Answer:
the question in incomplete:
Suppose your employer offers you a choice between a $5000 bonus and 100 shares of the company stock. Whichever one you choose will be awarded today. The stock is currently trading for $63 per share.
a. If you receive the stock bonus and you are free to trade it, which form of the bonus should you choose? What is its value?
- the value of the stock bonus is $6,300 while the cash bonus is only worth $5,000, therefore, I would choose the stock bonus.
b. If you receive the stock bonus and you are required to hold it for at least one year, what can you say about the value of the stock bonus now? What will your decision depend on?
- if you could sell the stocks today, then the stock bonus would be worth $6,300 but in one year, who knows. Since you work at the company you will be in a very good position to determine if the stock is priced correctly and how the price might change in 1 year. On the other hand, if you really need the money now, and you are not so sure about the future stock price, then the cash bonus might be better. Since the information is limited, I cannot tell which scenario would be best, because it depends on several variables.
