funds.
E. none of the above.
International funds exclude the U.S. but global funds include the U.S.
Difficulty: Moderate
53. Of the following types of mutual funds, an investor that wishes to invest in a diversified
portfolio of foreign stocks (excluding the U.S.) should choose
A. International funds
B. Global funds
C. Regional funds
D. Emerging market funds
E. None of the above
International funds exclude the U.S. but global funds include the U.S.
Difficulty: Moderate
4-23
4-24
54. Of the following types of EFTs, an investor that wishes to invest in a diversified portfolio
that tracks the S&P 500 should choose
A. SPY.
B. DIA.
C. QQQ.
D. IWM.
E. VTI.
SPY tracks the S&P 500.
Difficulty: Moderate
55. Of the following types of EFTs, an investor that wishes to invest in a diversified portfolio
that tracks the Dow Jones Industrials should choose
A. SPY.
B. DIA.
C. QQQ.
D. IWM.
E. VTI.
DIA tracks the DJIA.
Difficulty: Moderate
56. Of the following types of EFTs, an investor that wishes to invest in a diversified portfolio
that tracks the Nasdaq 100 should choose
A. SPY.
B. DIA.
C. QQQ.
D. IWM.
E. VTI.
QQQ tracks the Nasdaq 100.
Difficulty: Moderate
4-25
57. Of the following types of EFTs, an investor that wishes to invest in a diversified portfolio
that tracks the Russell 2000 should choose
A. SPY.
B. DIA.
C. QQQ.
D. IWM.
E. VTI.
IWM tracks the Russell 2000.
Difficulty: Moderate
58. Of the following types of EFTs, an investor that wishes to invest in a diversified portfolio
that tracks the Wilshire 5000 should choose
A. SPY.
B. DIA.
C. QQQ.
D. IWM.
E. VTI.
VTI tracks the Wilshire 5000.
Difficulty: Moderate
59. Of the following types of EFTs, an investor that wishes to invest in a diversified portfolio
that tracks the MSCI Japan Index should choose
A. SPY.
B. EWJ.
C. QQQ.
D. IWM.
E. VTI.
EWJ tracks the MSCI Japan Index.
Difficulty: Moderate
4-26
60. Of the following types of EFTs, an investor that wishes to invest in a diversified portfolio
that tracks the MSCI France Index should choose
A. SPY.
B. EWJ.
C. EWQ.
D. IWM.
E. VTI.
EWQ tracks the MSCI France Index.
Difficulty: Moderate
61. A mutual funds had average daily assets of $3.0 billion in 2007. The fund sold $600
million worth of stock and purchased $700 million worth of stock during the year. The funds
turnover ratio is ___.
A. 27.5%
B. 12%
C. 15%
D. 25%
E. 20%
600,000,000 / 3,000,000,000 = 20%
Difficulty: Moderate
62. A mutual funds had average daily assets of $2.0 billion on 2007. The fund sold $500
million worth of stock and purchased $600 million worth of stock during the year. The funds
turnover ratio is ___.
A. 27.5%
B. 12%
C. 15%
D. 25%
E. 20%
500,000,000 / 2,000,000,000 = 25%
Difficulty: Moderate
4-27
63. A mutual funds had average daily assets of $4.0 billion on 2007. The fund sold $1.5
billion worth of stock and purchased $1.6 billion worth of stock during the year. The funds
turnover ratio is ____________.
A. 37.5%
B. 22%
C. 15%
D. 45%
E. 20%
1,500,000,000 / 4,000,000,000 = 37.5%
Difficulty: Moderate
64. A mutual funds had average daily assets of $4.7 billion on 2007. The fund sold $2.2
billion worth of stock and purchased $3.6 billion worth of stock during the year. The funds
turnover ratio is ____________.
A. 37.5%
B. 22.6%
C. 15.3%
D. 46.8%
E. 20.7%
2,200,000,000 / 4,700,000,000 = 46.8%
Difficulty: Moderate
4-28
65. You purchased shares of a mutual fund at a price of $20 per share at the beginning of the
year and paid a front-end load of 5.75%. If the securities in which the find invested increased
in value by 11% during the year, and the funds expense ratio was 1.25%, your return if you
sold the fund at the end of the year would be ____________.
A. 4.33
B. 3.44
C. 2.45
D. 6.87
E. None of the above
{[$20 * .9425 * (1.11 - .0125)] - $20} / $20 = 3.44%
Difficulty: Difficult
66. You purchased shares of a mutual fund at a price of $12 per share at the beginning of the
year and paid a front-end load of 4.75%. If the securities in which the fund invested increased
in value by 9% during the year, and the funds expense ratio was 1.5%, your return if you sold
the fund at the end of the year would be ____________.
A. 4.75
B. 3.54
C. 2.65
D. 2.39
E. None of the above
{[$12 * .9525 * (1.09 - .015)] - $12} / $12 = 2.39%
Difficulty: Difficult
4-29
67. You purchased shares of a mutual fund at a price of $17 per share at the beginning of the
year and paid a front-end load of 5.0%. If the securities in which the find invested increased in
value by 12% during the year, and the funds expense ratio was 1.0%, your return if you sold
the fund at the end of the year would be ____________.
A. 4.75
B. 5.45
C. 5.65
D. 4.39
E. None of the above
{[$17 * .95 * (1.12 - .01)] - $17} / $17 = 5.45%
Difficulty: Difficult
68. You purchased shares of a mutual fund at a price of $20 per share at the beginning of the
year and paid a front-end load of 6.0%. If the securities in which the find invested increased in
value by 10% during the year, and the funds expense ratio was 1.5%, your return if you sold
the fund at the end of the year would be ____________.
A. 1.99
B. 2.32
C. 1.65
D. 2.06
E. None of the above
{[$20 * .94 * (1.10 - .015)] - $20} / $20 = 1.99%
Difficulty: Difficult
4-30
Difficulty: Moderate
4-31
Difficulty: Difficult
4-32
71. What is an Exchange-traded fund? Give two examples of specific ETFs. What are some
advantages they have over ordinary open-end mutual funds? What are some disadvantages?
ETFs allow investors to trade index portfolios. Some examples are spiders (SPDR), which
track the S&P500 index, diamonds (DIA), which track the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and
qubes (QQQ), which track the NASDAQ 100 index. Other examples are listed in Table 4-3.
(It is anticipated that there may soon be ETFs that track actively managed funds as well ad the
current ones that track indexes.)
Advantages 1. ETFs may be bought and sold during the trading day at prices that reflect the current value
of the underlying index. This is different from ordinary open-end mutual funds, which are
bought or sold only at the end of the day NAV.
2. ETFs can be sold short.
3. ETFs can be purchased on margin.
4. ETFs may have tax advantages. Managers are not forced to sell securities from a portfolio
to meet redemption demands, as they would be with open-end funds. Small investors simply
sell their ETF shares to other traders without affecting the composition of the underlying
portfolio. Institutional investors who want to sell their shares receive shares of stock in the
underlying portfolio.
5. ETFs may be cheaper to buy than mutual funds because they are purchased from brokers.
The fund doesn't have to incur the costs of marketing itself, so the investor incurs lower
management fees.
Disadvantages 1. ETF prices can differ from NAV by small amounts because of the way they trade. This can
lead to arbitrage opportunities for large traders.
2. ETFs must be purchased from brokers for a fee. This makes them more expensive than
mutual funds that can be purchased at NAV.
Feedback: This question tests the student's understanding of ETFs.
Difficulty: Difficult
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72. Discuss the consistency of mutual fund performance results, as studied by Goetzmann and
Ibbotson (1994) and Malkiel (1995).
Goetzmann and Ibbotson found that, of mutual funds that performed in the top half of their
categories during an initial period, 62% remained "winners" during the subsequent two-year
period. The other 38% became "losers". Of the funds that performed in the bottom half of
their categories during the initial period, 63.4% remained "losers" in the subsequent two-year
period, while 36.6% became "winners". If performance were purely random, the percentages
would be 50%. If performance were due entirely to the skill of the managers, all winners
should remain winners and all losers should remain losers. The results of the study indicate
that there seems to be some skill involved in fund performance trends.
Malkiel broke his study into two time periods. For the 1970s he found results similar to
Goetzmann and Ibbotson. For the 1980s his percentages were much closer to 50%, which
indicates that performance seemed to be more random during this period. Malkiel used oneyear returns rather than two-year returns.
Feedback: This question tests the student's understanding of research on mutual fund
performance.
Difficulty: Moderate
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