Managing Foreign Exchange Risk

This book provides a technical and specialised discussion of contemporary and emerging issues in foreign exchange and financial markets by addressing the issues of risk management and theory and hypothesis development, which have general implications for finance theory and foreign exchange market management. It offers an in-depth, comprehensive analysis of the issues concerning the volatility of exchange rates. The book has three main objectives. First, it applies the integrated study of exchange rate volatility in terms of depth and breadth. Second, it applies the integrated study of exchange rate volatility in Malaysia, as a case study of a developing country. Malaysia had imposed capital control measures in the past and has now liberalised its exchange rate market and will continue to liberalise it further in the long run. Hence, the need to understand exchange rate volatility measurement and management will be even more important in the future. Third, the book highlights new conditional volatility models for a developing country, such as Malaysia, and develops advanced econometric models which have produced results for sound risk management strategies and for achieving risk management in the financial market and the economy. Additionally, the authors recommend risk management themes which may be of relevance to other developing countries. This work can be used as a reference book by fund managers, financial market analysts, researchers, academics, practitioners, policy makers and postgraduate students in the areas of finance, accounting, business and financial economics. It can also be a supplementary text for Ph.D. and Masters’ students in these areas.

A practical and accessible guide that demystifies ForEx risk for managers in all areas of business Virtually any organisation active in the global economy is impacted by fluctuations in foreign exchange (FX or ForEx) markets. Managers need to understand this increasingly complex issue and measure their firm’s exposure to risk. Corporate Foreign Exchange Risk Management is an in-depth yet accessible guide on effective ForEx exposure management. Designed for professionals responsible for managing a profit & loss or balance sheet influenced by ForEx fluctuations, it enables risk managers to navigate the interconnected worlds of financial management and economics. This innovative guide integrates academic discussion of the economics of risk management decisions and pragmatic advice for various situations in which performance measures affected by accounting standards are paid considerable attention. Readers are provided with the tools and knowledge required to handle a broad range of issues related to ForEx risk management. Clear, non-technical chapters demystify concepts that often appear complicated and confusing to managers. Written by globally-recognised experts in corporate finance, risk management and international business, this book: Employs a reader-friendly narrative style to explain complex concepts Provides a clear, actionable risk management strategy which can be used in a variety of businesses Places all concepts in relatable, real-world contexts Explains important academic research to practitioners in plain English Includes effective pedagogical tools and explanations, straightforward examples and end-of-chapter summaries which highlight key points Corporate Foreign Exchange Risk Management is a must-read for any manager who deals with corporate exposure to ForEx risk, as well as analysts wishing to better understand the relation between corporate performance and ForEx fluctuations and students of corporate risk management.

Since I first published Management of Foreign Exchange Risk (Lexington Books, 1978), financial innovation-spurred, in part, by exploding volatility in currency prices-has revolutionized the theory and praxis of foreign exchange risk management. Old-fashioned forward contracts have surrendered market share to currency swaps and options as well as to their perpetually multiplying derivatives. Interestingly, forex derivatives now provide a low cost and highly efficient method of transferring risk from the firms that are exposed to risk but which would rather not be (i. e. , risk-hedgers) to those which are not exposed but which-in exchange for a fee-would assume some exposure to risk (i. e. , risk bearers). Perhaps more importantly, foreign exchange risk management, which was once a fairly mechanical task confmed to the international treasury function, is now permeating global strategic management. Indeed, since the demise of the Bretton Woods system of pegged exchange rates, the cost of forex hedging instruments has fallen so dramatically that firms can readily avail themselves of hedging products which can reduce unwanted risk, thereby potentially gaining a competitive advantage over rivals that do not. Management and Control of Foreign Exchange Risk has grown out of a fundamental revision of my earlier work published almost 20 years ago. In the process, my thinking about risk and its mathematics has greatly benefitted from my association with John Cozzolino and Charles Tapiero.

This book is an overview of the foreign exchange market and hedging foreign exchange risk. It will help people that are new to the field, as well as being a good refresher for those with experience in this area.

A comprehensive guide to managing global financial risk From the balance of payment exposure to foreign exchange and interest rate risk, to credit derivatives and other exotic options, futures, and swaps for mitigating and transferring risk, this book provides a simple yet comprehensive analysis of complex derivatives pricing and their application in risk management. The risk posed by foreign exchange transactions stems from the volatility of the exchange rate, the volatility of the interest rates, and factors unique to individual companies which are interrelated. To protect and hedge against adverse currency and interest rate changes, multinational corporations need to take concrete steps for mitigating these risks. Managing Global Financial and Foreign Exchange Rate Risk offers a thorough treatment of price, foreign currency, and interest rate risk management practices of multinational corporations in a dynamic global economy. It lays out the pros and cons of various hedging instruments, as well as the economic cost benefit analysis of alternative hedging vehicles. Written in a detailed yet user–friendly manner, this resource provides treasurers and other financial managers with the tools they need to manage their various exposures to credit, price, and foreign exchange risk. Managing Global Financial and Foreign Exchange Rate Risk covers various swaps in this geometrically growing field with notional principal in excess of $120 trillion. From caplet and corridors to call and put swaptions this book covers the micro structure of the swaps, options, futures, and foreign exchange markets. From credit default swap and transfer and convertibility options to asset swap switch and weather derivatives this book illustrates their simple pricing and application. To show real-world examples, each chapter includes a case study highlighting a specific problem, as well as a set of steps to solve it. Numerous charts accompanied with actual Wall Street figures provide the reader with the opportunity to comprehend and appreciate the role and function of derivatives, which are often misunderstood in the financial market. This detailed resource will guide the individual, government and multinational corporations safely through the maze of various exposures. A must-read for treasures, controllers, money mangers, portfolio managers, security analyst and academics, Managing Global Financial and Foreign Exchange Rate Risk represents an important collection of up-to-date risk management solutions. Ghassem A. Homaifar is a professor of financial economics at Middle Tennessee State University. He has Master of Science in Industrial Management from State University of New York at Stony Brook and PhD in Finance from University of Alabama in 1982. He is the author of numerous articles that have appeared in the Journal of Risk and Insurance, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, Weltwirtschsftliches Archiv Review of World Economics, Advances in Futures and Options Research,Applied Financial Economics, Applied Economics, International Economics, and Global Finance Journal.

Decentralized and volatile, the foreign exchange market is arguably the largest tradable market in the world. With participants ranging from speculators to risk adverse corporate hedgers, the foreign currency market offers a diverse offering of products. The book presents readers with fundamental concepts of market forces, corporate risk management and basic terminology in the market. Later chapters cover products including the spot market, forward contract, option date forward contract, compensating contract, partial offset contract, and swap contracts. The book concludes with more complex contract structures that include the non-deliverable forward contract and common forms of an option contract. Examples of each contract type are provided to reinforce the concepts with a focus on corporate treasury and risk management. Thomas Kimbrell takes a unique approach to introducing foreign currency exchange market by focusing on the corporation. Specifically, Kimbrell writes about risk management and developing policy towards managing foreign exchange volatility on corporate earnings. Examples of foreign exchange products are from a corporate perspective giving treasury management a simple and effective method to easily understand and apply the concepts presented.

With the advent of the World Trade Organization and NAFTA, foreign exchange now impacts the corporate world as never before. Hedging currency risk - usually through the interbank network - is now a routine treasury function. However, midsized companies (up to $100 million in annual sales) are often shut out of the interbank market because of cost and minimum size requirements. Currency Risk Management: A Handbook for Financial Managers, Brokers, and Their Consultants shows how to capture this business - from the basic concepts of foreign exchange to prospecting the corporate client. The author writes in an easy-to-read style and shows the finer points of foreign exchange and various exchange regimes recognized by the IMF. The reader will learn why exchange rates are a matter of government restrictions and controls as well as market price discovery.

Control the number one cause of financial loss currency fluctuation With cross-border commerce now the global norm, companies must now face the greatest threat to their financial stability: financial losses due to currency fluctuations. Written by an international business and banking expert, Managing Currency Risk is an authoritative, accessible look at the variety of methods used to minimize currency risk. Written for the financial market novice, the book explains the nature and uses of a variety of financial instruments without complicated mathematical equations. Discussed in detail are all forms of currency derivatives, such as forward foreign exchange, OTC currency options, currency swaps, currency futures, and options which are illustrated with international examples and case studies. A practical guide on every aspect of currency risk, Managing Currency Risk also serves as a guide to navigating your firm through turbulent economic times.