Final answer:
To hedge $3.5 million worth of Canadian bonds by selling 50 bond futures contracts, the size of each futures contract would be $70,000. This step is a part of portfolio risk management to safeguard against market volatility.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the size of each futures contract that the investor needs to sell to hedge $3.5 million worth of Canadian bonds, we divide the total value of the bonds by the number of contracts. So, we take $3,500,000 and divide it by 50 contracts, resulting in the size of each contract.
Using the provided formula:
- Divide the total value of the bonds by the number of contracts: $3,500,000 รท 50 = $70,000.
- Each bond futures contract size would therefore be $70,000.
Through this calculation, the investor knows the size of each contract to execute the hedge accordingly. Understanding hedging and the mechanics behind futures contracts is vital in portfolio risk management and involves protecting investment positions against potential adverse market movements, such as currency exchange fluctuations.