The Risk Associated with
Foreign Exchange Exposure.
The Specific Types of Foreign
Exchange Exposure Facing
Global Firms and Global
Investors.




Foreign exchange exposure comes about when a firm or investor has an open position in a foreign currency.


Open position: Unhedged; subject to exchange rate risk
Open long position: Expect to receive foreign currency in the future
Open short position: Need to pay foreign currency in the future

Foreign exchange exposure risk refers to the possibility that a foreign currency may move in a direction which is financially detrimental to the global firm or global investor.
Important: Global firms and investors cannot have foreign exchange exposure in their home currencies.

This suggests a strategy for managing exposure.



Open long position (when you expect to receive foreign currency in the future).

Specific risk is that the foreign currency may weaken against your home currency, thus reducing the home currency equivalent of the long position.
Open short position (when you expect to pay foreign currency in the future).

Specific risk is that the foreign currency may strengthen against your home currency (thus requiring more home currency to acquire the foreign currency).
This increases the home currency equivalent of the short position.


Assume a U.S. based multinational firm has an account receivable denominated in yen with an expected payment date 30 days in the future. The invoice totals ¥75,500,000.


The current spot rate (USD-JPY) is 90.2500
Now assume the following 2 FX outcomes:

In 30 days the spot rate is 95.4500

In 30 days the spot rate is 82.2200
 Calculate the gain or loss in USD under both assumptions above.




First calculate the USD value with an exchange rate of 90.2500:

75,500,000/90.2500 = $836,565.09
Assume the FX rate goes to 95.4500



Note: The yen weakened
75,500,000/95.4500 = $790,990.04
Loss of 790,990.04 – 836,565.09 = $45,575
Assume the FX rate goes to 82.2200



Note: The yen strengthened
75,500,000/82.2200 = $918,268.06
Gain of 918,268.06 – 836,565.09 = $81,702.97


Assume a U.S. based multinational firm has an account payable denominated in pounds with an expected payment date 30 days in the future. The invoice totals £6,750,000.


The current spot rate (GBP-USD) is 1.5250
Now assume the following 2 FX outcomes:

In 30 days the spot rate is 1.5875

In 30 days the spot rate is 1.4225
 Calculate the gain or loss in USD under both assumptions above.




First calculate the USD value with an exchange rate of 1.5250:

6,750,000 x 1.5250 = $10,293,750
Assume the FX rate goes to 1.5875



Note: The pound has strengthened
6,750,000 x 1.5875 = $10,715,625
Loss of 10,293,750 – 10,715,625 = $421,875
Assume the FX rate goes to 1.4225



Note: The pound has weakened
6,750,000 x 1.4225 = $9,601,875
Gain of 10,293,750 – 9,601,875 = $691,875

 There are three specific risks to global firms and/or global investors from their foreign exchange exposures:

(1) Settlement Value Risk: Occurs because foreign currency denominated contracts and investments, in the home currency equivalent of the firm or investor, can be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates.


Fixed income investments (e.g., bonds).
Fixed income liabilities (e.g., bonds and bank loans)


Accounts receivable held by multinationals.
Accounts payable owed by multinationals.


(2) Future Cash Flow Risk: Occurs because the home currency equivalents of anticipated
(expected) foreign currency cash flows can be adversely affected by changes in FX rates.


Foreign currency cash inflows and outflows:


Future revenues from ongoing multinational operations.
Future costs associated with ongoing multinational operations.
Note: the net impact of this cash flow exposure depends upon the net cash flow position of the firm.


For example, if foreign currency revenues exceed foreign currency costs, a strong foreign currency with have a net positive effect on the net home currency equivalent.
And if foreign currency costs exceed foreign currency revenues, a strong foreign currency will have a net negative effect on the net home currency equivalent.


(3) Global Competitive Risk: Occurs because the competitive position of a firm can be affected by adverse changes in exchange rates.



Exporting firms are adversely affected if the currencies of their overseas markets weaken.
 More difficult to compete with domestic firms.
Importing firms are adversely affected if the currencies of their overseas markets strengthen.
 May need to increase their home market selling prices.
Overseas production is adversely affected if the currencies of these “outsourcing” countries strengthens.
 Home currency equivalent of producing offshore will increase.



There are three types of foreign exchange exposures that global firms may face as a result of their international activities.
These foreign exchange exposures are:



Transaction exposure
 Results from a global firm engaged in current transactions involving contractual arrangements in foreign currencies (e.g., invoices coming due, loans coming due, interest payments coming due, etc).
Economic exposure
 Results from future and unknown transactions in foreign currencies resulting from a global firm’s long term involvement in a particular market
(i.e., because of a long term physical presence in that foreign market).
Translation exposure (sometimes called “accounting” exposure).
 Important for global firms with a physical presence in a foreign country needing to consolidate their individual country financial statements for reporting purposes.

 Transaction Exposure: Results when a firm agrees to “fixed” cash flow foreign currency denominated contractual agreements.

Examples of transaction exposure:




An Account Receivable denominate in a foreign currency.
A maturing financial asset (e.g., a bond) denominated in a foreign currency.
An Account Payable denominate in a foreign currency.
A maturing financial liability (e.g., a loan) denominated in a foreign currency.

Country Exports in Home
Currency (% of invoices)
Imports in Home
Currency (% of invoices)
United States
Germany
France
United Kingdom
Italy
Japan
Note: 1988 Data
96.0%
81.5%
58.5%
57.0%
38.0%
34.3%
85.0%
52.6%
48.9%
40.0%
27.0%
13.3%




Economic Exposure: Results from the “physical” entry of a global firm into a foreign country.

This is a long term foreign exchange exposure resulting from a previous FDI location decision.
Economic exposure impacts the firm through contracts and transactions which have yet to occur, but will, in the future. These are really
“future” transaction exposures which are unknown today.
Economic exposure also impacts the firm through its operating income (revenue) and costs which are denominated in the currency of the foreign country.

 Translation Exposure: Results from the need of a global firm to consolidated its financial statements to include results from foreign operations.

Consolidation involves “translating” subsidiary financial statements in local currencies (i.e., in the foreign markets where the firm is located) to the home currency of the firm (i.e., the parent).

Consolidation can result in either translation gains or translation losses.

These are essentially the accounting system’s attempt to measure foreign exchange “ex post” exposure.


Foreign exchange exposure for a global investor results from the acquisition of financial assets denominated in a currency other than the home currency of the investor.
 FX exposure can affect:


(
1) The home currency equivalent market price of those assets and
(2) The home currency equivalent cash flows (dividends and interest) associated with particular financial assets.


The specific risk components associated with common stock (equities):




Company risk (micro risk):
 Decisions of management; changes in management; success or failure of (new) products.
Environment risk (macro risk):
 Risk produced by the industry (competition), governments
(regulation), country (business cycles) and global environment in which the company operates.
Market risk (systematic risk):
 Associated with movements in the overall equity market of a country. Under CAPM, measured by the stock’s beta.
Exchange rate risk:

Associated with investing in equities who’s market price and dividends are denominated in other than the home country of the investor.


The specific risk components associated with bonds (i.e., fixed income securities):




Default risk (credit risk): Risk that issuer will not be able to repay debt as contracted.


Corporates: Cash flow issues.
Sovereigns: Governmental debt servicing issues.
Market risk (price risk):

Associated with changes in the market’s overall assessment of risk and willingness to take risk (or avert risk).
Contagion risk:
 Associated with spillover effects from other countries.
Exchange rate risk:

Associated with investing in bonds who’s market price and interest payments are denominated in other than the home country of the investor.


The gap between the U.S. dollar un-hedged and hedged Global Treasuries shows the effect currency has played in these annual returns. In most years (with the exception of 2005 and the first quarter of 2009), currency moves (represented by unhedged returns) benefited the U.S. investor (this is shown by the difference between the unhedged and hedge indexes).