Charta is on Google Play: practise on the go. Get the app
Charta

Explain the carry arbitrage model both when the underlying generates cash flows and when it does not

CFA® Level II · Derivatives and Risk Management · Pricing and Valuation of Forward Commitments · L2.DE.1.b

The idea

A forward must equal the cost of buying the asset now and financing it to delivery. Without cash flows, F0 = S0 × (1 + r)^T. With cash flows, benefits are subtracted and costs added: F0 = (S0 − PV of benefits + PV of costs) × (1 + r)^T. If the quoted forward is above this, carry arbitrage: sell the forward, borrow, buy the asset and deliver it. If below, reverse carry: buy the forward, short the asset and lend. The profit at expiry is the gap between quoted and fair prices. The trap is ignoring the income, which overstates the fair price and can flip the direction of the trade.

In the app: 2 practice questions on this outcome, a narrated walkthrough with diagrams, spaced review that brings it back before you forget it.

Take the free diagnostic →

More in Pricing and Valuation of Forward Commitments