If you were given money to invest in either a commercial bank or a mutual fund, explain which one (commercial bank or mutual fund) you would invest in or would you invest in both and why based on the answers to the questions listed below.
For the commercial bank that you have selected at the beginning of the term, use its annual report or any other related information to answer the following questions.
Commercial bank operations
1. Identify the types of deposits that the Commercial Bank uses to obtain most of its funds
(Looking for main sources of funds by the bank)
2. Identify the main uses of funds by the bank
3. Summarize any statements made by the bank in its annual report about how recent regulations will affect its performance.
4. Does it appear that the bank is attempting to enter the securities industry by offering securities services? If so, explain how.
5. Does it appear that the bank is attempting to enter the insurance industry by offering insurance services? If so, explain how.
COMMERICAL BANK MANAGEMENT
1. Assess the bank's balance sheet as well as any comments in its annual report about the gap between its rate sensitive assets and its rate sensitive liabilities. Does it appear that the bank has a positive gap or a negative gap?
2. Does the bank use any methods to reduce its gap and therefore reduce its exposure to interest rate risk?
3. Summarize any statements made by the bank in its annual report about how it attempts to limit its exposure to credit risk on the loans it provides.
COMMERICAL BANK PERFORMANCE
1. Determine the bank's net interest margin.
2. Determine the bank's return on assets
3. Determine the bank's return on equity
MUTUAL FUNDS
For the mutual fund you selected, use its prospectus or any other related information to answer the following questions.
1. What is the investment objective of the Mutual Fund? Do you consider this mutual fund to have low risk, moderate risk, or high risk?
2. What was the return on the mutual fund last year? What was the average annual return over the last three years?
3. What is a key economic factor that influences the return on this mutual fund? (Is it influenced by US stock market conditions? by interest rates? foreign market conditions? foreign interest rates?)
4. Must any fees be paid when buying or selling this mutual fund?
5. What was the expense for this mutual fund over the last year? Does this ratio seem high to you?