Index Definitions and Return Types5 min
A security market index serves as a proxy for a specific market or asset class. The calculation of its value depends on whether it is a Price Index or a Total Return Index. A Price Index considers only the capital appreciation (or depreciation) of the constituent securities. In contrast, a Total Return Index accounts for both price changes and the reinvestment of all income, such as dividends or interest. Consequently, the total return is generally higher than the price return over time.

Key Points

  • Price Index: Uses constituent prices only.
  • Total Return Index: Uses prices plus reinvested income.
  • Indexes act as hypothetical portfolios.
Index Weighting Methods10 min
The method used to allocate weight to securities significantly impacts index performance. Price-weighting assigns weights based on share price, biasing the index toward high-priced stocks. Equal-weighting assigns the same weight to all securities, creating a bias toward small-cap stocks and requiring frequent rebalancing. Market-capitalization weighting allocates based on total market value, minimizing rebalancing needs but biasing toward overvalued, large companies. Fundamental weighting uses economic metrics like earnings or dividends to determine weights.

Key Points

  • Price-weighted: Biased by stock price; divisor adjusted for splits.
  • Equal-weighted: Biased toward small caps; high rebalancing costs.
  • Market-cap weighted: Biased toward large caps; minimal rebalancing.
  • Fundamental weighted: Uses metrics like book value or earnings.
Index Management and Other Asset Classes5 min
Index management involves rebalancing (resetting weights) and reconstitution (adding/removing securities). Rebalancing is most intensive for equal-weighted indexes. Fixed-income indexes face challenges like a vast universe of securities and illiquid markets, often relying on dealer pricing. Alternative indexes, such as those for commodities or hedge funds, have unique properties; for instance, commodity indexes rely on futures contracts, while hedge fund indexes may suffer from survivorship bias.

Key Points

  • Rebalancing: Adjusting weights to targets.
  • Reconstitution: Adding/deleting securities.
  • Fixed-income: High turnover, dealer pricing.
  • Hedge funds: Survivorship bias, often equal-weighted.

Questions

Question 1

What is the primary difference between a price return index and a total return index?

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Question 2

In a price-weighted index, which of the following securities has the greatest influence on the index value?

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Question 3

Which weighting method assumes the investor holds an equal dollar amount of each constituent security?

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Question 4

Which of the following statements regarding the rebalancing of a market capitalization-weighted index is most accurate?

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Question 5

Consider a price-weighted index with three stocks priced at 10, 20, and 90. What is the weight of the third stock?

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Question 6

A fundamental weighted index is most likely to weight securities based on:

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Question 7

Which index construction method requires the divisor to be adjusted when a stock split occurs?

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Question 8

Fixed income indexes typically have higher turnover than equity indexes primarily because:

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Question 9

What is a potential issue with using equal weighting for a security market index?

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Question 10

In the context of index management, what is 'reconstitution'?

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Question 11

Real estate indexes are often constructed using:

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Question 12

Which of the following is a characteristic of hedge fund indexes?

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Question 13

Commodity indexes are typically based on:

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Question 14

A 'float-adjusted' market capitalization weighting involves:

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Question 15

If a security is added to an index during reconstitution, its price typically:

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Question 16

Which of the following biases is most associated with real estate indexes based on appraisals?

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Question 17

Calculate the price return for a price-weighted index if the sum of prices starts at 100 and ends at 110.

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Question 18

Which index weighting method is also known as 'value-weighted'?

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Question 19

What is the primary disadvantage of a price-weighted index?

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Question 20

In a market capitalization-weighted index, a security's weight is determined by:

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Question 21

Given the following returns for three stocks in an equal-weighted index: 10%, -5%, and 25%. What is the index return?

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Question 22

Which of the following is a key use of security market indexes?

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Question 23

A contrarian 'value' strategy is most naturally implemented using which weighting method?

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Question 24

Which type of equity index measures the returns of a specific industry, such as pharmaceuticals?

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Question 25

The price of a security added to an index usually increases. What happens to the price of a security deleted from an index?

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Question 26

Which asset class index typically relies on dealer bid-ask quotes rather than exchange transaction data?

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Question 27

Calculate the return of a market-cap weighted index. Total Market Cap at t=0 is 500 million. Total Market Cap at t=1 is 550 million. No dividends.

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Question 28

What is 'survivorship bias' in the context of hedge fund indexes?

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Question 29

Why must the divisor in a price-weighted index be adjusted?

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Question 30

An index that uses 'multi-market' equity refers to:

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Question 31

Which weighting scheme is most likely to result in a portfolio with a 'value' tilt?

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Question 32

Security A has a price of 10 and 100 shares. Security B has a price of 50 and 10 shares. In a price-weighted index, which security has the higher weight?

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Question 33

In the same scenario (A: Price 10, Shares 100; B: Price 50, Shares 10), which has the higher weight in a market-cap weighted index?

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Question 34

Which index type acts as a measure of 'market sentiment'?

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Question 35

What is a 'Style Index'?

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Question 36

If an equal-weighted index is not rebalanced, what happens if one stock doubles in price while others stay flat?

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Question 37

Which index type is best for measuring the rate of return of an asset class?

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Question 38

A 'Sector Index' is useful for:

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Question 39

Which of the following describes a 'High Yield' fixed income index?

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Question 40

What is the 'backfill bias' in hedge fund indexes?

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Question 41

In a price-weighted index, if Stock A (Price 100) and Stock B (Price 10) both increase by 10%:

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Question 42

What does a 'momentum' anomaly in index pricing suggest?

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Question 43

How is the return of an equal-weighted index calculated?

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Question 44

Which of the following is an example of an alternative investment index?

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Question 45

What happens to the divisor of a price-weighted index if one of its stocks is replaced by another stock with a lower price?

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Question 46

Which index weighting method most closely mimics the return of a momentum strategy?

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Question 47

What is the primary risk of a fixed-income index that includes a large number of illiquid securities?

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Question 48

A 'Total Return' index value will be lower than a 'Price Return' index value:

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Question 49

Calculate the return of a price-weighted index. Stock A goes 10->12. Stock B goes 20->18. Divisor is 2.

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Question 50

What does a 'broad market index' typically represent?

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