Sinking funds require the issuer to redeem a specified portion of the bond issue at regular intervals. This ensures systematic debt reduction and is mandated regardless of market conditions.

Purchase funds, however, allow the issuer to buy back bonds only if they are available in the market at or below a stipulated price, making redemption conditional on market conditions.

B. Sinking funds can redeem bonds only if they trade below a stipulated price: This applies to purchase funds, not sinking funds.

C. Sinking funds involve the issuer determining when bonds are redeemed while purchase funds involve the investor determining when the bonds are redeemed: Investors have no role in determining bond redemption under either method.

D. Sinking funds can redeem the bonds any time while purchase funds follow a prearranged schedule: Sinking funds follow a schedule, and purchase funds rely on market conditions.

Strategic asset allocation is a long-term approach to portfolio management where a target allocation among asset classes (e.g., equities, bonds, cash) is established based on the client ' s risk tolerance, time horizon, and financial objectives. This allocation remains relatively constant over time, with periodic rebalancing to maintain the original proportions.

Details of Andy ' s Recommendation : Andy recommends a fixed asset mix of 55% equities, 40% bonds, and 5% cash, which aligns with the principles of strategic asset allocation. The focus is on maintaining this allocation to meet long-term goals, without frequent shifts based on short-term market movements.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect :

A. Dynamic asset allocation : This involves frequent changes to asset allocation in response to market trends, which is not evident in Andy ' s recommendation.

B. Tactical asset allocation : This is a short-term, active approach where adjustments are made based on market conditions to capitalize on opportunities.

D. Ongoing asset allocation : While this involves periodic rebalancing, it is not a defined approach like strategic allocation.

The coupon rate of the bond remains fixed at 5%, as it is based on the bond ' s original par value of $100. The current yield, however, decreases because the bond ' s price has increased to $102.75. Current yield is calculated as:

Current Yield=Coupon PaymentCurrent Price\text{Current Yield} = \frac{\text{Coupon Payment}}{\text{Current Price}} Current Yield = Current PriceCoupon Payment ​

Given:

Coupon Payment = $5

Current Price = $102.75

Current Yield=5102.75≈4.87%\text{Current Yield} = \frac{5}{102.75} \approx 4.87\% Current Yield = 102.755 ​ ≈ 4.87%

A. The coupon is higher than 5%: The coupon remains fixed at 5%.

B. The current yield is higher than 5%: The current yield is lower than 5% due to the increased price.

D. The coupon is lower than 5%: The coupon does not change with the bond ' s price.

Closet indexing is a controversial practice where a fund manager claims to actively manage a portfolio but instead mirrors an index closely. This practice undermines the very premise of active management.

Lack of Value Addition: Investors pay higher fees for active management without receiving the expected benefits, as the portfolio closely tracks a benchmark index.

Deceptive Marketing: Funds marketed as actively managed may mislead investors, violating transparency principles.

Limited Alpha Generation: Since the portfolio resembles an index, it often fails to deliver excess returns ( " alpha " ), defeating the purpose of active management.

Regulatory Concerns: Closet indexing raises ethical questions and can lead to scrutiny by regulatory bodies.

Option C highlights the core issue of closet indexing—misrepresenting a passively managed portfolio as active, leading to higher fees without the commensurate effort or performance.

Inflation represents the overall rise in prices across the economy. As inflation increases, the costs of raw materials and wages typically rise. Labour costs for manufacturers increase because employees demand higher wages to compensate for the loss of purchasing power caused by inflation. Additionally, higher labour costs directly impact the profit margins of companies, particularly in manufacturing industries.

Other options are incorrect because:

A. Price-earnings multiples tend to decrease as inflation rises due to reduced earnings growth expectations and higher discount rates.

C. Common share prices may decline as inflation reduces consumer spending and corporate earnings.

D. Corporate bond prices tend to fall as inflation erodes the fixed interest payments and leads to higher interest rates​​.