ICF11e ch05

International Financial Management
12th Edition
by Jeff Madura
1 © 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
5 Currency Derivatives
Chapter Objectives
 Explain how forward contracts are used to hedge based

on anticipated exchange rate movements
 Describe how currency futures contracts are used to
speculate or hedge based on anticipated exchange rate
movements
 Explain how currency option contracts are used to
speculate or hedge based on anticipated exchange rate
movements
2
What is a Currency Derivative?
1. A currency derivative is a contract whose price is

derived from the value of an underlying currency.
2. Examples include forwards/futures contracts and
options contracts.
3. Derivatives are used by MNCs to:
a. Speculate on future exchange rate movements
b. Hedge exposure to exchange rate risk
Forward Market
 A forward contract is an agreement between a

corporation and a financial institution:
 To exchange a specified amount of currency
 At a specified exchange rate called the forward rate
 On a specified date in the future
 Forward contracts are often valued at $1 million or
more, and are not normally used by consumers or
small firms.
How MNCs Use Forward Contracts
 Hedge their imports by locking in the rate at which

they can obtain the currency
 Bid/Ask Spread is wider for less liquid currencies.
 May negotiate an offsetting trade if an MNC enters
into a forward sale and a forward purchase with the
same bank.
 Non-deliverable forward contracts (NDF) can be used
for emerging market currencies where no currency
delivery takes place at settlement, instead one party
makes a payment to the other party.
Premium or Discount on the Forward Rate
 When MNCs anticipate a future need for or future

receipt of a foreign currency, they can set up forward
contracts to lock in the exchange rate.
 The % by which the forward rate (F ) exceeds the spot
rate (S ) at a given point in time is called the forward
premium (p ).
F = S(1 + p). where:
F is the forward rate
S is the spot rate
p is the forward premium, or the percentage by
which the forward rate exceeds the spot rate.
 F exhibits a discount when p < 0.
Forward Market
Example S = $1.681/£, 90-day F = $1.677/£
F – S  360
annualized p =
S n
1.677 – 1.681  360

= = –.95%
1.681 90
 The forward premium (discount) usually reflects
the difference between the home and foreign
interest rates, thus preventing arbitrage.
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
Exhibit 5.1 Computation of Forward Rate Premiums or
Discounts
Premium or Discount on the Forward Rate
Arbitrage – If the forward rate was the same as the spot rate,
arbitrage would be possible.
A swap transaction involves a spot transaction along with a
corresponding forward contract that will reverse the spot
transaction.
Movements in the Forward Rate over Time – The forward
premium is influenced by the interest rate differential between
the two countries and can change over time.
Offsetting a Forward Contract – An MNC can offset a forward
contract by negotiating with the original counterparty bank.
Non-deliverable forward contracts (NDF) can be used for
emerging market currencies where no currency delivery takes
place at settlement; instead one party makes a net payment to
the other based on a market exchange rate on the day of
settlement.
Forward Market Example
 An NDF can effectively hedge future foreign

currency payments or receipts:
April 1 July 1
Expect need for 100M Buy 100M Chilean
Chilean pesos. pesos from market.
Negotiate an NDF to buy
100M Chilean pesos on Index = $.0023/peso 
Jul 1. Reference index receive $30,000 from
(closing rate quoted by bank due to NDF.
Chile’s central bank) = Index = $.0018/peso 
$.0020/peso. pay $20,000 to bank.
Currency Futures Market
 Similar to forward contracts in terms of obligation to

purchase or sell currency on a specific settlement date
in the future.
 Differ from forward contracts because futures have
standard contract specifications:
a. Standardized number of units per contract (See Exhibit 5.2)
b. Offer greater liquidity than forward contracts
c. Typically based on U.S. dollar, but may be offered on cross-
rates.
d. Commonly traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange
(CME).
 They are used by MNCs to hedge their currency
positions, and by speculators who hope to capitalize
on their expectations of exchange rate movements
Exhibit 5.2 Currency Futures Contracts Traded on the
Chicago Mercantile Exchange
Trading Currency Futures
 Firms or individuals can execute orders for currency

futures contracts by calling brokerage firms.
 Electronic trading platforms facilitate the trading of
currency futures. These platforms serve as a broker,
as they execute the trades desired.
 Currency futures contracts are similar to forward
contracts in that they allow a customer to lock in the
exchange rate at which a specific currency is
purchased or sold for a specific date in the future.
Exhibit 5.3 Comparison of the Forward and Futures Market
Source: Chicago Mercantile Exchange

Trading Currency Futures (cont.)
 Pricing Currency Futures - Enforced by potential

arbitrage activities, the price of currency futures will
be closely related to their corresponding forward rate
 Credit Risk of Currency Futures Contracts -
To minimize its risk, the CME (the exchange
clearinghouse) imposes margin requirements to cover
fluctuations in the value of a contract, meaning that
the participants must make a deposit with their
respective brokerage firms when they take a position.
How Firms Use Currency Futures
 Purchasing Futures to Hedge Payables - The

purchase of futures contracts locks in the price at
which a firm can purchase a currency.
 Selling Futures to Hedge Receivables - The
sale of futures contracts locks in the price at which a
firm can sell a currency.
Closing Out a Futures Position
 Sellers (buyers) of currency futures can close

out their positions by buying (selling)
identical futures contracts prior to settlement.
 Most currency futures contracts are closed out
before the settlement date.
Exhibit 5.4 Closing Out a Futures Contract
Speculation with Currency Futures
1. Currency futures contracts are sometimes purchased

by speculators attempting to capitalize on their
expectation of a currency’s future movement.
2. Currency futures are often sold by speculators who
expect that the spot rate of a currency will be less
than the rate at which they would be obligated to sell
it.
Exhibit 5.5 Source of Gains from Buying Currency
Futures
Currency Futures Market
 MNCs may purchase currency futures to hedge

their foreign currency payables, or sell currency
futures to hedge their receivables.
April 4 June 17
1. Expect to receive 2. Receive 500,000
500,000 pesos. pesos as expected.
Contract to sell
500,000 pesos 3. Sell the pesos at
@ $.09/peso on the locked-in rate.
June 17.
Currency Futures Market Efficiency
1. If the currency futures market is efficient, the futures

price should reflect all available information.
2. Thus, the continual use of a particular strategy to take
positions in currency futures contracts should not lead
to abnormal profits.
3. Research has found that the currency futures market
may be inefficient. However, the patterns are not
necessarily observable until after they occur, which
means that it may be difficult to consistently generate
abnormal profits from speculating in currency futures.
Currency Options Markets
 Currency options provide the right to purchase or sell

currencies at specified prices.
 Options Exchanges
 1982 - exchanges in Amsterdam, Montreal, and Philadelphia first
allowed trading in standardized foreign currency options.
 2007 – CME and CBOT merged to form CME group
 Exchanges are regulated by the SEC in the U.S.
 Over-the-counter market - Where currency options are
offered by commercial banks and brokerage firms. Unlike the
currency options traded on an exchange, the over-the-counter
market offers currency options that are tailored to the specific
needs of the firm.
Currency Call Options
 Grants the right to buy a specific currency at a

designated strike price or exercise price within a
specific period of time.
 If the spot rate rises above the strike price, the owner of
a call can exercise the right to buy currency at the strike
price.
 The buyer of the option pays a premium.
 A call option is
 in the money if exchange rate > strike
price,
 at the money if exchange rate = strike
price,
 out of the money if exchange rate < strike
24 © 2012price
Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
Factors Affecting Currency Call Option Premiums
The premium on a call option (C) is affected by three factors:

 Spot price relative to the strike price (S – X): The higher the
spot rate relative to the strike price, the higher the option price
will be.
 Length of time before expiration (T): The longer the time
to expiration, the higher the option price will be.
 Potential variability of currency (σ): The greater the
variability of the currency, the higher the probability that the
spot rate can rise above the strike price.
How Firms Use Currency Call Options
Firms can use call options to:

 hedge payables
 hedge project bidding to lock in the dollar cost
of potential expenses.
 hedge target bidding of a possible acquisition.
 Speculate on expectations of future movements
in a currency.
How Firms Use Currency Call Options
 Speculators may purchase call options on a

currency that they expect to appreciate.
 Profit = selling (spot) price – option
premium – buying (strike) price
 At breakeven, profit = 0.
 They may also sell (write) call options on a
currency that they expect to depreciate.
 Profit = option premium – buying (spot) price
+ selling (strike) price
Currency Put Options
1. Grants the right to sell a currency at a specified strike

price or exercise price within a specified period of time.
2. If the spot rate falls below the strike price, the owner of a
put can exercise the right to sell currency at the strike
price.
3. The buyer of the options pays a premium.
4. A put option is
 in the money if exchange rate < strike
price,
 at the money if exchange rate = strike
price,
 out of the money if exchange rate > strike
28
price.
Factors Affecting Put Option Premiums
Put option premiums are affected by three factors:

 Spot rate relative to the strike price (S–X): The lower
the spot rate relative to the strike price, the higher the
probability that the option will be exercised.
 Length of time until expiration (T): The longer the
time to expiration, the greater the put option premium
 Variability of the currency (σ): The greater the
variability, the greater the probability that the option
may be exercised.
 Firms may purchase currency put options to hedge
future receivables.
Hedging with Currency Put Options
1. Corporations with open positions in foreign currencies

can use currency put options in some cases to cover these
positions.
2. Some put options are deep out of the money, meaning
that the prevailing exchange rate is high above the
exercise price. These options are cheaper (have a lower
premium), as they are unlikely to be exercised because
their exercise price is too low.
3. Other put options have an exercise price that is currently
above the prevailing exchange rate and are therefore more
likely to be exercised. Consequently, these options are
more expensive.
Speculating with Currency Put Options
1. Individuals may speculate with currency put options

based on their expectations of the future movements in a
particular currency.
2. Speculators can attempt to profit from selling currency
put options. The seller of such options is obligated to
purchase the specified currency at the strike price from
the owner who exercises the put option.
3. The net profit to a speculator is based on the exercise
price at which the currency can be sold versus the
purchase price of the currency and the premium paid for
the put option..
 Speculators may purchase put options on a

currency that they expect to depreciate.
 Profit = selling (strike) price – buying
price – option premium
 They may also sell (write) put options on a
currency that they expect to appreciate.
 Profit = option premium + selling price
– buying (strike) price
 One possible speculative strategy for

volatile currencies is to purchase both a put
option and a call option at the same
exercise price. This is called a straddle.
 By purchasing both options, the speculator
may gain if the currency moves
substantially in either direction, or if it
moves in one direction followed by the
other.
Exhibit 5.6 Contingency Graphs for Currency Options
Conditional Currency Options
1. A currency option can be structured with a conditional

premium, meaning that the premium paid for the option is
conditioned on the actual movement in the currency’s value
over the period of concern.
2. Firms also use various combinations of currency options.
3. Suppose a conditional put option on £ has an exercise price

of $1.70, and a trigger of $1.74. The premium will have to
be paid only if the £’s value exceeds the trigger value.
Option Type Exercise Price Trigger Premium

basic put $1.70 - $0.02
conditional put $1.70 $1.74 $0.04
 Similarly, a conditional call option on £ may

specify an exercise price of $1.70, and a trigger of
$1.67. The premium will have to be paid only if the
£’s value falls below the trigger value.
 In both cases, the payment of the premium is
avoided conditionally at the cost of a higher
premium.
European Currency Options
 European-style currency options must be exercised on the

expiration date if they are to be exercised at all.
 They do not offer as much flexibility; however, this is not
relevant to some situations.
 If European-style options are available for the same
expiration date as American-style options and can be
purchased for a slightly lower premium, some corporations
may prefer them for hedging.
SUMMARY
 A forward contract specifies a standard volume of a

particular currency to be exchanged on a particular date.
Such a contract can be purchased by a firm to hedge
payables or sold by a firm to hedge receivables.
 Futures contracts on a particular currency can be purchased
by corporations that have payables in that currency and
wish to hedge against the possible appreciation of that
currency. Conversely, these contracts can be sold by
corporations that have receivables in that currency and wish
to hedge against the possible depreciation of that currency.
SUMMARY (Cont.)
 Currency options are classified as call options or put

options. Call options allow the right to purchase a specified
currency at a specified exchange rate by a specified
expiration date. Put options allow the right to sell a
specified currency at a specified exchange rate by a
specified expiration date. Currency call options are
commonly purchased by corporations that have payables in
a currency that is expected to appreciate. Currency put
options are commonly purchased by corporations that have
receivables in a currency that is expected to depreciate.

ICF11e ch05

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ICF11e ch05

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

ICF11e ch05

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

International Financial Management

 Explain how forward contracts are used to hedge based

1. A currency derivative is a contract whose price is

 A forward contract is an agreement between a

 Hedge their imports by locking in the rate at which

 When MNCs anticipate a future need for or future

Example S = $1.681/£, 90-day F = $1.677/£

1.677 – 1.681  360

 An NDF can effectively hedge future foreign

 Similar to forward contracts in terms of obligation to

 Firms or individuals can execute orders for currency

Source: Chicago Mercantile Exchange

 Pricing Currency Futures - Enforced by potential

 Purchasing Futures to Hedge Payables - The

 Sellers (buyers) of currency futures can close

1. Currency futures contracts are sometimes purchased

 MNCs may purchase currency futures to hedge

1. If the currency futures market is efficient, the futures

 Currency options provide the right to purchase or sell

 Grants the right to buy a specific currency at a

The premium on a call option (C) is affected by three factors:

Firms can use call options to:

 Speculators may purchase call options on a

1. Grants the right to sell a currency at a specified strike

Put option premiums are affected by three factors:

1. Corporations with open positions in foreign currencies

1. Individuals may speculate with currency put options

 Speculators may purchase put options on a

 One possible speculative strategy for

1. A currency option can be structured with a conditional

3. Suppose a conditional put option on £ has an exercise price

Option Type Exercise Price Trigger Premium

 Similarly, a conditional call option on £ may

 European-style currency options must be exercised on the

 A forward contract specifies a standard volume of a

 Currency options are classified as call options or put

You might also like