Question

If the expected path of 1-year interest rates over the next five years is 2 percent, 4 percent, 1 percent, 4 percent, and 3 percent, the expectations theory predicts that the bond with the lowest interest rate today is the one with a maturity of
A) one year.
B) two years.
C) three years.
D) four years.

Answer 1

Answer:A) one year

Explanation: The unbiased expectations theory, also known as the expectation theory aims to estimate how much the short term interest rates will amount to in future. This is based on long term interest rates. Forward rates are used to predict the value of interests in the future based on the values calculated today. A maturity of 1 year has the lowest interest rate because it is not given enough time to grow. Interest rates tend to grow better over a longer period of time. Therefore in terms of expectation theory the longer the maturity the better the chances of interest rate growth.