Financial Markets and Institutions, 8e (Mishkin)
1) Financial markets and institutions
A) involve the movement of huge quantities of money.
B) affect the profits of businesses.
C) affect the types of goods and services produced in an economy.
D) do all of the above.
E) do only A and B of the above.
2) Financial market activities affect
A) personal wealth.
B) spending decisions by individuals and business firms.
C) the economy’s location in the business cycle.
D) all of the above.
3) Markets in which funds are transferred from those who have excess funds available to those
who have a shortage of available funds are called
A) commodity markets.
B) funds markets.
C) derivative exchange markets.
D) financial markets.
4) The price paid for the rental of borrowed funds (usually expressed as a percentage of the
rental of $100 per year) is commonly referred to as the
A) inflation rate.
B) exchange rate.
C) interest rate.
D) aggregate price level.
5) The bond markets are important because
A) they are easily the most widely followed financial markets in the United States.
B) they are the markets where interest rates are determined.
C) they are the markets where foreign exchange rates are determined.
D) all of the above.
6) Interest rates are important to financial institutions since an interest rate increase ________ the
cost of acquiring funds and ________ the income from assets.
A) decreases; decreases
B) increases; increases
C) decreases; increases
D) increases; decreases
7) Typically, increasing interest rates
A) discourages individuals from saving.
B) discourages corporate investments.
C) encourages corporate expansion.
D) encourages corporate borrowing.
E) none of the above.
8) Compared to interest rates on long-term U.S. government bonds, interest rates on ________
fluctuate more and are lower on average.
A) medium-quality corporate bonds
B) low-quality corporate bonds
C) high-quality corporate bonds
D) three-month Treasury bills
E) none of the above
9) Compared to interest rates on long-term U.S. government bonds, interest rates on three-month
Treasury bills fluctuate ________ and are ________ on average.
A) more; lower
B) less; lower
C) more; higher
D) less; higher
10) The stock market is important because
A) it is where interest rates are determined.
B) it is the most widely followed financial market in the United States.
C) it is where foreign exchange rates are determined.
D) all of the above.
11) Stock prices since the 1980s have been
A) relatively stable, trending upward at a steady pace.
B) relatively stable, trending downward at a moderate rate.
C) extremely volatile.
D) unstable, trending downward at a moderate rate.
12) The largest one-day drop in the history of the American stock markets occurred in
A) 1929.
B) 1987.
C) 2000.
D) 2001.
13) A declining stock market index due to lower share prices
A) reduces people’s wealth and as a result may reduce their willingness to spend.
B) increases people’s wealth and as a result may increase their willingness to spend.
C) decreases the amount of funds that business firms can raise by selling newly issued stock.
D) both A and C of the above.
E) both B and C of the above.
14) Changes in stock prices
A) affect people’s wealth and their willingness to spend.
B) affect firms’ decisions to sell stock to finance investment spending.
C) are characterized by considerable fluctuations.
D) all of the above.
E) only A and B of the above.
15) (I) Debt markets are often referred to generically as the bond market.
(II) A bond is a security that is a claim on the earnings and assets of a corporation.
A) (I) is true, (II) false.
B) (I) is false, (II) true.
C) Both are true.
D) Both are false.
16) (I) A bond is a debt security that promises to make payments periodically for a specified
period of time. (II) A stock is a security that is a claim on the earnings and assets of a
corporation.
A) (I) is true, (II) false.
B) (I) is false, (II) true.
C) Both are true.
D) Both are false.
17) The price of one country’s currency in terms of another’s is called
A) the foreign exchange rate.
B) the interest rate.
C) the Dow Jones industrial average.
D) none of the above.
18) A stronger dollar benefits ________ and hurts ________.
A) American businesses; American consumers
B) American businesses; foreign businesses
C) American consumers; American businesses
D) foreign businesses; American consumers
19) A weaker dollar benefits ________ and hurts ________.
A) American businesses; American consumers
B) American businesses; foreign consumers
C) American consumers; American businesses
D) foreign businesses; American consumers
20) From 1980 to early 1985 the dollar ________ in value, thereby benefiting American
________.
A) appreciated; businesses
B) appreciated; consumers
C) depreciated; businesses
D) depreciated; consumers
21) In general, from 2001 through 2013, the dollar ________ in value relative to major foreign
currencies.
A) appreciated
B) depreciated
C) remained about the same
22) Money is defined as
A) anything that is generally accepted in payment for goods and services or in the repayment of
debt.
B) bills of exchange.
C) a riskless repository of spending power.
D) all of the above.
E) only A and B of the above.
23) The organization responsible for the conduct of monetary policy in the United States is the
A) Comptroller of the Currency.
B) U.S. Treasury.
C) Federal Reserve System.
D) Bureau of Monetary Affairs.
24) The central bank of the United States is
A) Citicorp.
B) The Fed.
C) Bank of America.
D) The Treasury.
E) none of the above.
25) Monetary policy is chiefly concerned with
A) how much money businesses earn.
B) the level of interest rates and the nation’s money supply.
C) how much money people pay in taxes.
D) whether people have saved enough money for retirement.
26) Economists group commercial banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, mutual
funds, mutual savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, and finance companies
together under the heading financial intermediaries. Financial intermediaries
A) act as middlemen, borrowing funds from those who have saved and lending these funds to
others.
B) produce nothing of value and are therefore a drain on society’s resources.
C) help promote a more efficient and dynamic economy.
D) do all of the above.
E) do only A and C of the above.
27) Economists group commercial banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, mutual
funds, mutual savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, and finance companies
together under the heading financial intermediaries. Financial intermediaries
A) act as middlemen, borrowing funds from those who have saved and lending these funds to
others.
B) play an important role in determining the quantity of money in the economy.
C) help promote a more efficient and dynamic economy.
D) do all of the above.
E) do only A and C of the above.
28) Banks are important to the study of money and the economy because they
A) provide a channel for linking those who want to save with those who want to invest.
B) have been a source of financial innovation that is expanding the alternatives available to those
wanting to invest their money.
C) are the only financial institution to play a role in determining the quantity of money in the
economy.
D) do all of the above.
E) do only A and B of the above.
29) Banks, savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, and credit unions
A) are no longer important players in financial intermediation.
B) have been providing services only to small depositors since deregulation.
C) have been adept at innovating in response to changes in the regulatory environment.
D) all of the above.
E) only A and C of the above.
30) (I) Banks are financial intermediaries that accept deposits and make loans.
(II) The term “banks” includes firms such as commercial banks, savings and loan associations,
mutual savings banks, credit unions, insurance companies, and pension funds.
A) (I) is true, (II) false.
B) (I) is false, (II) true.
C) Both are true.
D) Both are false.