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IHP 510 Module Four Worksheet
For this task, you will complete a SWOT analysis to determine
the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a
specific healthcare organization’s service or product. Based on
your SWOT analysis, you will then propose an additional
service or product to market for the organization, while also
comparing your additional service or product to a competing
healthcare organization’s service or product.
This task is designed to provide practice for the analysis,
service proposal, and competition analysis that you will
complete as part of Final Project Milestone Two in Module
Five.
To complete this worksheet, first review the module resources.
Next, review the following webpages. Select one of the
organizations and one of its product or services to analyze:
· Mayo Clinic: Products and Services
· Johns Hopkins Medicine
· Cleveland Clinic: Institutes and Departments
Complete the following sections for the organization’s service
or product that you chose.
Part I. Complete the SWOT for the selected organization.
1. List at least 3 strengths and explain what makes them
strengths.
2. List at least 3 weaknesses and explain what makes them
weaknesses.
3. List at least 3 opportunities and explain what makes them
opportunities.
4. List at least 3 threats and explain what makes them threats.
5. After completing the SWOT components for the chosen
organization, address the following:
What additional service or product would you propose to market
for this organization? Why?
In making your proposal, identify a competing healthcare
organization’s similar service or product—one that you think is
effective. Below, identify the service/product and briefly
describe why you feel it is successful.
Be sure to apply instructor feedback on this worksheet task to
your Final Project Milestone Two, due in Module Five,
especially the sections on the situational analysis, service
proposal, and competition analysis that you will need to
consider when completing your final healthcare marketing and
communication plan.
Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and
Mechanics
Case
Author: Benjamin Boyar
Online Pub Date: January 15, 2020 | Original Pub. Date: 2017
Subject: Business Ethics, Bond Markets
Level: | Type: Experience case | Length: 3322
Copyright: © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing
Organization: | Organization size:
Region: Northern America | State:
Industry: Financial and insurance activities
Originally Published in:
Boyar, B. ( 2017). Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields:
Ethics and Mechanics. Journal of Business Ethics
Education, 14( 1), 299– 306. JBEE14-0CS1.
Publisher: NeilsonJournals Publishing
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529703917 | Online ISBN:
9781529703917
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http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529703917
Abstract
A student considering a career as a financial advisor is
confronted by a common industry
practice that some consider misleading and unethical. The case
fosters financial literacy by
allowing students to connect theory to practice through the
analysis of a highly realistic
brokerage statement using Microsoft Excel. It permits an
instructor to seamlessly inject an
ethical component into an accounting or finance course while
simultaneously sharpening
students’ understanding of key financial concepts such as bond
valuation and yield to maturity.
Case
Keywords: financial literacy, yield to maturity, bond valuation,
ethics.
1. Introduction
This brief yet challenging case concerns Claudia, a college
sophomore who is considering a career as a
financial advisor and who suspects that her financially
unsophisticated grandfather may not fully understand
the information contained in his brokerage statements.
The crux of the case is that it is common in the brokerage
industry to present bond yields using a method
similar to how dividend yields are calculated (see e.g. Zweig,
2015), namely
Estimated Yield =
Estimated Annual Income
Market Value
However, when fixed income securities are purchased at a
premium, the practice of computing yields in this
way may be misleading if a significant portion of the “yield” is
return of principal. There are “yields that matter
more … and that are worth knowing” (Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority [FINRA] 2016). These yields
include yield to maturity, yield to call, and yield to worst
(FINRA 2016).
The case provides an opportunity for students to analyze a
highly realistic brokerage statement using
Microsoft Excel and in so doing to develop a sophisticated
understanding of key financial concepts such as
bond valuation and yield to maturity.
Students are also challenged to take a position on the ethics of a
potentially misleading industry practice,
considering especially the perspective of the protagonist, who is
grappling with how she will conduct herself
in her future profession. The suggested framework for exploring
the issue is virtue ethics. Students must put
themselves in Claudia’s shoes and consider not just who may be
harmed by the practice, but the possibly
deeper question of what sort of person and professional she
wishes to be.
2. Facts of the Case
Claudia, a rising sophomore at Queens College, finished class
and boarded the crowded Q60 bus to Rego
Park, where she lived with her grandfather. Although born-and-
raised in New York, Claudia’s upbringing had
been old-fashioned. Her grandfather, a retired carpenter, had
literally made her bed (and her desk and chair
besides) from carved oak. His values, too, seemed from another
time and place. She recalled the pride he
took in his craftsmanship, the hours spent laboring over details
only a knowing eye would appreciate. He had
promised quality, and for over 30 years, he had delivered it.
Now retired, he lived off social security and the
interest on his retirement savings.
Claudia was a decent woodworker herself but dreamed of
becoming a financial advisor when she graduated.
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She had heard it could be a lucrative career, and helping others
prepare for a comfortable retirement sounded
personally fulfilling. While becoming a financial advisor had
been her plan for some time, she had only a hazy
idea of her chosen profession, so she was enthusiastic when
required to read, “How Muni Bonds ‘Yield’ 4%
in a 2% World” (Zweig 2015) in her introductory finance
course.
Bonds, the article explained, may be issued at a premium, but
they mature or are called at par:
“Imagine this streamlined example: You pay $110 for a bond
that pays $4 interest and matures four years
from now.
Each year, you will earn $4 interest … when it matures, you
will get $100 back – not $110” (Zweig 2015).
The article indicated that many brokerages reported the yield on
such investments as 4%, despite the fact
that the yield to maturity, which accounts for the return of
principal, is less than half of that.
Her finance instructor, Professor Cairo, had an excitable manner
and a penchant for banging the lectern. He
frequently digressed from the textbook with “real world”
examples. But his class was rigorous, with regular
assignments that took hours to complete, and he demonstrated
how to calculate the precise yield to maturity
using the RATE function in Microsoft Excel. Unusually,
however, there was no assignment associated with
the municipal bond article. The professor simply stated that not
reading the article was “hazardous to their
financial future.” After a few moments’ discussion, he
continued to the next topic on the syllabus, the present
value of an ordinary annuity, which he used to value a stream of
bond coupons:
PV0 = C * [
1 −
1
(1 + i)n
i ]
Where “n” is equal to the number of cash flows, as opposed to
the number of time periods (see e.g. Wahlen,
2016, p. M-15).
Claudia had been unable to focus on the new topic. While the
Q60 rolled fitfully down Queens Boulevard,
she continued to reflect on the possibly unscrupulous practice
common in the industry in which she hoped
to make her career. She wondered if her grandfather had been
beguiled by a misleading yield and if he truly
understood the returns his retirement savings were generating.
Professor Cairo, in a very brief discussion of the article,
emphasized that financial regulations provided a
measure of protection for investors, requiring that ‘yield to
worst’ figures be printed clearly on confirmation
statements by brokerage firms (Municipal Securities Rules
Board, 2016). “Always read the fine print,” he had
said, with a characteristic thud on the lectern. Claudia wondered
how carefully her grandfather reviewed his
confirmations and whether he was aware of the distinctions she
had learned in class between current yield,
yield to maturity and yield to worst.
She was happy for investment advisors to make a good living.
Still, it did not seem right to say one thing to
make a sale and to rely on the fine print when a customer
became disgruntled after the fact. She wondered
if she would be fully transparent with clients in her future
career. Of course, she told herself, she had a very
ethical upbringing. But she understood there would be pressure,
particularly if all her competitors quoted a
deceptively high yield when she herself offered unvarnished
truth. She wanted to avoid misleading her clients;
she also wanted to be successful financially.
Claudia recalled that in an earlier class, Professor Cairo had
asked students to consider a required reading
(see Black, 2013) that had argued there were fundamental
ethical principles, such as “[not] pursuing profit at
the expense of everything else including reputation” (p. 1) and
“[l]ooking beyond the question of what is legal
– i.e., being prepared to act in a certain way on the basis that it
is unethical, even though it is legal” (p. 2)
that should be instilled in those who worked in financial
services. She had been convinced by these principles
when they had been described abstractly, but now she struggled
to determine how (and if) she would apply
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them in a real world business situation.
She thought about how financial professionals were
compensated. There were, of course, a variety of
methods, including commissions and fees. She knew that her
grandfather’s advisor charged him a fee based
on the assets under management in lieu of commissions.
Certainly an advisor had an incentive to present
yields in a flattering light if it kept the client happy or led to
referrals and new business. She tried to put herself
in the shoes of the financial advisor. If she were charging her
client a fee of 1.5% per annum, it would seem
to be in her interest to present the yield on the bonds in the
account as 4% per annum rather than 2% per
annum.
The bus reached 63rd Drive. She disembarked and took out her
phone. “Grandpa,” she said, “I’m working on
an assignment for my finance class. Can I look at one of your
brokerage statements?” Slightly queasy, she
began the walk to their house on Wetherole Street.
Her grandfather was proud and private and had not previously
shared details of his financial affairs with
Claudia. But, as she knew, he had a soft spot for her education,
and after a moment’s hesitation, he replied,
“I suppose so, if it’s for school. I’ll show you when you get
home.”
Claudia was excited when she arrived home and hardly greeted
her grandfather before asking to see his
latest brokerage statement (see Exhibit 1 below). Recalling her
professor’s exhortation to “always read the
fine print,” she decided to start by reading the disclaimers and
disclosures and was surprised to discover that
they were over three pages long. The section that she found
most relevant read:
“The estimated annual income (EAI) and estimated annual yield
(EAY) figures are estimates and for
informational purposes only. These figures are not consi dered to
be a forecast or guarantee of future results.
These figures are computed using information from providers
believed to be reliable; however, no assurance
can be made as to the accuracy. Since interest and dividends
rates are subject to change at any time, and
may be affected by current and future economic, political and
business conditions, they should not be relied
on for making investing, trading or tax decisions. These figures
assume that the position, quantities, interest
and dividend rates, and prices remain constant. A capital gain or
return of principal may be included in the
figures for certain securities, thereby overstating them. Refer to
our website for specific details as to formulas
used to calculate the figures.” 1
At first Claudia found reviewing her grandfather’s brokerage
statements intimidating, but her confidence grew
as she slowly worked through the information and recollected
what she had learned in her finance class.
Bonds, she recalled, were an important financial instrument
(sometimes termed “a fixed income security”)
for borrowers requiring significant capital over multiyear
periods. The issuance of a bond allowed risk to be
spread widely among many investors, as opposed to (for
example) a bank loan, where risk was borne by a
single institution. Her grandfather purchased municipal bonds,
meaning the proceeds were used to fund a
state or local authority. For example, one of the bonds was
issued by a local school district.
Claudia recalled that investors such as her grandfather
benefitted from bonds because they provided
predictable cash flows, especially as part of a diversified
portfolio. Municipal bonds also offered tax
advantages to investors in certain circumstances, as the interest
earned could be exempt from federal, state
and local taxes.
Professor Cairo stressed that bonds were not uniform and had
various features and idiosyncrasies, but he
highlighted what was most typical. The investment (“the
principal”) was exchanged for a promise of repayment
at the end of a term (the “maturity” date). While principal
typically was not repaid until maturity, interest
payments (“coupons”) were paid at regular intervals. For
example, Claudia saw that the bond issued to fund
the local school, MERRICK NY UN FREE SCH DIST RFDG,
had a semiannual coupon. The 4.00% figure
listed was an annual rate, so her grandfather could expect to
receive $20 every six months (2% for each
$1,000 bond 2 ). His income from this particular investment was
expected to be $4,000 per year, or the 4.00%
per annum coupon yield 3 listed in the brokerage statement
multiplied by the $100,000 aggregate face value
of the bonds indicated in the brokerage statement.
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Claudia noted from the market price contained in the brokerage
statement that the bonds currently traded at
a premium, meaning a value greater than the $1,000 face value.
As Professor Cairo had explained, when
a bond traded at a premium, it meant that interest rates on
investments of comparable risk were lower than
the coupon yield offered by the bond. Since prevailing market
rates were lower than the 4.00% coupon yield,
investors were willing to pay $1,096.34 for the bond, despite
the fact that when it matured in 2021, they would
receive only the face value of $1,000. Claudia further noted that
the aggregate face value of the MERRICK
bonds held by her grandfather was $100,000, while the current
market value was $109,634. The “estimated
yield 4 ” listed on the brokerage statement of 3.65%, she
realized, was calculated by dividing the $4,000 per
year in projected coupon payments by $109,634. However, she
knew from the article she had read in class
that the estimated yield was arguably misleading, because at the
end of the term, her grandfather would
receive only $100,000, and not the premium investors were
currently willing to pay for the above market
coupon payments.
Claudia recalled what her professor had colloquially termed
“one final hitch.” In some instances, bonds may
be “callable,” meaning that the borrower had the option of
repaying the bonds early, usually at a specified
premium to face value. None of the bonds in Claudia’s
grandfather’s portfolio were callable. She verified this
by visiting the Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA)
website 5 and scanning the bond’s contractual
terms (“the indenture”).
Although Claudia was a very good student, she still found it
helpful to refresh her memory on key terms
associated with bonds by visiting the Financial Industry
Regulatory (FINRA) website that Professor Cairo
recommended in class 6 , where she identified yields “that
matter[ed] more” than the estimated yield disclosed
on the brokerage statement:
• Yield to maturity (YTM) is the overall interest rate earned by
an investor who buys a bond at the
market price and holds it until maturity. Mathematically, it is
the discount rate at which the sum of
all future cash flows (from coupons and principal repayment)
equals the price of the bond. YTM is
often quoted in terms of an annual rate and may differ from the
bond’s coupon rate. It assumes that
coupon and principal payments are paid on time …. [and that]
you reinvest every coupon.
• Yield to call (YTC) is figured the same way as YTM, except
instead of plugging in the number of
months until a bond matures, you use a call date and the bond’s
call price. The calculation takes into
account the impact on a bond’s yield if it is called prior to
maturity, and should be performed using
the first date on which the issuer could call the bond.
• Yield to worst (YTW) is whichever of a bond’s YTM and YTC
is lower. If you want to know the most
conservative potential return a bond can give you – and you
should know it for every callable security
– then perform this comparison (FINRA, 2016).
These three yields were more difficult to calculate than
estimated yield, but they provided a clearer picture of
the total return an investor was likely to reap on his or her
investment (FINRA 2016).
Claudia’s grandfather watched with bemusement as she opened
Microsoft Excel and began analyzing the
numbers on his brokerage statement with the intensity of
someone operating a circular table saw.
Exhibit 1: Excerpt from Claudia’s grandfather’s most recent
brokerage statement
Borough Brokerage
BOROUGH BROKERAGE LLC
1999 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007
(212) 555-9191
Managed Account Statement
Statement Period: 10/01/2017–10/31/2017
Opening Date Quantity Account Activity Opening Going
Accrued Income 30-Day Current
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Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics
Number Ending Balance Balance Income
This
Year
Yield Yield
Cash, Money
Funds, and Bank
Deposits
Q39% of
Portfolio
Money Market
FEDERATED
USTREASURY
INSTL9H
10/1/2017 000000000315 10/16/2017 2,500.00 2,50100 0.00
10.00 0.48% 0.48%
Total Money
Market
2,50Q00 $2,501.00 $0.00 $10.00
Total Cash,
Money Funds,
and Bank
Deposits
$2,50Q00 $2,501.00 $0.00 $10.00
Date Acquired
Quantity
Quantity Unit Cost
Adjusted
Cost Basis
Market
Price
Market
Value
Unrealized
Gain/Loss
Accrued
Interest
Annual
Estimated
Yield
Fixed income
99.61% of
Portfolio (In
Maturity Dote
Seque nce)
Municipal Bonds
Westmere NY
RFDG-SER B
Security
Identifier:
X50016RS4
3.00% 10/15/19
B/EDTD 07/10/15
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1ST ORN DTE
10/15/15 QRN
PMT SEMI
ANNUAL Moody
Rating AA2
6/21/2015 200,000.000 103.572 207,143.82 104.5350
209,070.00 1,92618 266.67 6,000.000 2.87%
Origina1
Cost Basis:
$215,350.00
NEW YORK ST
DORM AUTH
REVS NON ST
Security
Identifier:
X67765QP2
SUPPORTED
DEBT
FORISSUESDTD
PRIORTO
500% 07/01/20
B/EDTD 09/17/12
Moody Rating A2
9/14/2012 300,000.000 100.852 302,556 102.6840 308,052.00
5,496 00 5,000.00 15,000.000 4.87%
Origina1
Cost Basis:
$106,713.00
MERRICK NY
UN FREE SCH
DIST RFDG
Security
Identifier:
X80156GG1
4.00% 02/01/21
B/EDTD 10/12/13
1STCPN DTE 02/
01/14 QRN
PMTSEM
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ANNUAL Moody
Rating AA2
9/21/2013 100,000.000 105.9450 105,944.53 109.6340
109,634.00 3,689.47 1,000.00 4,000.000 3.65%
Origina1
Cost Basis:
$112,799.00
Account Number 181841313
Suggested Assignment Questions
• 1.
Assume the facts in the “streamlined” example above. Calculate
the yield to maturity for the buyer of
the $110 bond.
• 2.
Examine the brokerage statement contained in the case. How
would the stated “estimated yield”
compare to the yield to maturity for an investor who purchased
the bonds on the statement date at
current market prices?
• 3.
Are you concerned by the ethical behavior presented in the
case? Describe the dilemma and explain
what you would do. Justify your response.
• 4.
Consider the dilemma through the lens of virtue ethics (or an
alternative framework suggested
by your instructor). Does using this frameworks result in a
different conclusions than you reached
initially? Discuss.
• 5.
“Arguably, ethics is simply about how a person chooses to act
because of who they are, and not
because of what they are required to do by law” (Black 2013, p.
3). Discuss.
References
Black, J. & Anderson, K. (2013), Creating an Ethical
Framework for the Financial Services Industry. Retrieved
from http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/law/staff/julia-black.htm
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) (2016), Bond
Basis: Yields That Matter More. Retrieved from
http://www.finra.org/investors/bond-yield-and-return
Municipal Securities Rules Board (MSRB) (2016, July 1), The
Municipal Securities Rulebook’s Rule
G-15(a)(i)(A)(5)(b). Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.
Retrieved from http://www.msrb.org/msrb1/pdfs/
MSRB-Rule-Book-PDF-Current-Quarter.pdf
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), General
Information on the Regulation of Investment Advisers.
Retrieved from
https://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/iaregulation/memoia.
htm
Whalen, J. M. , Jefferson, P. J. , & Pagach, D. P. (2016),
Intermediate Accounting (13th Ed.). Massachusetts:
Cengage Learning.
Zweig, J (2015, Oct. 30), “How Muni Bonds ‘Yield’ 4% in a 2%
World”, The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved
from http://on.wsj.com/1RDOCmp
Notes
1. These “boilerplate” disclosures and disclaimers are used,
with slight variation, at various brokerage
firms. See e.g. https://www.pershing.com/_global-
assets/pdf/disclosures/per-estimated-annual-income-and-
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http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/law/staff/julia-black.htm
http://www.finra.org/investors/bond-yield-and-return
http://www.msrb.org/msrb1/pdfs/MSRB-Rule-Book-PDF-
Current-Quarter.pdf
http://www.msrb.org/msrb1/pdfs/MSRB-Rule-Book-PDF-
Current-Quarter.pdf
https://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/iaregulation/memoia.
htm
http://on.wsj.com/1RDOCmp
https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calculating-and-disclosing-bond-
yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i61
https://www.pershing.com/_global-assets/pdf/disclosures/per-
estimated-annual-income-and-estimated-yield.pdf
estimated-yield.pdf and
https://www.edwardjones.com/disclosures/investing-terms-
recurring-disclosures/
estimated-annual-income.html.
2. Bonds typically have face values (also termed par values) of
$1,000, $5,000 or $10,000. A $1,000 face
value is assumed in the case for illustrative purposes.
3. The 4% coupon yield is computed by dividing the total
annual coupon payments of $40 by the $1,000 par
value of the bond.
4. The term “estimated yield” is essentially synonymous to the
term “current yield.” Textbooks define current
yield as the bond’s coupon payment divided by the current
market value of the bond. Brokerage statements
report what they term estimated yield, which is the client’s
projected annual income from a series of bonds
(i.e. aggregate coupon income) divided by the aggregate market
value of those bonds.
5. The EMMA website and search function can be accessed here
http://emma.msrb.org/.
6. See http://www.finra.org/investors/bond-yield-and-return.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529703917
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https://www.pershing.com/_global-assets/pdf/disclosures/per-
estimated-annual-income-and-estimated-yield.pdf
https://www.edwardjones.com/disclosures/investing-terms-
recurring-disclosures/estimated-annual-income.html
https://www.edwardjones.com/disclosures/investing-terms-
recurring-disclosures/estimated-annual-income.html
https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calculating-and-disclosing-bond-
yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i62
https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calculating-and-disclosing-bond-
yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i63
https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calcula ting-and-disclosing-bond-
yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i64
https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calculating-and-disclosing-bond-
yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i65
http://emma.msrb.org/
https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calculating-and-disclosing-bond-
yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i66
http://www.finra.org/investors/bond-yield-and-return
http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529703917Calculating &
Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and MechanicsCaseAbstract
FINC Week 3 Discussion
First, read the case Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields:
Ethics and Mechanics.
Be sure to read the Notes at the bottom of the case, including:
"The term “estimated yield” is essentially synonymous to the
term “current yield.” Textbooks define current yield as the
bond’s coupon payment divided by the current market value of
the bond. Brokerage statements report what they term estimated
yield, which is the client’s projected annual income from a
series of bonds (i.e. aggregate coupon income) divided by the
aggregate market value of those bonds.
The EMMA website and search function can be accessed
here http://emma.msrb.org/."
Additional readings (not required, but recommended by the
case study's author)
· Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) (2016),
Bond Basis: Yields That Matter More. Retrieved
from http://www.finra.org/investors/bond-yield-and-return
· Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), General
Information on the Regulation of Investment Advisers.
Retrieved
from https://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/iaregulation/me
moia.htm
· Zweig, J (2015, Oct. 30), “How Muni Bonds ‘Yield’ 4% in a
2% World”, The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved
from http://on.wsj.com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/1RDOCmp
Second, answer the questions. In your initial response to the
topic you have to answer all questions:
1. Examine the brokerage statement contained in the case. How
would the stated “estimated yield” compare to the yield to
maturity for an investor who purchased the bonds on the
statement date at current market prices?
2. Are you concerned by the ethical behavior presented i n the
case? Describe the dilemma and explain what you would do.
Justify your response.
3. Reflection – the students also should include a paragraph in
the initial response in their own words,
using finance terminology, reflecting on specifically what they
learned from the assignment and how they think they could
apply what they learned in the workplace or in everyday life.
Please also note that your answers should be written in your
own words. Don’t use quotes from the case.

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IHP 510 Module Four WorksheetFor this task, you will compl

  • 1. IHP 510 Module Four Worksheet For this task, you will complete a SWOT analysis to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a specific healthcare organization’s service or product. Based on your SWOT analysis, you will then propose an additional service or product to market for the organization, while also comparing your additional service or product to a competing healthcare organization’s service or product. This task is designed to provide practice for the analysis, service proposal, and competition analysis that you will complete as part of Final Project Milestone Two in Module Five. To complete this worksheet, first review the module resources. Next, review the following webpages. Select one of the organizations and one of its product or services to analyze: · Mayo Clinic: Products and Services · Johns Hopkins Medicine · Cleveland Clinic: Institutes and Departments Complete the following sections for the organization’s service or product that you chose. Part I. Complete the SWOT for the selected organization. 1. List at least 3 strengths and explain what makes them strengths.
  • 2. 2. List at least 3 weaknesses and explain what makes them weaknesses. 3. List at least 3 opportunities and explain what makes them opportunities. 4. List at least 3 threats and explain what makes them threats. 5. After completing the SWOT components for the chosen organization, address the following: What additional service or product would you propose to market for this organization? Why? In making your proposal, identify a competing healthcare organization’s similar service or product—one that you think is effective. Below, identify the service/product and briefly describe why you feel it is successful. Be sure to apply instructor feedback on this worksheet task to your Final Project Milestone Two, due in Module Five, especially the sections on the situational analysis, service proposal, and competition analysis that you will need to consider when completing your final healthcare marketing and
  • 3. communication plan. Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics Case Author: Benjamin Boyar Online Pub Date: January 15, 2020 | Original Pub. Date: 2017 Subject: Business Ethics, Bond Markets Level: | Type: Experience case | Length: 3322 Copyright: © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing Organization: | Organization size: Region: Northern America | State: Industry: Financial and insurance activities Originally Published in: Boyar, B. ( 2017). Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics. Journal of Business Ethics Education, 14( 1), 299– 306. JBEE14-0CS1. Publisher: NeilsonJournals Publishing
  • 4. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529703917 | Online ISBN: 9781529703917 javascript: void(0); javascript: void(0); javascript: void(0); http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529703917 © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing This case was prepared for inclusion in SAGE Business Cases primarily as a basis for classroom discussion or self-study, and is not meant to illustrate either effective or ineffective management styles. Nothing herein shall be deemed to be an endorsement of any kind. This case is for scholarly, educational, or personal use only within your university, and cannot be forwarded outside the university or used for other commercial purposes. 2021 SAGE Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The case studies on SAGE Business Cases are designed and optimized for online learning. Please refer to the online version of this case to fully experience any video, data embeds, spreadsheets, slides, or other resources that may be included. This content may only be distributed for use within Univ of Maryland Global Campus. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529703917 SAGE © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing SAGE Business Cases
  • 5. Page 2 of 10 Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529703917 Abstract A student considering a career as a financial advisor is confronted by a common industry practice that some consider misleading and unethical. The case fosters financial literacy by allowing students to connect theory to practice through the analysis of a highly realistic brokerage statement using Microsoft Excel. It permits an instructor to seamlessly inject an ethical component into an accounting or finance course while simultaneously sharpening students’ understanding of key financial concepts such as bond valuation and yield to maturity. Case Keywords: financial literacy, yield to maturity, bond valuation, ethics. 1. Introduction This brief yet challenging case concerns Claudia, a college sophomore who is considering a career as a financial advisor and who suspects that her financially unsophisticated grandfather may not fully understand the information contained in his brokerage statements. The crux of the case is that it is common in the brokerage industry to present bond yields using a method
  • 6. similar to how dividend yields are calculated (see e.g. Zweig, 2015), namely Estimated Yield = Estimated Annual Income Market Value However, when fixed income securities are purchased at a premium, the practice of computing yields in this way may be misleading if a significant portion of the “yield” is return of principal. There are “yields that matter more … and that are worth knowing” (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority [FINRA] 2016). These yields include yield to maturity, yield to call, and yield to worst (FINRA 2016). The case provides an opportunity for students to analyze a highly realistic brokerage statement using Microsoft Excel and in so doing to develop a sophisticated understanding of key financial concepts such as bond valuation and yield to maturity. Students are also challenged to take a position on the ethics of a potentially misleading industry practice, considering especially the perspective of the protagonist, who is grappling with how she will conduct herself in her future profession. The suggested framework for exploring the issue is virtue ethics. Students must put themselves in Claudia’s shoes and consider not just who may be harmed by the practice, but the possibly deeper question of what sort of person and professional she wishes to be. 2. Facts of the Case
  • 7. Claudia, a rising sophomore at Queens College, finished class and boarded the crowded Q60 bus to Rego Park, where she lived with her grandfather. Although born-and- raised in New York, Claudia’s upbringing had been old-fashioned. Her grandfather, a retired carpenter, had literally made her bed (and her desk and chair besides) from carved oak. His values, too, seemed from another time and place. She recalled the pride he took in his craftsmanship, the hours spent laboring over details only a knowing eye would appreciate. He had promised quality, and for over 30 years, he had delivered it. Now retired, he lived off social security and the interest on his retirement savings. Claudia was a decent woodworker herself but dreamed of becoming a financial advisor when she graduated. SAGE © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing SAGE Business Cases Page 3 of 10 Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics She had heard it could be a lucrative career, and helping others prepare for a comfortable retirement sounded personally fulfilling. While becoming a financial advisor had been her plan for some time, she had only a hazy idea of her chosen profession, so she was enthusiastic when required to read, “How Muni Bonds ‘Yield’ 4% in a 2% World” (Zweig 2015) in her introductory finance course.
  • 8. Bonds, the article explained, may be issued at a premium, but they mature or are called at par: “Imagine this streamlined example: You pay $110 for a bond that pays $4 interest and matures four years from now. Each year, you will earn $4 interest … when it matures, you will get $100 back – not $110” (Zweig 2015). The article indicated that many brokerages reported the yield on such investments as 4%, despite the fact that the yield to maturity, which accounts for the return of principal, is less than half of that. Her finance instructor, Professor Cairo, had an excitable manner and a penchant for banging the lectern. He frequently digressed from the textbook with “real world” examples. But his class was rigorous, with regular assignments that took hours to complete, and he demonstrated how to calculate the precise yield to maturity using the RATE function in Microsoft Excel. Unusually, however, there was no assignment associated with the municipal bond article. The professor simply stated that not reading the article was “hazardous to their financial future.” After a few moments’ discussion, he continued to the next topic on the syllabus, the present value of an ordinary annuity, which he used to value a stream of bond coupons: PV0 = C * [ 1 − 1 (1 + i)n
  • 9. i ] Where “n” is equal to the number of cash flows, as opposed to the number of time periods (see e.g. Wahlen, 2016, p. M-15). Claudia had been unable to focus on the new topic. While the Q60 rolled fitfully down Queens Boulevard, she continued to reflect on the possibly unscrupulous practice common in the industry in which she hoped to make her career. She wondered if her grandfather had been beguiled by a misleading yield and if he truly understood the returns his retirement savings were generating. Professor Cairo, in a very brief discussion of the article, emphasized that financial regulations provided a measure of protection for investors, requiring that ‘yield to worst’ figures be printed clearly on confirmation statements by brokerage firms (Municipal Securities Rules Board, 2016). “Always read the fine print,” he had said, with a characteristic thud on the lectern. Claudia wondered how carefully her grandfather reviewed his confirmations and whether he was aware of the distinctions she had learned in class between current yield, yield to maturity and yield to worst. She was happy for investment advisors to make a good living. Still, it did not seem right to say one thing to make a sale and to rely on the fine print when a customer became disgruntled after the fact. She wondered if she would be fully transparent with clients in her future career. Of course, she told herself, she had a very ethical upbringing. But she understood there would be pressure, particularly if all her competitors quoted a deceptively high yield when she herself offered unvarnished truth. She wanted to avoid misleading her clients;
  • 10. she also wanted to be successful financially. Claudia recalled that in an earlier class, Professor Cairo had asked students to consider a required reading (see Black, 2013) that had argued there were fundamental ethical principles, such as “[not] pursuing profit at the expense of everything else including reputation” (p. 1) and “[l]ooking beyond the question of what is legal – i.e., being prepared to act in a certain way on the basis that it is unethical, even though it is legal” (p. 2) that should be instilled in those who worked in financial services. She had been convinced by these principles when they had been described abstractly, but now she struggled to determine how (and if) she would apply SAGE © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing SAGE Business Cases Page 4 of 10 Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics them in a real world business situation. She thought about how financial professionals were compensated. There were, of course, a variety of methods, including commissions and fees. She knew that her grandfather’s advisor charged him a fee based on the assets under management in lieu of commissions. Certainly an advisor had an incentive to present yields in a flattering light if it kept the client happy or led to referrals and new business. She tried to put herself in the shoes of the financial advisor. If she were charging her
  • 11. client a fee of 1.5% per annum, it would seem to be in her interest to present the yield on the bonds in the account as 4% per annum rather than 2% per annum. The bus reached 63rd Drive. She disembarked and took out her phone. “Grandpa,” she said, “I’m working on an assignment for my finance class. Can I look at one of your brokerage statements?” Slightly queasy, she began the walk to their house on Wetherole Street. Her grandfather was proud and private and had not previously shared details of his financial affairs with Claudia. But, as she knew, he had a soft spot for her education, and after a moment’s hesitation, he replied, “I suppose so, if it’s for school. I’ll show you when you get home.” Claudia was excited when she arrived home and hardly greeted her grandfather before asking to see his latest brokerage statement (see Exhibit 1 below). Recalling her professor’s exhortation to “always read the fine print,” she decided to start by reading the disclaimers and disclosures and was surprised to discover that they were over three pages long. The section that she found most relevant read: “The estimated annual income (EAI) and estimated annual yield (EAY) figures are estimates and for informational purposes only. These figures are not consi dered to be a forecast or guarantee of future results. These figures are computed using information from providers believed to be reliable; however, no assurance can be made as to the accuracy. Since interest and dividends rates are subject to change at any time, and may be affected by current and future economic, political and
  • 12. business conditions, they should not be relied on for making investing, trading or tax decisions. These figures assume that the position, quantities, interest and dividend rates, and prices remain constant. A capital gain or return of principal may be included in the figures for certain securities, thereby overstating them. Refer to our website for specific details as to formulas used to calculate the figures.” 1 At first Claudia found reviewing her grandfather’s brokerage statements intimidating, but her confidence grew as she slowly worked through the information and recollected what she had learned in her finance class. Bonds, she recalled, were an important financial instrument (sometimes termed “a fixed income security”) for borrowers requiring significant capital over multiyear periods. The issuance of a bond allowed risk to be spread widely among many investors, as opposed to (for example) a bank loan, where risk was borne by a single institution. Her grandfather purchased municipal bonds, meaning the proceeds were used to fund a state or local authority. For example, one of the bonds was issued by a local school district. Claudia recalled that investors such as her grandfather benefitted from bonds because they provided predictable cash flows, especially as part of a diversified portfolio. Municipal bonds also offered tax advantages to investors in certain circumstances, as the interest earned could be exempt from federal, state and local taxes. Professor Cairo stressed that bonds were not uniform and had various features and idiosyncrasies, but he highlighted what was most typical. The investment (“the principal”) was exchanged for a promise of repayment
  • 13. at the end of a term (the “maturity” date). While principal typically was not repaid until maturity, interest payments (“coupons”) were paid at regular intervals. For example, Claudia saw that the bond issued to fund the local school, MERRICK NY UN FREE SCH DIST RFDG, had a semiannual coupon. The 4.00% figure listed was an annual rate, so her grandfather could expect to receive $20 every six months (2% for each $1,000 bond 2 ). His income from this particular investment was expected to be $4,000 per year, or the 4.00% per annum coupon yield 3 listed in the brokerage statement multiplied by the $100,000 aggregate face value of the bonds indicated in the brokerage statement. SAGE © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing SAGE Business Cases Page 5 of 10 Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics Claudia noted from the market price contained in the brokerage statement that the bonds currently traded at a premium, meaning a value greater than the $1,000 face value. As Professor Cairo had explained, when a bond traded at a premium, it meant that interest rates on investments of comparable risk were lower than the coupon yield offered by the bond. Since prevailing market rates were lower than the 4.00% coupon yield, investors were willing to pay $1,096.34 for the bond, despite the fact that when it matured in 2021, they would receive only the face value of $1,000. Claudia further noted that the aggregate face value of the MERRICK
  • 14. bonds held by her grandfather was $100,000, while the current market value was $109,634. The “estimated yield 4 ” listed on the brokerage statement of 3.65%, she realized, was calculated by dividing the $4,000 per year in projected coupon payments by $109,634. However, she knew from the article she had read in class that the estimated yield was arguably misleading, because at the end of the term, her grandfather would receive only $100,000, and not the premium investors were currently willing to pay for the above market coupon payments. Claudia recalled what her professor had colloquially termed “one final hitch.” In some instances, bonds may be “callable,” meaning that the borrower had the option of repaying the bonds early, usually at a specified premium to face value. None of the bonds in Claudia’s grandfather’s portfolio were callable. She verified this by visiting the Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) website 5 and scanning the bond’s contractual terms (“the indenture”). Although Claudia was a very good student, she still found it helpful to refresh her memory on key terms associated with bonds by visiting the Financial Industry Regulatory (FINRA) website that Professor Cairo recommended in class 6 , where she identified yields “that matter[ed] more” than the estimated yield disclosed on the brokerage statement: • Yield to maturity (YTM) is the overall interest rate earned by an investor who buys a bond at the market price and holds it until maturity. Mathematically, it is the discount rate at which the sum of all future cash flows (from coupons and principal repayment) equals the price of the bond. YTM is
  • 15. often quoted in terms of an annual rate and may differ from the bond’s coupon rate. It assumes that coupon and principal payments are paid on time …. [and that] you reinvest every coupon. • Yield to call (YTC) is figured the same way as YTM, except instead of plugging in the number of months until a bond matures, you use a call date and the bond’s call price. The calculation takes into account the impact on a bond’s yield if it is called prior to maturity, and should be performed using the first date on which the issuer could call the bond. • Yield to worst (YTW) is whichever of a bond’s YTM and YTC is lower. If you want to know the most conservative potential return a bond can give you – and you should know it for every callable security – then perform this comparison (FINRA, 2016). These three yields were more difficult to calculate than estimated yield, but they provided a clearer picture of the total return an investor was likely to reap on his or her investment (FINRA 2016). Claudia’s grandfather watched with bemusement as she opened Microsoft Excel and began analyzing the numbers on his brokerage statement with the intensity of someone operating a circular table saw. Exhibit 1: Excerpt from Claudia’s grandfather’s most recent brokerage statement Borough Brokerage BOROUGH BROKERAGE LLC
  • 16. 1999 Chambers Street New York, NY 10007 (212) 555-9191 Managed Account Statement Statement Period: 10/01/2017–10/31/2017 Opening Date Quantity Account Activity Opening Going Accrued Income 30-Day Current SAGE © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing SAGE Business Cases Page 6 of 10 Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics Number Ending Balance Balance Income This Year Yield Yield Cash, Money Funds, and Bank Deposits Q39% of Portfolio
  • 17. Money Market FEDERATED USTREASURY INSTL9H 10/1/2017 000000000315 10/16/2017 2,500.00 2,50100 0.00 10.00 0.48% 0.48% Total Money Market 2,50Q00 $2,501.00 $0.00 $10.00 Total Cash, Money Funds, and Bank Deposits $2,50Q00 $2,501.00 $0.00 $10.00 Date Acquired Quantity Quantity Unit Cost Adjusted Cost Basis Market Price Market Value Unrealized Gain/Loss
  • 18. Accrued Interest Annual Estimated Yield Fixed income 99.61% of Portfolio (In Maturity Dote Seque nce) Municipal Bonds Westmere NY RFDG-SER B Security Identifier: X50016RS4 3.00% 10/15/19 B/EDTD 07/10/15 SAGE © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing SAGE Business Cases Page 7 of 10 Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics
  • 19. 1ST ORN DTE 10/15/15 QRN PMT SEMI ANNUAL Moody Rating AA2 6/21/2015 200,000.000 103.572 207,143.82 104.5350 209,070.00 1,92618 266.67 6,000.000 2.87% Origina1 Cost Basis: $215,350.00 NEW YORK ST DORM AUTH REVS NON ST Security Identifier: X67765QP2 SUPPORTED DEBT FORISSUESDTD PRIORTO 500% 07/01/20 B/EDTD 09/17/12 Moody Rating A2 9/14/2012 300,000.000 100.852 302,556 102.6840 308,052.00 5,496 00 5,000.00 15,000.000 4.87% Origina1 Cost Basis:
  • 20. $106,713.00 MERRICK NY UN FREE SCH DIST RFDG Security Identifier: X80156GG1 4.00% 02/01/21 B/EDTD 10/12/13 1STCPN DTE 02/ 01/14 QRN PMTSEM SAGE © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing SAGE Business Cases Page 8 of 10 Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics ANNUAL Moody Rating AA2 9/21/2013 100,000.000 105.9450 105,944.53 109.6340 109,634.00 3,689.47 1,000.00 4,000.000 3.65% Origina1 Cost Basis:
  • 21. $112,799.00 Account Number 181841313 Suggested Assignment Questions • 1. Assume the facts in the “streamlined” example above. Calculate the yield to maturity for the buyer of the $110 bond. • 2. Examine the brokerage statement contained in the case. How would the stated “estimated yield” compare to the yield to maturity for an investor who purchased the bonds on the statement date at current market prices? • 3. Are you concerned by the ethical behavior presented in the case? Describe the dilemma and explain what you would do. Justify your response. • 4. Consider the dilemma through the lens of virtue ethics (or an alternative framework suggested by your instructor). Does using this frameworks result in a different conclusions than you reached initially? Discuss. • 5. “Arguably, ethics is simply about how a person chooses to act because of who they are, and not because of what they are required to do by law” (Black 2013, p. 3). Discuss.
  • 22. References Black, J. & Anderson, K. (2013), Creating an Ethical Framework for the Financial Services Industry. Retrieved from http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/law/staff/julia-black.htm Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) (2016), Bond Basis: Yields That Matter More. Retrieved from http://www.finra.org/investors/bond-yield-and-return Municipal Securities Rules Board (MSRB) (2016, July 1), The Municipal Securities Rulebook’s Rule G-15(a)(i)(A)(5)(b). Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board. Retrieved from http://www.msrb.org/msrb1/pdfs/ MSRB-Rule-Book-PDF-Current-Quarter.pdf Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), General Information on the Regulation of Investment Advisers. Retrieved from https://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/iaregulation/memoia. htm Whalen, J. M. , Jefferson, P. J. , & Pagach, D. P. (2016), Intermediate Accounting (13th Ed.). Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. Zweig, J (2015, Oct. 30), “How Muni Bonds ‘Yield’ 4% in a 2% World”, The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://on.wsj.com/1RDOCmp Notes 1. These “boilerplate” disclosures and disclaimers are used, with slight variation, at various brokerage firms. See e.g. https://www.pershing.com/_global- assets/pdf/disclosures/per-estimated-annual-income-and- SAGE © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing SAGE Business Cases
  • 23. Page 9 of 10 Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/law/staff/julia-black.htm http://www.finra.org/investors/bond-yield-and-return http://www.msrb.org/msrb1/pdfs/MSRB-Rule-Book-PDF- Current-Quarter.pdf http://www.msrb.org/msrb1/pdfs/MSRB-Rule-Book-PDF- Current-Quarter.pdf https://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/iaregulation/memoia. htm http://on.wsj.com/1RDOCmp https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calculating-and-disclosing-bond- yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i61 https://www.pershing.com/_global-assets/pdf/disclosures/per- estimated-annual-income-and-estimated-yield.pdf estimated-yield.pdf and https://www.edwardjones.com/disclosures/investing-terms- recurring-disclosures/ estimated-annual-income.html. 2. Bonds typically have face values (also termed par values) of $1,000, $5,000 or $10,000. A $1,000 face value is assumed in the case for illustrative purposes. 3. The 4% coupon yield is computed by dividing the total annual coupon payments of $40 by the $1,000 par value of the bond. 4. The term “estimated yield” is essentially synonymous to the term “current yield.” Textbooks define current yield as the bond’s coupon payment divided by the current market value of the bond. Brokerage statements report what they term estimated yield, which is the client’s
  • 24. projected annual income from a series of bonds (i.e. aggregate coupon income) divided by the aggregate market value of those bonds. 5. The EMMA website and search function can be accessed here http://emma.msrb.org/. 6. See http://www.finra.org/investors/bond-yield-and-return. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529703917 SAGE © 2017 NeilsonJournals Publishing SAGE Business Cases Page 10 of 10 Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics https://www.pershing.com/_global-assets/pdf/disclosures/per- estimated-annual-income-and-estimated-yield.pdf https://www.edwardjones.com/disclosures/investing-terms- recurring-disclosures/estimated-annual-income.html https://www.edwardjones.com/disclosures/investing-terms- recurring-disclosures/estimated-annual-income.html https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calculating-and-disclosing-bond- yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i62 https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calculating-and-disclosing-bond- yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i63 https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calcula ting-and-disclosing-bond- yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i64 https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calculating-and-disclosing-bond- yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i65 http://emma.msrb.org/ https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/calculating-and-disclosing-bond- yields-ethics-and-mechanics##i66
  • 25. http://www.finra.org/investors/bond-yield-and-return http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529703917Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and MechanicsCaseAbstract FINC Week 3 Discussion First, read the case Calculating & Disclosing Bond Yields: Ethics and Mechanics. Be sure to read the Notes at the bottom of the case, including: "The term “estimated yield” is essentially synonymous to the term “current yield.” Textbooks define current yield as the bond’s coupon payment divided by the current market value of the bond. Brokerage statements report what they term estimated yield, which is the client’s projected annual income from a series of bonds (i.e. aggregate coupon income) divided by the aggregate market value of those bonds. The EMMA website and search function can be accessed here http://emma.msrb.org/." Additional readings (not required, but recommended by the case study's author) · Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) (2016), Bond Basis: Yields That Matter More. Retrieved from http://www.finra.org/investors/bond-yield-and-return · Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), General Information on the Regulation of Investment Advisers. Retrieved from https://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/iaregulation/me moia.htm · Zweig, J (2015, Oct. 30), “How Muni Bonds ‘Yield’ 4% in a 2% World”, The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://on.wsj.com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/1RDOCmp Second, answer the questions. In your initial response to the topic you have to answer all questions: 1. Examine the brokerage statement contained in the case. How would the stated “estimated yield” compare to the yield to maturity for an investor who purchased the bonds on the
  • 26. statement date at current market prices? 2. Are you concerned by the ethical behavior presented i n the case? Describe the dilemma and explain what you would do. Justify your response. 3. Reflection – the students also should include a paragraph in the initial response in their own words, using finance terminology, reflecting on specifically what they learned from the assignment and how they think they could apply what they learned in the workplace or in everyday life. Please also note that your answers should be written in your own words. Don’t use quotes from the case.