Suppose that Intel currently is selling at $40 per share. You buy 500 shares using $15,000 of your own money, borrowing the remainder of the purchase price from your broker. The rate on the margin loan is 8%.

a. What is the percentage increase in the net worth of your brokerage account if the price of Intel immediately changes to: (i) $44; (ii) $40; (iii) $36? What is the relationship between your percentage return and the percentage change in the price of Intel?

b. If the maintenance margin is 25%, how low can Intel’s price fall before you get a margin call?

c. How would your answer to (b) change if you had financed the initial purchase with only $10,000 of your own money?

d. What is the rate of return on your margined position (assuming again that you invest $15,000 of your own money) if Intel is selling after 1 year at: (i) $44; (ii) $40; (iii) $36? What is the relationship between your percentage return and the percentage change in the price of Intel? Assume that Intel pays no dividends.

e. Continue to assume that a year has passed. How low can Intel’s price fall before you get a margin call?