FIN 356 Pace University Future and Options Trade Performance Report
Deliverable 2: Please submit a detailed report that describes the performance of your trades. Exactly how much did you earn on each trade? Please make sure to describe your performance in specific dollar terms, not percentage terms. Your report should be three pages in length and include the following sections:
– A single-page summary of the performance of your trades (1 page in total).
– A discussion of the performance of your trades including a discussion explaining any failures, and including detailed numbers with supporting evidence from your data source (only 1 page per trade).
Here are some more details regarding what you should focus on when preparing deliverable 2:
– Exactly how much did you earn on each trade? Please make sure to describe your performance in specific dollar terms, not percentage terms. Summarize the performance for all trades on a single page and then discuss in more depth for each trade. The reference to “evidence from data source” means that you should please present the numbers that show how you have performed. For option positions, simply compare the price of the given option when you close out the position to the price at the beginning of the period (recall that option price is equal to the option’s value). For futures positions, compare the value of the futures contract when you close out the position to its value when you initiated the position.
Futures and exchange-traded options are widely available for the following asset classes:
Equities
Agriculture
For each of these asset classes, please develop a well-reasoned hypothesis regarding the relative performance of two assets within the asset class. A relative performance trade (otherwise known as a pairs trade) does not require you to identify whether a given security will increase or decrease or value. Instead, it requires the following:
Identify two assets within the asset class.
Identify which of the two assets you believe will outperform the other asset.
Long the asset that you believe will outperform and short the asset that you believe will underperform.
You can learn more about relative performance/pairs trades here: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/trading/04/090804.asp.
Relative performance trade example
Here is an example of a relative performance trade.
Imagine you are forming a relative performance hypothesis related to the following two stocks in the apparel stores industry:
Gap, Inc.
TJX Companies
You do not know whether the overall stock market will increase in value or decrease in value in the future. But you do believe that whether markets increase or decrease in value, GAP, Inc. will outperform TJX Companies. Therefore, you should long Gap, Inc. and short TJX Companies. If you do so:
– If markets increase in value, your long position in Gap, Inc. will increase in value more than your short position in TJX Companies will decrease in value.
– If markets decrease in value, your long position in Gap, Inc. will lose less money than your short position in TJX Companies will earn in value.
Project details
For each hypothesis, please develop an exchange-traded derivatives trade that can monetize the view. Hence, derivatives that do not trade on exchanges, such as forwards, credit default swaps, or interest rate swaps, should not be used. Only use derivatives – do not use any cash products such as stocks or bonds.
Please assume that you have up to 1,000,000 to allocate to each asset class (for the purpose of premiums and/or margin).
Please assume that you will acquire the position sometime during this week and will hold it until sometime during the week of Module 12. Please do not develop dynamic strategies that require buying or selling between this week and the week of Module 12. So there will only be two relevant dates:
The date you enter the position, sometime this week.
The date you close out the position, sometime during the week of Module 12.
Some data sources from which you can identify information include:
CBOE.com
CMEGroup.com
onechicago.com
http://finance.yahoo.com/futures
http://finance.yahoo.com/options
You may also use the Bloomberg Terminals available at Pace’s New York City and Pleasantville campuses.
Project deliverables
This project has two deliverables, as follows:
Deliverable 1: Please submit this week a report that describes your hypotheses and trades in detail (a link is provided below the project description through which you should submit Deliverable 1). Make sure that your plan is as realistic as possible, and incorporates all premiums and margin/collateral requirements. Your report should be 5 pages in length and should include the following sections:
– A single-page summary of your trades (1 page in total).
– A discussion of your hypotheses (1 separate page per trade).
– A discussion of the trade that you implemented, including detailed numbers with supporting evidence from your data source (1 separate page per trade).
Deliverable 2: Please submit during Module 12 a detailed report that describes the performance of your trades. Exactly how much did you earn on each trade? Please make sure to describe your performance in specific dollar terms, not percentage terms. Your report should be three pages in length and include the following sections:
– A single-page summary of the performance of your trades (1 page in total).
– A discussion of the performance of your trades including a discussion explaining any failures, and including detailed numbers with supporting evidence from your data source (only 1 page per trade).