Rules for Question:

All interest rates herein are expressed with continuous compounding.

In case you need to make assumptions, please clearly state them. Only reasonable

assumptions are acceptable. Assumptions that violate finance principles are not to be

made.

For numerical questions, simply calculating the numbers out will not be sufficient.

Please also provide me with the reasons for your calculations. Correct thinking

processes are much more important than correct numbers. Therefore, regardless of

whether or not your numbers are correct, no marks will be given if (a) no explanation

of your calculations is provided; or (b) the explanation provided is incorrect. On the

other hand, even if your numbers are incorrect, partial marks will be given if your

thinking process is correct.

Please note that marks can only be given based on what you write. Therefore, I request

that you attempt to convey your ideas to me as clearly as possible. I will not make a

guess as to what you intend to mean if you do not make it obvious and clear.

When your answers involve taking positions in securities or lending/borrowing, please

mention all the relevant details

such as

the timing of the transactions, the side of the

contracts (e.g., long or short forward), the length of the contracts (e.g., 6-month

futures), the exercise prices (in case of options) and the interest rates (in case of lending

or borrowing).

Question:

1. (3 points) TD Canada Trust currently offers a "Market Growth" Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC). This GIC has a 3-year term, and provides the following returns: -The minimum return is 1% (Note that this is 1% per 3 years, not 1% p.a.). -The return is linked to the performance of the S&P/TSX60 index over the 3-year term, with the maximum return of 8.88% (per 3 years). Suppose that the current level of the S&P/TSX60 index is 800. Please describe how you would replicate the payoff of this GIC (assuming an initial investment of $100).