What this expected-value pricing question tests
This is a foundational pricing and expected value question that appears frequently in quant finance interviews. It tests whether you can apply probability-weighted outcomes to derive a fair price in the face of binary risk, a core skill for traders and researchers evaluating assets before news events.
The question strips away market microstructure and focuses on the core principle: a fair price today should equal the probability-weighted average of tomorrow's possible prices, given the stated probabilities. The challenge is less computational than conceptual—understanding when and why you should use expected value as a pricing tool, and recognizing that this assumes risk-neutral or fair-game pricing.
- Expected value and fair-game hypothesis
- Binary outcome scenarios and probability weighting
- Distinction between fair price and market price