Original practice · fully worked
Original variant: arithmetic increment inferred from a spaced perpetuity price
A perpetuity pays every three years, beginning with 5 at year 3. Each later payment exceeds the preceding payment by a constant amount K. At a 4% annual effective yield, the perpetuity is priced at 168.32. Calculate K.
- A
1.60 - B
1.70 - C
1.80 - D
1.90 - E
2.00
Answer and calculation
The effective three-year rate is 12.4864%. Removing the level-payment component from the quoted price leaves K divided by that rate squared, giving K = 2.00, choice E.
Setup
Setup
Convert the annual yield to the effective rate for the three-year payment interval.
j=(1.04)3−1 Model
Model
Write the arithmetic perpetuity price as a level component plus an increasing component.
168.32=j5+j2K Compute
Compute
Solving the linear equation gives increment K = 2.0000.
K=j2(168.32−j5)=2.00000000 Answer
Answer
The payment increment is 2.00, selecting choice E.
K=2.00(E)