DoCoMo Essay Example for Free

DoCoMo Essay DoCoMo’s i-mode concept was a fresh air in the almost stagnant telecommunications market of Japan. They were ingenious enough to target the right market base along with exactly the right offerings. First of all, i-mode had the capability to keep its users connected to the internet all the time, everywhere. Apart from this, the internet services were content providers. Even though this somehow did limit the amount of websites a user can visit, the content websites were chosen in such a way as to fulfill the requirements of the target market. This was a unique way of connecting people to the internet and to each other which took everyone by storm. Young teens and adults were the main target market – a market that had a high priority to stay connected with friends and groups but didn’t have the proper means to. The cheapest way of being connected was the internet and the target market mostly didn’t even own PC’s or didn’t have the time or capacity to afford the more mobile versions of a PC (PDA’s, Laptops etc. ). This created a window of opportunity for DoCoMo’s i-mode in the sense that it provided users with a way to connect with each other without the hassle and expenses associated with owning a laptop or a PC. The target market being adults in 1999 had grown up by 2002. Competitors followed and gave i-mode a hard time as well. With the WAP standard becoming faster and cheaper, the new generation, which preferred media content more over simple text based content was switching to providers who were providing higher data speeds and more elaborate options such as video calls, Multi media messaging etc. ence DoCoMo’s main customer base was changing due to the advancement of time and change in preferences. Customers were no more interested in just ‘services’ and ‘fluff’ as i-mode started. They wanted more. Apart from a shifting market, i-mode was also facing other challenges. First of all, the up coming markets usage rate was a lot less than the previous o nes. This meant lesser revenue per user. Secondly, competition was increasing by the day. Even though i-mode was still the leader with 60% market share, firms like KDDI and J-Phone had come up with more exciting packages, better offers and better handsets with market shares at (and growing) 24% and 17% respectively. Policy changes at the national level too were forcing i-mode to make changes that were estranging it form its content providers and resulting in lesser profits due to the new, lesser monthly charges that were to go into effect soon. The marketing techniques used in the past by i-mode were effective in capturing their target market. Keeping in mind the changing market conditions of the present, those techniques will not work as effectively anymore. The new market needs something better. The reason competitors are speeding ahead is because the new services and cell phone models they have to offer. First of all i-mode will need to launch better phones and services that come with things like internet connectivity as standard rather than an exclusive service. Current advancements have ensured that internet connectivity is not an exclusive offer anymore, everyone is providing it. I-mode will have to yet again identify something unique. Marketing techniques again will have to be designed according to that new product offering. Furthermore, marketing techniques should not exclusively just target the youth. The reason being that the market matures too quickly (goes beyond the age bracket of youngsters – adult ages have a bigger cohort) and does not have the spending power that adults have either. Hence the marketing techniques and offering should be tailored to account for these issues as well. I-mode became popular in Japan but it cannot be replicated in other countries due to various reasons. The foremost reason being the paradigms dominant in other countries. Some markets prefer voice calls over text messaging and others prefer text messaging instead. Content providers in other markets do not see i-modes business model as a profitable opportunity either hence it is tough to implement the same structure where there are issues regarding the markets preferences as well as the suppliers. Hence, i-mode will have to tailor their product offering and marketing techniques according to the country they are entering. This is currently an issue that DoCoMo realizes and will hopefully tailor itself accordingly in order to enter new international markets.

Nuclear Waste Disposal Essay -- Radiation Pollution Papers

Nuclear Waste Disposal As the millenium approaches, we are faced with the problems created by our technological advances. Everyday we are forced to see the results, from acid rain to polluted beaches. But there is one problem in particular that will probably out-live our generation and the generation which has created it. If properly contained and monitored, it has little affect on us and our environment. However, once it is free of it's containment, it is a destructive and deadly force. This problem is nuclear waste. Thirty thousand metric tons of spent fuel rods from power reactors and another 380,000 cubic meters of high level radioactive waste, have been produced in the United States since the beginning of the nuclear age. Presently, these fuel rods are stored at the nuclear reactors in water filled basins and accumulate at the rate of six tons per day (Whipple, 1996). As the populataion increases, so does the demand for electricity. If we continue relying on nuclear power to provide our electricity, we will continue producing more and more nuclear waste. Greater use of nuclear power and volumes of waste mean a greater chance of accidental release of radiation into the environment. Radiation How it is produced How does radiation in our environment affect us? In order to understand how radiation affects us, we first must understand how it is produced. Fission is the initial step. It is the splitting of uranium or plutonium atoms which produces radioactive "fission fragments" and "activation products" (Bertell, 1985). These products then ionize normal atoms, which leads to a sort of domino affect microscopically. This chain reaction can also cause activation products to be produced by causing chemicals in the air,... ... 1982. http://www.public.iastate.edu/smevela/policy.html. Glasstone, Samuel and Jordan, Walter H. (1980). Nuclear Power and It's Environmental Effects. LaGrange Pk., IL: American Nuclear Society. Liptkin, R. (1995). New Glass Could Store Unused Plutonium. Science News. 148 (23). pp374. Lipschutz, Ronnie D. (1980). Radioactive Waste: Politics, Technology, and Risk. Cambridge, Massachussesetts: Ballinger Publishing Company. Nadis, Steven. (1996). The Sub-Seabed Solution. The Atlantic Monthly. 278(4). pp28-30, 38. St. Joe Valley Greens. (1997). Nuclear Waste Transportation Map. http://users.michiana.org/greens/editorial/transpor.htm. Whipple, Chris G. (1996). Can Nuclear Waste Be Stored Safely at Yucca Mountain?. Scientific American. 274(6). 72-79. Wright, Richard T. (1989). Biology Through the Eyes of Faith. New York: Christian College Coalition.

Financial Environment and Interest Rate and Inflation

An Assignment of Business Finance Course Code: FIN -2101 Submitted To: Md. Monzur Morshed Bhuiya Associate Professor Department of Finance Jagannath University, Dhaka. Submitted By: Md. Mazharul Islam. Group Representative of Finance Interface B. B. A, 3rd Batch (2nd Year, 1st Semester) Session: 2008-2009 Department of Finance Jagannath University, Dhaka. Date of Submission: 25-10-2010 Department of Finance Jagannath University 1|Page 1 Sl. No. Name 01. Md. Mazharul Islam. (Group Representative) 02. Khadizatuz Zohara. Roll No. 091541 091526 Department of Finance Jagannath University 2|PageTable of Contents Sl. No. 2-1 2-2 2-3 2-4 2-5 2-6 2-7 2-8 2-9 2-10 2-11 Contents Problems Yield Curves Yield Curves Inflation and Interest Rate Rate of Interest Real Risk-Free Rate, MRP and DRP Exam-Type Problems Expected Inflation Rate Expected Rate of Interest Expected Rate of Interest Interest Rate Interest Rate Expected Rate of Interest Ending Part Formula and Necessary Illustration for Calculat ion Summary of the Assignment Page No. 5 6 7 9 10 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 Department of Finance Jagannath University 3|Page The Financial Environment: Interest Rates Problems 2-1:Suppose you and most other investors expect the rate of inflation to be 7 percent next year, to fall to 5 percent during the following year, and then to remain at a rate of 3 percent thereafter. Assume that the real risk-free rate, k*, is 2 percent and that maturity risk premium on treasury securities rise from zero on very short-term bonds ( those that mature in few days) by 0. 2 percentage points for each year to maturity, up to a limit of 1. 0 percentage point on five year or longer-term T-bonds. a. Calculate the interest rate on one, two, three, four, five, 10 and 20 year Treasury securities, and Plot the yield curve. .Now suppose IBM, a highly rated company, had bonds with the same- maturities as the Treasury bonds. As an approximation, plot a yield curve for IBM on the same graph with the Treasury bon d yield curve, (Hint: Think about the default risk premium on IBM’s long-term versus its short-term bonds. ) c. Now plot the approximate yield curve of Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO), a risky nuclear utility. Solution 2-1: Requirement ‘a’: Expected Annual Inflation Rate 7% 5% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% Real Risk-free Rate (k*) 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% Average Expected Inflation Rate or Inflation Premium (IP) = 7% 1 =7% 2 = (7%+5%) ? 2 = 6% 3 = (12%+3%) ? 3 = 5% 4 = (15%+3%) ? 4 =4. 5% 5 =(18%+3%) ? 5 = 4. 2% 10 =(21%+3%? 5) ? 10=3. 6% 20 =(36%+3%? 10) ? 20=3. 3% Bond Type 1st year bond 2nd year bond 3rd year bond 4th year bond 5th year bond 10th year bond 20th year bond Average Nominal Interest Rate = k* + IP 9% 8% 7% 6. 5% 6. 2% 5. 6% 5. 3%Bond Type 1st year bond 2nd year bond 3rd year bond 4th year bond 5th year bond 10th year bond 20th year bond Maturity Risk Premium (MRP) 0. 2% 0. 2%+0. 2% =0. 4% 0. 4%+0. 2% =0. % 0. 6%+0. 2% =0. 8% 0. 8%+0. 2% =1. 0% 1. 0% 1. 0% Department of Finance Jagannath University 4|Page And Bond Type 1st year bond 2nd year bond 3rd year bond 4th year bond 5th year bond 10th year bond 20th year bond The yield Curve: + 9% + 0. 2% 8% + 0. 4% 7% + 0. 6% 6. 5% + 0. 8% 6. 2% + 1. 0% 5. 6% + 1. 0% 5. 3% + 1. 0% Interest Rate (k) 9. 2% 8. 4% 7. 6% 7. 3% 7. 2% 6. 6% 6. 3% 10. 5 10. 0 9. 5 9. 0 8. 5 Yield (%) 8. 0 7. 5 7. 0 6. 5 6. 0 5. 5 5. 0 0 2 4 6 8 Yield Curve LILCO IBM T – Bonds – Bonds T 10 12 14 16 18 20 Yield of MaturityRequirement ‘b’: The interest rate on the IBM bonds has the same components as the Treasury securities, except that the IBM bonds have default risk, so a default risk premium must be included. Therefore, = * + IP + MRP + DRP For a strong company such as IBM, the default risk premium is virtually zero for short-term bonds. However, as time to maturity increases, the probability of default, although still small, is sufficient to warrant a default premium. Thus, the yiel d risk curve for the IBM bonds will rise above the yield curve for the Treasury securities.In the graph, the default risk premium was assumed to be 1. 2 percentage points on the 20-year IBM bonds. The return should equal 6. 3% + 1. 2% = 7. 5%. Department of Finance Jagannath University 5|Page Requirement ‘c’: Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) bonds would have significantly more default risk than either Treasury securities or IBM bonds, and the risk of default would increase over time due to possible financial deterioration. In this example, the default risk premium was assumed to be 1. 0 percentage point on the one-year LILCO bonds and 2. 0 percentage points on the 20-year bonds.The 20-year return should equal 6. 3% + 2% = 8. 3%. ————- Problem 2-2: The following yield on U. S. Treasury securities were taken from The Wall Street Journal on January 7, 2004: Term Rate 6 months 1. 0% 1 year 1. 2% 2 year 1. 6% 3 year 2. 5% 4 year 2. 9% 5 year 3 . 7% 10 year 4. 6% 20 year 5. 1% 30 year 5. 3% Plot a yield curve based on these data. Discuss how each term structure theory mentioned in the chapter can explain the shape of the yield curve you plot. Solution 2-2: 5. 35 5. 30 5. 25 Yield (%) 5. 20 5. 15 5. 10 5. 05 5. 00 4. 95 4. 90 4. 85 0 5 Yield Curve 10 15 20 Maturity (years) 25 30 ———— Department of Finance Jagannath University 6|Page Problem 2-3: Inflation currently is about 2 percent. Last year the Fed took actions to maintain inflation at this level. However, the economy is showing signs that it might be growing too quickly, and reports indicate that inflation is expected to increase during the next five year. Assume that at the beginning of 2005, the rate of inflation expected for the year is 4 percent; for 2006, it is expected to be 5 percent; for 2007, it is expected to be 7 percent; and, for 2008 and every year thereafter, it is expected to settle at 4 percent. a.What is the average expected inflation rate over the five year period 2005-2009? b. What average nominal interest would, over the five-year period, be expected to produce a 2 percent real risk-free rate of return on five-year Treasury securities? c. Assuming a real risk-free rate of 2 percent and a maturity risk premium that starts at 0. 1 percent and increases by 0. 1 percent each year, estimate the interest rate in January 2005on bond that mature in one, two, five, 10 and 20 years and draw a yield curve based on these data. d. Describe the general economic conditions that could be expected to produce an upward-sloping yield curve. . If the consensus among investors in early 2005 is that the expected rate of inflation for every future year is 5 percent ( = 5% for t = 1 to ? ), what do you think the yield curve would look like?Consider all the factors that are likely to affect the curve. Does your answer here make you question the yield curve you drew in part c? Solution 2-3: Requirement ‘a & b’: Expected Annual Inflation Rate 4% 5% 7% 4% 4% 4% 4% Real Risk-free Rate (k*) 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% Average Expected Inflation Rate or Inflation Premium (IP) 1 = 4% 1 =4% 2 = (4%+5%) ? 2 = 4. 5% 3 = (9%+7%) ? 3 = 5. 33% 4 = (16%+4%) ? =5% 5 =(20%+4%) ? 5 = 4. 8% 10 =(24%+4%? 5) ? 10=4. 4% 20 =(44%+2%? 5) ? 20=4. 2% Bond Type 1st year bond 2nd year bond 3rd year bond 4th year bond 5th year bond 10th year bond 20th year bond Average Nominal Interest Rate = k* + IP 6% 6. 5% 7. 33% 7% 6. 8% 6. 4% 6. 2% Requirement ‘c’: Bond Type 1st year bond 2nd year bond 3rd year bond 4th year bond 5th year bond 10th year bond 20th year bond Department of Finance Maturity Risk Premium (MRP) 0. 1% 0. 1%+0. 1% =0. 2% 0. 2%+0. 1% =0. 3% 0. 3%+0. 1% =0. 4% 0. 5%+0. 1% =0. 5% 0. 5%+(0. 1%? 5) =1. 0% 1. 0%+(0. 1%? 10) =2. 0% Jagannath University 7|PageAnd Bond Type 1st year bond 2nd year bond 5th year bond 10th year bond 20th year bond The Yield Curve: 9. 0 8. 0 7. 0 6. 0 5. 0 4. 0 3. 0 2. 0 1. 0 0. 0 0 2 4 + 6% + 0. 1% 6. 5% + 0. 2% 6. 8% + 0. 5% 6. 4% + 1. 0% 6. 2% + 2. 0% Estimated Interest Rate (k) 6. 1% 6. 7% 7. 3% 7. 4% 8. 2% Yield Curve Yield (%) 6 8 10 12 14 Years to Maturity 16 18 20 Requirement ‘d’: The ? normal? yield curve is upward sloping because, in ? normal? times, inflation is not expected to trend either up or down, so IP is the same for debt of all maturities, but the MRP increases with years, so the yield curve slopes up.During a recession, the yield curve typically slopes up especially steeply, because inflation and consequently short-term interest rates are currently low, yet people expect inflation and interest rates to rise as the economy comes out of the recession. Requirement ‘e’: If inflation rates are expected to be constant, then the expectations theory holds that the yield curve should be horizontal. However, in this event it is likely that maturity risk premiums would be applied to long-term bonds because o f the greater risks of holding long-term rather than short-term bonds: Yield (%) Actual yield curveMaturity risk premium Pure expectations yield curve Years to Maturity Department of Finance Jagannath University 8|Page If maturity risk premiums were added to the yield curve in part e above, then the yield curve would be more nearly normal—that is, the long-term end of the curve would be raised. ————- Problem 2-4: Assume that the real risk-free rate of return, k*, is 3 percent, and it will remain at that level far into the future. Also assume that maturity risk premiums on Treasury Bonds increase from zero for bonds that mature in one year or less to a maximum of 2 percent, and MRP increases by 0. percent for each year to maturity that is greater than one year – that is, MRP equals 0. 2 percent for a two-year bond, 0. 4 percent for a three year bond, and so forth. Following are the expected inflation rates for the next five years: Year Inflat ion Rate (%) 2005 3 2006 5 2007 4 2008 8 2009 3 a. b. c. d. What is the average expected inflation rate for a one, two, three, four and five year bond? What should be the MRP for a one, two, three, four and five year bond? Compute the interest rate for a one, two, three, four and five year bond?If inflation is expected to equal 2 percent every year after 2009, what should be the interest rate for a 10 and 20 year bond? e. Plot the yield curve for the interest rates you computed in parts c and d. Solution 2-4: Requirement ‘a’: Expected Annual Inflation Rate 3% 5% 4% 8% 3% 2% 2% Real Risk-free Rate (k*) 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% Average Expected Inflation Rate or Inflation Premium (IP) 1 = 3% 1 =3% 2 = (3%+5%) ? 2 = 4% 3 = (8%+4%) ? 3 = 4% 4 = (12%+8%) ? 4 =5% 5 =(20%+3%) ? 5 = 4. 6% 10 =(23%+2%? 5) ? 10=3. 3% 20 =(33%+2%? 5) ? 20=2. 65%Bond Type 1st year bond 2nd year bond 3rd year bond 4th year bond 5th year bond 10th year bond 20th year bond Requirement ‘b†™: Average Nominal Interest Rate = k* + IP 6% 7% 7% 8% 7. 6% 6. 3% 5. 65% Bond Type 1st year bond 2nd year bond 3rd year bond 4th year bond 5th year bond 10th year bond 20th year bond Maturity Risk Premium (MRP) 0% 0%+0. 2% =0. 2% 0. 2%+0. 2% =0. 4% 0. 4%+0. 2% =0. 6% 0. 6%+0. 2% =0. 8% 0. 8%+(0. 2%? 5)=1. 8% 2% Department of Finance Jagannath University 9|Page Requirement ‘c & d’: Bond Type 1st year bond 2nd year bond 3rd year bond 4th year bond 5th year bond 10th year bond 20th year bond 6% + 0% 7% + 0. 2% 7% + 0. 4% 8% + 0. 6% 7. 6% + 0. 8% 6. 3% + 1. 8% 5. 65% + 2% Interest Rate (k) 6% 7. 2% 7. 4% 8. 6% 8. 4% 8. 1% 7. 65% Requirement ‘e’: Yield Curve 9. 0 8. 5 Yield (%) 8. 0 7. 5 7. 0 6. 5 6. 0 5. 5 5. 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Years to Maturity ————Problem 2-5: Today’s edition of The Wall Street Journal reports that the yield on Treasury bills maturing in 30 days is 3. 5 percent, the yield on Treasury bills m aturing in 10 years is 6. 5 percent, and the yield on a bond issued by Nextel Communications that matures in six years is 7. 5 percent.Also, today the Federal Reserve announced that inflation is expected to be 2 percent during the next 12 months. There is a maturity risk premium (MRP) associated with all bonds with maturities equal to one year or more. a. Assume that the increase in the MRP each year is the same and the total MRP is the same for bonds with maturities equal to 10 years and greater that is, MRP is at its maximum for bonds with maturities equal to 10 years and greater. What is the MRP per year? b. What is default risk premium associated with Nextel’s bond? c. What is the real risk-free rate of return? Department of Finance Jagannath University 0 | P a g e Solution 2-5: Requirement ‘a’:Since MRP associated with all bonds with maturities equal to one year or more, so with Treasury bills maturing in 30 days, 0% MRP is associated, then k = k* + IP ? 3. 5% = k* + 2% ? k* = 3. 5% ? 2% ? k* = 1. 5% At the 10 year bond: k = k* + IP + MRP ? 6. 5% = 1. 5% + 2% + MRP ? MRP = 6. 5% ? 1. 5% ? 2% ? MRP = 3% As MRP at 10 year bond is 3%. So MRP per year is (3? 10) = 0. 3%. Requirement ‘b’: Since 30 days T-bond and 10 years T-bond fulfills the equations:- K = k* +IP +MRP, We have to calculate DRP from 6 years Nextel Bond: k = k* +IP +DRP +MRP ? 7. 5% = 1. 5% + 2% + DRP + (0. % ? 6) ? 7. 5% = 3. 5% + DRP + 1. 8% ? DRP = 7. 5% ? 3. 5% ? 1. 8% ? DRP = 2. 2% Requirement ‘c’: Now real risk-free rate of return k* = 3. 5% – IP = 3. 5% – 2. 0% = 1. 5% ————- Exam-Type Problems 2-6: According to The Wall Street Journal, the interest rate on one-year Treasury bonds is 2. 2 percent, The rate on two-year Treasury bonds is 3. 0 percent, and the rate on three-year Treasury bonds is 3. 6 percent. These bonds are considered risk free, so the rates given here are risk free rates ( ). The one-y ear bond matures one year from today, the two-year bond matures two year from today and so forth.

The Organization Of The Petroleum Exporting Countries

In December 2014, OPEC was ranked third on Lloyd s list of the top 100 most influential people in the shipping industry.† It is important to understand the mission of OPEC is to better understand its influence and impacts on the world. According to the OPEC website, The mission statement of OPEC is as follows: In accordance with its Statute, the mission of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry. The 13†¦show more content†¦Nuclear energy is a big trend that many nations are strategically moving towards. As a result, the OPEC nations whose economies are reliant on oil exporting are taking a hit for the worse. For example, Saudi Arabia is cons idered the world’s largest oil producer. According to Investopedia it produces 13.24% of the oil-consumed daily for the world. It has the second largest oil reserve compared to Venezuela. However, the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that the United States out produced the world in total petroleum and other liquids (biofuels, liquids derived from coal, oil shale, and refinery gain production in 2014. The production was as follows: United States 13,973,000 barrels per day (bbl/day), Saudi Arabia 11,624,000 bbl/day, Russia 10,853,000 bbl/day, China 4,572,000 bbl/day, and Canada 4,383,000 bbl/day. If one does the math: the United States produced 31% of the total petroleum and other fluids in a day whereas Saudi Arabia produced 25.6% (percentages out of top five producers only). It is important to note, in the top five producing countries, there is only one OPEC nation. United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Iraq are fourth, fifth, and sixth in the rankings. Currently, Saud i Arabia wants to continue producing a surplus of oil because it wants to still be a major player whereas smaller OPEC countries involved want to curb production so oil can be at the equilibrium point on the supply and demand graph. On November 27, 2014, Saudi Oil