When compared to a Treasury security, the key durations of a mortgage security are: A) | more in number and can only be positive while those of Treasury securities can be negative. |
| B) | fewer in number and can only be positive while those of Treasury securities can be negative. |
| C) | more in number and can be negative or positive while those of Treasury securities can only be positive. |
| D) | fewer in number can be positive or negative while those of Treasury securities can only be positive. |
|
Answer and Explanation
A Treasury security with its bullet payment is likely to have only one and certainly fewer key durations than a mortgage security. The durations will have the usual positive sign. For interest only (IO) mortgage securities, some of the durations may be opposite to the normal sign, i.e., negative. |