Market participants who use foreign exchange derivatives tend to take positions based on their expectations of future exchange rates. Portfolio managers of financial institutions may take positions in foreign exchange derivatives to hedge their exposure if they anticipate a decline in the value of the currency denominating their stocks. Speculators may take positions in foreign exchange derivatives to benefit from the expectation that specific currencies will strengthen. There are various techniques for forecasting, but no specific technique stands out because most have had limited success in forecasting future exchange rates.
As the value of a currency adjusts to changes in demand and supply conditions, it moves toward equilibrium. In equilibrium, there is no excess or deficiency of that currency. Thus, the initial task is to develop a forecast of specific exchange rates.
Discuss the following:
Discuss the four exchange rates forecasting methods and which you believe is the best to use and why.
Of the factors that affect exchange rates, in your opinion which one has the biggest impact? Why?
Market participants who use foreign exchange derivatives tend to take positions based on their expectations of future exchange rates. Portfolio managers of financial institutions may take positions in foreign exchange derivatives to hedge their exposure if they anticipate a decline in the value of the currency denominating their stocks. Speculators may take positions in foreign exchange derivatives to benefit from the expectation that specific currencies will strengthen. There are various techniques for forecasting, but no specific technique stands out because most have had limited success in forecasting future exchange rates.
As the value of a currency adjusts to changes in demand and supply conditions, it moves toward equilibrium. In equilibrium, there is no excess or deficiency of that currency. Thus, the initial task is to develop a forecast of specific exchange rates.
Discuss the following:
Discuss the four exchange rates forecasting methods and which you believe is the best to use and why.
Of the factors that affect exchange rates, in your opinion which one has the biggest impact? Why?
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Related questions
Short- and Long-Run Exchange Rate Risk Exercise
Worksheet (v1.2)
In this exercise you are asked to choose a currency in which it is assumed you have foreign exchange exposure both in trade (short-run) and investment (long-run). In this exercise you are asked to find both spot and forward exchange rates for a chosen currency and also inflation rates associated with that currency. You are encouraged to read through the exercise first before choosing your currency to ensure the requested data is accessible via the links provided.
Short-Run Exchange Rate Risk
Assume you have a trade receivable denominated in a foreign currency of your choice that is payable to you by your customer in 6 months. At the current spot rate the trade receivable is worth the equivalent of US$5,000,000. To find the current spot rate for the chosen currency pair go to http://www.hsbcnet.com/gbm/fxcalc-disp.[1] Enter 5,000,000 in the âConvertâ box, United States dollar in the âFrom:â box, and your chosen currency in the âTo:â box. Click on âGoâ for the spot rate, which will be expressed in European terms, that is, units of foreign currency per one US dollar. Enter the name of the chosen currency, the date the site is accessed, and the spot rate in European terms in the table below.
To find a 180 day forward rate for the currency pair, go to http://www.hsbcnet.com/gbm/fwcalc-disp#. For âAmountâ you can just enter 1 and enter US dollars in the âBuyâ box and the foreign currency in the âSellâ box. For âValue Dateâ enter â6 Monthsâ and click âGoâ for the forward rate. (Clicking on the Inverse box will switch the rate from European to American terms.) Enter the one-year forward rate in the table below. Make sure the forward rate is expressed in the same way as the forward rate, that is, in European terms.
Foreign Currency | Date | Current Spot Rate in European terms: FX per 1 US dollar | Six -Month Forward Rate in European terms: FX per 1 US dollar |
Based on the data above, answer the following questions:
At the current spot rate how much in the foreign currency are you owed in 6 months? Assuming you fully hedge your FX exposure in the forward market, how many US dollars will you receive in 6 months? Is the foreign currency selling in the forward market at a premium, i.e. it appreciates relative to the spot rate, or a discount, i.e., it depreciates relative to the spot rate? Provide numbers to support your answer. |
Long-Run Exchange Rate Risk
Assume you have undertaken a 3-year investment abroad with expected cash flows denominated in your chosen currency. At the current spot rate those cash flows are expected to provide a positive net present value (NPV) in US dollar terms. Based on relative purchasing power parity you are asked to estimate future spot rates over the next three years based on comparative inflation data.[2] With that data complete the table below.
S0 = Current Spot Rate in European Terms (Foreign currency per US dollar) | E(St) = Expected Exchange Rate Spot Rate in t Years in European Terms (Foreign currency per US dollar) | hUS= Annual Inflation Rate in the United States | hFC = Annual Foreign Country Inflation Rate |
Using the data above and textbook equation (18.3) E(St) = S0 â [1 + (hFC - hUS)]t and assuming the estimated inflation rate in Year 1 also holds for Years 2 and 3, please respond to the following:
Based on relative purchasing power parity, estimate S1. Based on relative purchasing power parity, estimate S2. Based on relative purchasing power parity, estimate S3. Based on relative purchasing power parity, has the foreign currency appreciated or depreciated against the US dollar? Explain. Based on relative purchasing power parity, has the NPV of the investment project increased or decreased in US dollar terms? Explain. |
[1] Please note currencies are grouped according to their region: Americas (where the United States dollar may be found), Asia-Pacific, Europe, and MENA. Please advise your instructor should this or any other link in the assignment be broken.
[2] Sources of Inflation data include http://stats.oecd.org/ for OECD countries and http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG at the World Bank site. It is viewed important to be consistent in the definition and source of inflation numbers for the US and the other currency that you use for the relative PPP equation. The most basic definitions of inflation are consumer price index (CPI), producer price index (PPI), and GDP deflator. Estimates of the next yearâs inflation are preferred but it is also common to use the past yearâs inflation as the best estimate of next yearâs and subsequent yearsâ inflation. You are encouraged to share any useful websites for this data you find with the class.
Question 3 a) Explain what risks must be considered by multinational corporations (MNCs) when deciding their long-term financing strategy, and discuss how these risks may be managed. [13 per cent] b) James Inc is based in the USA but has a subsidiary in Switzerland. James Inc wishes to obtain a loan of 71 million euros for three years. A French company, Anton Cie, that has some operations in the USA wishes to obtain a US dollar loan of $100 million, also for three years. The current exchange rate is 0.71 euro = $1. James Inc has been offered a dollar loan at 5% and a euro loan at 3.0%. Anton Cie has been offered a dollar loan at 5.5% and a euro loan at 2.5%. Show how both companies can achieve cheaper foreign loans by entering into a fixed rate currency swap, and discuss the factors that both parties should consider before deciding to enter into the swap arrangement. [12 per cent]
Question 4 a) Discuss the reasons why multinational corporations may prefer to borrow a foreign currency rather than the home currency. What are the main criteria to be considered in deciding which currency, or currencies, to borrow? [11 per cent] b) Moffett plc is a UK-based firm that needs £500,000. The company is considering one-year financing with Swiss francs because the annual interest rate would be 1.5 per cent versus 5 percent in the United Kingdom. Moffett has no business in Switzerland and does not plan to cover its exposure. It is anticipated that the Swiss franc will appreciate over the coming year by either 6 per cent, 4 per cent, or 2 per cent, with equal probability of each occurrence. On the basis of this information, determine the probability distribution of the effective financing rate if Moffett decides to finance with Swiss francs and advise the company whether it should do so. [7 per cent] c) A multinational corporation is considering borrowing a portfolio of Japanese yen and US dollars to finance its operations. The following information is available concerning the mean effective financing rate of the two currencies:
US dollar | Yen | |
Mean effective financing rate | 2.5% | 1.5% |
Standard deviation of effective financing rate | 0.05 | 0.07 |
Correlation coefficient of effective financing rates for US$ and Yen (0.23) |
Calculate the mean effective rate on a portfolio of funds financed 60% by US dollars and 40% by Japanese yen. Calculate also the variance and standard deviation of the portfolio. [7 per cent]