PRMIA 8006 Exam Actual Questions

All the choices list inputs into the determination of futures prices. Therefore volatility in any of them affects the volatility of futures prices. Of course, the largest contributor to the volatility is the volatility of the spot price of the underlying. Choice 'd' is the correct answer.

Commodity futures prices can be expressed as the summation of their spot prices and the carrying costs. Therefore any changes in either of these two would be a risk to the futures prices, and Choice 'b' is the correct answer. It is common to decompose complex commodity portfolios into underlying equivalent spot positions and the carrying costs, which includes interest, convenience yield and storage costs. For liquid commodities such as gold where changes of a short squeeze are low, interest costs dominate the carryings costs. Choice 'b' is the correct answer as it is most complete and covers the elements in the other choices. The 'lease rate' for a commodity is equivalent to (Fwd Price - Spot Price)/Spot Price, and comprises the interest and storage costs and the convenience yield. The other choices do not represent complete answers.

There was no event such as the CDO squeeze in 2008. (Quite on the contrary, securitized products were selling at distressed prices.).

The silver squeeze of 1979-80 (Hunt brothers), the Chicago fire of 1872 (leading to a short squeeze on wheat), and the wheat squeeze (Hutchingson) of 1866 are real historical events that led to short squeezes in commodity markets. Choice 'b' is therefore the correct answer.

For the PRM exam, you should try to remember the event broadly, and the commodity involved.

Energy derivative markets are still not very liquid, and experience high price volatility. This high volatility is responsible for most of the risk in these markets. Choice 'd' is the correct answer.

The crack spread is the difference between the price of refined products and crude oil. An option on the crack spread can protect a refiner from both a fall in the price of its output and a rise in the price of its inputs. Calendar spreads are options with different maturities. Crude oil futures and swaps only protect against an adverse change in the price of crude, and not that of refined products. Choice 'b' is the correct answer.