Question

Suppose the term structure of interest rates for U.S. government bonds is “flat” meaning that short...

Suppose the term structure of interest rates for U.S. government bonds is “flat” meaning that short (1-year maturity) and long (20-year maturity) term rates have the same expected actual return, say 3 percent. (This was the case a few years ago.) What would that mean about the market’s expectations for interest rate changes?

Homework Answers

Answer #1

The term structure of interest rates describes the differing YTMs for similar government bonds. Normally, a term structure is upward sloping implying that long-term rates are greater than short-term rates. A positive curve rate implies that investors require a higher rate of return to compensate the risk for holding the bond for a greater time period.Investors expect strong economic growth in the future, leading to higher inflation and thus, to higher interest rates.

If the term structure becomes flat, then long-term rates are becoming equal to short-term rates. It implies that investors are uncertain about the future economic growth and thus, do not require high interest rates compared to the short-term rates.

Know the answer?
Your Answer:

Post as a guest

Your Name:

What's your source?

Earn Coins

Coins can be redeemed for fabulous gifts.

Not the answer you're looking for?
Ask your own homework help question
Similar Questions
Long-term (nominal) U.S. Treasury Bonds ------------ in the short-to-medium term. Short-term (nominal) U.S. T-Bills ----------  in the...
Long-term (nominal) U.S. Treasury Bonds ------------ in the short-to-medium term. Short-term (nominal) U.S. T-Bills ----------  in the short-to-medium term. U.S. stocks ----------  in the short-to-medium term. Options for blanks: Provide no/zero protection against inflation Provide good protection against inflation Are exported to inflation Suppose that your investment strategy is to buy a 15-year Treasury Inflation Protected Security (TIPS), hold it for 1 year, then sell it and buy another 15-year TIPS. You plan to repeat this process until you retire (in 45...
1-According to the expectations theory of the term structure of interest rates, A a long-term interest...
1-According to the expectations theory of the term structure of interest rates, A a long-term interest rate is equal to the average of current and expected future short-term interest rates. B- the yield curve is always flat. C- a short-term interest rate has no relation to long-term interest rates. D- a short-term interest rate is equal to the average of current and expected future long-term interest rates. 2-The expectations theory of yield curves is not very realistic because A- a...
If the pure expectations theory of the term structure is correct, which of the following statements...
If the pure expectations theory of the term structure is correct, which of the following statements is CORRECT? A. An upward sloping yield curve would imply that interest rates are expected to be lower in the future. B. If a 1-year Treasury bill has a yield to maturity of 7% and a 2-year Treasury bill has a yield to maturity of 8%, this would imply the market believes that 1-year rates will be 7.5% one year from now. C. The...
A downward-sloping term structure of interest rates may be an indication of _________. Multiple Choice Issuance...
A downward-sloping term structure of interest rates may be an indication of _________. Multiple Choice Issuance of bonds with longer terms to maturity. Lower expected real rate of interest. Higher expected future inflation. Lower expected future inflation. A downward-sloping term structure of interest rates may be an indication of _________. Multiple Choice Issuance of bonds with longer terms to maturity. Lower expected real rate of interest. Higher expected future inflation. Lower expected future inflation.
Suppose that the expectations hypothesis holds and that the current term structure of interest rates is...
Suppose that the expectations hypothesis holds and that the current term structure of interest rates is as follows: • y1 = 5% • y2 = 6% • y3 = 7% a. What is the expected value of the two-year spot rate realizing at year one, E(1y3)? b. What is the expected price of a two-year zero-coupon bond with a face value of $100 trading at year one?
Show working please Consider the same short-term interest rates as in problem 4 above. If the...
Show working please Consider the same short-term interest rates as in problem 4 above. If the yield on a discount bond that matures in 4 years is 8.25%, then according to liquidity premium theory, the premium attached to the 4 year discount bond is? Ref. question Analysts predict that short-term interest rates over the next 4 years will be as follows: 13%, 2%, 7%, and 10%, respectively. According to expectations theory, the yield on a discount bond with a three...
How the bond market reacts when the Federal Reserve increases short-term interest rates? How do short-term...
How the bond market reacts when the Federal Reserve increases short-term interest rates? How do short-term versus long-term bond prices react? How do Treasury bonds versus corporate bonds behave? Describe the relationship between interest rate changes and bond prices.
7. a. If the U.S. government raises the income tax rates, would this have any impact...
7. a. If the U.S. government raises the income tax rates, would this have any impact on a state government's bonds? Please explain your answer. b.If the expectations theory of the term structure is correct, would a reduction in the supply of thirty-year Treasury bonds affect their yields?
2. (a) If the U.S. government raises the income tax rates, would this have any impact...
2. (a) If the U.S. government raises the income tax rates, would this have any impact on a state government's bonds? Please explain your answer. (b) If the expectations theory of the term structure is correct, would a reduction in the supply of thirty-year Treasury bonds affect their yields?
Using the Expectations Theory of the term structure, calculate the interest rates in the term structure...
Using the Expectations Theory of the term structure, calculate the interest rates in the term structure for maturities of 1 to 5 years for the following paths of one year interest rates over the next five years. Explain for each what the yield curve would look like. 3% 4% 5%   6%   7% 3% 2% 1%   1%   2%