A risk premium is the additional return investors require for taking on higher risk.
* Formula: Risk Premium=Expected Return#Risk-Free Rate\text{Risk Premium} = \text{Expected Return} - \text{Risk-Free Rate}Risk Premium=Expected Return#Risk-Free Rate
* Why It Exists:
* Riskier investments (e.g., stocks, high-yield bonds) must offer higher returns to attract investors.
* Lower-risk assets (e.g., government bonds) have lower expected returns.
* Example:
* If a government bond yields 2%, but an equity portfolio yields 8%, the equity risk premium is
6%.
# Reference: CFA Institute (Risk and Return), CISI Wealth & Investment Management.

Equities are often used to hedge against inflation because they represent ownership in real assets that can grow in value. Companies generally have the ability to pass on inflationary costs to consumers, which can preserve or enhance their profitability and the equity value.
Lower cost (B): Equities may incur higher transaction and management costs than other asset classes.
Align liabilities (C): While equities offer returns, liability alignment is more relevant to fixed-income assets.
Low volatility (D): Equities are more volatile than bonds or cash, making this statement incorrect.
References:
International Certificate in Wealth & Investment Management: Equities as inflation hedges and their risk
/reward profile.
Historical analysis of equity performance in inflationary periods.

Technical analysis is based on the idea that patterns in market data, especially price and volume, can provide signals about future price movements. A core assumption underpinning this approach is that market behaviour shows repetition, meaning that price patterns and trends that have occurred in the past can recur because investor psychology and behavioural responses are relatively consistent over time. This is often summarised as history tends to repeat itself. Technical analysts therefore study charts, support and resistance levels, trendlines, momentum indicators, and volume patterns to identify recurring formations that may indicate continuation or reversal. Option A is also associated with technical analysis thinking, but in exam framing it is more commonly linked to the broader notion that the price reflects available information and market action.
The single most recognisable, distinctive technical analysis assumption among the options is that history repeats itself. Options C and D are not standard technical analysis assumptions: sensitivity to news is not a foundational technical premise, and board strength is a fundamental analysis consideration rather than a technical one.

In an order-driven market, an electronic order book is used to match buy and sell orders based on strict price and time priority. This system ensures transparency and fair pricing since all orders are visible to market participants.
Reference:
ICWIM, Topic: Market Structures and Trading Mechanisms.
Examples include London Stock Exchange (LSE) SETS and NASDAQ.

Business taxation on profits typically considers more than just the profit generated from normal trading operations. A company may also realise gains when it disposes of capital assets, such as property, subsidiaries, or investment holdings. These gains are treated separately from trading income and are commonly referred to as chargeable gains. They are included in the computation of taxable profits because they represent an increase in company value that has been crystallised through a sale or disposal event.
Declared dividends are distributions of post tax profits to shareholders and do not form part of taxable profits in the same way. Net current assets and long term debt are balance sheet figures that describe financial position and capital structure, but they are not additional categories of profit. The examinable distinction is between revenue profits from trading and capital profits from disposals. Therefore, when calculating taxes on profits, chargeable gains are added to trading profits to arrive at the total profits chargeable to tax, subject to the relevant rules and any allowable reliefs.