Question

You anticipate your firm will need 20,000 bushels of oats in December so you hedged your position today at the closing price when the daily price quotes were: Open 222, High 225.50, Low 223.50, and Settle 218.50. Assume the actual market quote turns out to be 228.70 on the day you actually acquire the oats. Oats futures contracts are based on 5,000 bushels and priced in cents per bushel. What was your gain or loss from hedging your position

Answer 1

Answer:

The answer is "2,040".

Explanation:

Since in the event the company needs the oats, it should take a long position today to hedge them. As indicated throughout the question, the price of the halftime show was set, and the present settling price of 218.50 cents was $2,1850. Moreover, the industry wants 20,000 boxes with oats and the next claim is 5,000, and that is why 4 agreements (20000/5 000) occupy a longer time. So the actual market price of $228.70, i.e. $22870, is 228.70 so hedging would have the corresponding profit/loss:

$Gain/Loss = \text{(Market price on the date of settlement - Futures price at the date of booking)} \times Quantity\ hedged$

$= (2.2870- 2.1850)\times 20000 \\\\ = 0.102 \times 20000 \\\\ = 2040$