Question

Difficulty: HardNon-Systematic and Credit Risks

A portfolio analyst is conducting a risk breakdown for a diversified portfolio. Match each corporate event or market condition on the left with the primary non-systematic risk category it exemplifies on the right.

  • A biotechnology firm suffers a steep earnings drop after its primary drug candidate fails to receive regulatory approval.Business Risk
  • A highly leveraged retail corporation becomes insolvent when operating cash flows fall short of scheduled interest obligations.Financial Risk
  • An institutional investor holding a custom private placement note must accept a steep price discount to complete an immediate sale.Liquidity Risk
  • A corporate debenture issuer misses a scheduled semi-annual interest payment, triggering a credit rating downgrade to D.Credit (Default) Risk

Answer

Biotechnology product approval failure matches Business Risk; Highly leveraged debt service default matches Financial Risk; Private placement discount sale matches Liquidity Risk; Corporate debenture payment default matches Credit (Default) Risk.
Each scenario isolates a specific company-specific risk factor. Business risk is driven by operational/product performance; financial risk stems from debt leverage and capital structure; liquidity risk concerns ease of conversion to cash without price concessions; credit risk directly concerns an issuer's default on debt obligations.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze each scenario to separate operational, capital structure, marketability, and repayment issues.
Identify that the scenarios test distinct sub-categories of non-systematic (diversifiable) risk.
Non-systematic risks originate from company-specific or security-specific factors.
2
Classify operational revenue risks.
Drug trial failure represents core operational failure, matching Business Risk.
Business risk stems from operating decisions, product failures, and market competition.
3
Differentiate financial leverage risk from operational risk.
Inability to service debt due to high debt load matches Financial Risk.
Financial risk is tied to capital structure decisions and debt financing load.
4
Distinguish between marketability friction and actual debt default.
Taking a price discount for an urgent sale of an illiquid security matches Liquidity Risk, while missing scheduled coupon payments matches Credit (Default) Risk.
Liquidity risk measures market execution impact, whereas credit risk measures issuer solvency and debt fulfillment.

Key Concept

Classification of Non-Systematic and Credit Risks
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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