How Brexit Impacts the FX Bottom Line

Many have read about Brexit in the news headlines, which is a term that refers to the United Kingdom's planned withdrawal from the European Union (EU). Since the EU referendum took place in June of 2016, the British pound sterling (GBP) has declined in value against the U.S. dollar (USD) by roughly 15% from June 24, 2016 levels which hovered around the 1.4500 mark to approximately 1.2500 levels as of April 17, 2017. In less than a year, many companies with foreign currency exposure to the British pound sterling have seen a serious impact to the bottom line of the income statement.

Looking at this political event from a foreign exchange risk management perspective, Brexit would fall under the category of foreign exchange economic risk that is covered in FX Initiative’s FX Risk Exposures course. Economic risk relates to the macro impact fluctuating foreign exchange rates have on business opportunities, and includes the risk associated with the political, economic, and regulatory environment of the country or region in which a firm is conducting business.

The following 3 minute video clip from FX Initiative’s FX Risk Exposures course describes the concept of foreign exchange economic risk, and highlights 2 examples which include Venezuela’s 2010 changes in government policy and Apple’s 2015 10-K disclosures. While Brexit type events may not be predictable or preventable, companies can protect themselves over an extended time frame by laying out a long term and sustainable foreign exchange risk management plan.

If you are interested in learning more about the different types of foreign exchange risk and how you can protect your company against adverse changes in exchange rates, sign up for our Foreign Exchange Risk Management Training today and access our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Managing FX risk has become a higher priority for many firms for 2017 and it is now easier than ever to learn the fundamentals of currency risk management. Make this the year to reduce FX risk and reap rewards abroad by taking the FX Initiative for your international business today!

Click here to start your FX Risk Management Training today!

Cheers to your global organization's continued success in the new year,

The FX Initiative Team
support@fxinitiative.com

Learn How To Simplify Foreign Subsidiary FX Strategies

Foreign exchange (FX) translation risk applies to companies with foreign currency functional subsidiaries operating abroad. Unlike FX transaction risk, which is commonly hedged, FX translation risk tends to take a more strategic approach to currency risk management, and companies must decide if, when and how to hedge this type of foreign exchange risk. Translation exposure exists as a result of translating local currency functional financial statements (i.e. the Income Statement and Balance Sheet) into the reporting currency of the parent for consolidation purposes. This process creates foreign exchange translation risk in the form of net income (income statement) and net investment (balance sheet) exposures.

The following 5 minute introduction video for FX Initiative’s “Hedging Foreign Subsidiaries” course outlines the two main learning objectives covered, which include: (1) to explore the concept of hedging net income generated at foreign subsidiaries, and recognize the accounting, forecasting, and cash flow challenges associated with hedging future earnings, and (2) to explore the concept of hedging net investments in foreign subsidiaries, and recognize how "elective" accounting treatment can mitigate earnings volatility and better align the financial reporting of a hedge.

If you are interested in learning more about best practices for hedging foreign subsidiaries, sign up for our Foreign Exchange Risk Management Training today and access our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Managing FX risk has become a higher priority for many firms for 2017 and it is now easier than ever to learn the fundamentals of currency risk management. Make this the year to reduce FX risk and reap rewards abroad by taking the FX Initiative for your international business today!

Click here to start your FX Risk Management Training today!

Cheers to your global organization's continued success in the new year,

The FX Initiative Team
support@fxinitiative.com

Learn How to Test FX Transaction Hedges

Do you test the economic and accounting implications of your FX hedge strategies prior to trading? Testing by definition involves checking the performance of something before putting an idea into practice. This is a prudent and practical step to take when managing foreign exchange risk across the enterprise. When it comes to hedging specific foreign exchange transactions, companies can benefit greatly from testing the most common derivative strategies such as forwards, options, and collars, stress testing the economic scenarios, and comparing the accounting treatment available. By employing this approach, companies can more reliability predict both the cash flow and financial reporting implications of a hedged FX transaction.

FX Initiative’s FX Transaction Simulator allows companies to input their ”assumptions" such as exchange rates, interest rates, and market volatility, as well as company specific variables such at the transaction dates, the amount of the transaction, and the desired hedging strategy. Correspondingly, these assumptions are reflected in our proprietary risk analysis model which visually charts the payoff profile of the selected hedge strategy, ranks the economic performance of the alternative spot, forward, vanilla option, and collar strategies side by side, and displays the accounting debits and credits for default and elective accounting treatment. The following 2 minute overview video shows the 3 steps involved in using the FX Transaction Simulator:

If you are interested in testing your FX transaction hedges prior to trading using the FX Transaction Simulator, sign up for our Foreign Exchange Risk Management Training today and access our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Managing FX risk has become a higher priority for many firms for 2017 and it is now easier than ever to learn the fundamentals of currency risk management. Make this the year to reduce FX risk and reap rewards abroad by taking the FX Initiative for your international business today!

Click here to start your FX Risk Management Training today!

Cheers to your global organization's continued success in the new year,

The FX Initiative Team
support@fxinitiative.com

Done Your Derivative Due Diligence?

Foreign exchange risk management involves mitigating currency risk to an acceptable level by understanding when and how to hedge using financial instruments or derivatives. In order to effectively use currency derivatives to achieve foreign exchange risk management objectives, firms must recognize their differences and similarities and how they work in practice.

While there are a large number of currency derivatives available in the marketplace, very few of these instruments are employed in routine foreign exchange risk management. The most common currency derivatives include forward contracts, vanilla options, and option combinations. By selecting a derivative from a hedge objective perspective, the confusion often experienced from the endless products available in the market can be avoided.

The following introduction video to the "FX Spot & Derivatives" course addresses the three main learning objectives that are covered throughout this highly informative hour long educational program, which include (1) to explore the concept of forward contracts and recognize their forward point premium or discount and symmetrical payoff profile, (2) to explore the concept of option contracts and recognize their pricing variables and asymmetrical payoff profile, and (3) to explore the concept of option combinations and recognize how structures such as a zero cost collar create a unique payoff profile.

If you are interested in learning more about foreign exchange spot & derivatives and how they are used in routine foreign exchange risk management, sign up for our Foreign Exchange Risk Management Training today and access our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Managing FX risk has become a higher priority for many firms for 2017 and it is now easier than ever to learn the fundamentals of currency risk management. Make this the year to reduce FX risk and reap rewards abroad by taking the FX Initiative for your international business today!

Click here to start your FX Risk Management Training today!

Cheers to your global organization's continued success in the new year,

The FX Initiative Team
support@fxinitiative.com

“If You Don't Invest in Risk Management…”

“If you don’t invest in risk-management, it doesn’t matter what business you’re in, it’s a risky business.” This quote from Gary Cohn, the current Director of the National Economic Council and the former Chief Operating Officer of Goldman Sachs, highlights the important role risk management plays in achieving business success.  When it comes to international business, the reward of expanding into new markets and capturing greater profits tends to be the primary focus. However, managing risk, and in particular, foreign exchange risk, is an equally important endeavor when venturing abroad, because if not managed properly, rewards can be diminished.

The following introduction video to the "FX Risk Management" course addresses the two main learning objectives that are covered throughout this highly informative hour long educational program, which include (1) to recognize the role personnel, operations, and resources play in the establishment of a foreign exchange risk management program and (2) to explore the nine essential components of a comprehensive formal foreign exchange risk management policy.

If you are interested in learning more about managing currency risk, sign up for our Foreign Exchange Risk Management Training today and access our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Managing FX risk has become a higher priority for many firms for 2017 and it is now easier than ever to learn the fundamentals of currency risk management. Make this the year to reduce FX risk and reap rewards abroad by taking the FX Initiative for your international business today!

Click here to start your FX Risk Management Training today!

Cheers to your global organization's continued success in the new year,

The FX Initiative Team
support@fxinitiative.com

Learn Where to Look for FX Risks

Have you wondered where to look for FX risks? Identifying foreign exchange risk exposures across the enterprise becomes much easier when you know where to look in the financial statements. Some exposures like booked receivables are highly visible, while other exposures such as forecasted revenues are not. To help understand the different FX risk types and identify their impact on the financial statements and cash flows, FX Initiative's "FX Risk Exposures" course is designed to assist global firms with identifying common foreign exchange risk exposures and assessing their firm’s overall foreign exchange risk profile.

The following introduction video to the "FX Risk Exposures" course addresses the four main learning objectives that are covered in detail throughout this highly informative hour long educational program. We'll define 6 key terms for assessing a firm’s foreign exchange risk profile, and identify the 3 different types of FX risk. Additionally, we'll explore the concept of Foreign Exchange Transaction Risk and recognize its impact on cash flows and the financial statements, as well as explore the concept of Foreign Exchange Translation Risk and discover how the accounting consolidation process applies to foreign subsidiaries.

If you are interested in learning more about currency risk, sign up for our Foreign Exchange Risk Management Training today and access our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Managing FX risk has become a higher priority for many firms for 2017 and it is now easier than ever to learn the fundamentals of currency risk management. Make this the year to reduce FX risk and reap rewards abroad by taking the FX Initiative for your international business today!

Click here to start your FX Risk Management Training today!

Cheers to your global organization's continued success in the new year,

The FX Initiative Team
support@fxinitiative.com

Explore How the $5+ Trillion FX Market Works

Are you curious how the $5+ Trillion foreign exchange (FX) market works? FX Initiative's FX Market Overview course is packed with valuable information and unique insights to get you up to speed on the fundamentals of the foreign exchange market. This 1 hour video program is eligible for continuing professional education (CPE) credit and covers the following 4 learning objectives in detail:

1. Explore the concepts of Economic Globalization and International Trade.
2. Discover how the foreign exchange market is evolving and how it operates.
3. Identify the four main categories of foreign exchange market participants.
4. Recognize how supply and demand impacts foreign exchange rates and forecasting.

The following 5 minute introduction video from FX Initiative’s newly released course titled “FX Market Overview" shares the knowledge needed to understand the fundamentals of the foreign exchange market and to navigate information in a more efficient and effective manner in pursuit of accomplishing international business objectives.

If you found this information insightful, become a FX Initiative subscriber today and access our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Managing FX risk has become a higher priority for many firms for 2017 and it is now easier than ever to learn the fundamentals of currency risk management. Make this the year to reduce FX risk and reap rewards abroad by taking the FX Initiative for your international business today!

Click here to subscribe >

Cheers to your global organization's continued success in the new year,

The FX Initiative Team
support@fxinitiative.com

Learn How to Take the FX Initiative

Did you know? Fortune 500 companies are holding more than 2 trillion dollars overseas. That’s a lot of money! Some may think there’s tons of U.S. dollars abroad. The truth is...this money is foreign currency from company revenues, expenses, receivables, payables, assets, liabilities, and equity. That’s a lot of foreign currency! And a lot of currency risk!

Global companies face questions of how to manage currency risk? How to draft a FX risk policy? Where to look for FX risk exposures? What currency risks to hedge and how? Which strategies meet FX hedge objectives? What are the economics? How to do FX accounting? That's a lot of questions! It's time to take the FX Initiative!

FX Initiative's foreign exchange risk management training starts with watching our online video series about:

1. Foreign Exchange (FX) Market Overview
2. FX Risk Exposures
3. FX Risk Management
4. FX Spot & Derivatives
5. Hedging FX Transactions
6. Hedging Foreign Subsidiaries

Then, review and test with quizzes and CPE exams. And reinforce learning using real examples with our:

• Currency Code Locator
• FX Risk Policy Drafter
• FX Derivative Speculator
• FX Transaction Simulator
• FX Subsidiary Consolidator

FX Initiative training is available 24/7 365 to help you with FX risk policies, FX accounting, FX hedging strategies, and FX risk management.

Are you ready to manage FX risk?  Take the FX Initiative by subscribing today!

If you found this information insightful, become a FX Initiative subscriber today and access our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Managing FX risk has become a higher priority for many firms for 2017 and it is now easier than ever to learn the fundamentals of currency risk management. Make this the year to reduce FX risk and reap rewards abroad by taking the FX Initiative for your international business today!

Click here to subscribe >

Cheers to your global organization's continued success in the new year,

The FX Initiative Team
support@fxinitiative.com

FX Forward Contract Fundamentals

Forward contracts are by far the most prevalent foreign exchange derivative instrument used in the marketplace. A forward secures the value of an underlying position by providing 100% protection against unfavorable market moves beyond the “all in” forward rate, while giving up 100% of the participation in favorable market moves. A forward contract will almost always finish in either an asset or liability position at maturity depending on the ending spot rate. Forwards are easy to understand, widely available, and require no upfront premium. Forwards are particularly attractive for firms that seek a symmetrical payoff profile, where the hedge achieves largely equal and offsetting gains and losses related to the underlying foreign exchange exposure.

Forward contracts involve the exchange of two currencies at an agreed upon rate on the date of the contract for settlement on a date more than two business days in the future. Forward contracts include both deliverable and non-deliverable forwards, which are also known as NDFs. A non-deliverable forward (NDF) is a cash-settled forward contract on a restricted or non-convertible foreign currency, as opposed to a deliverable forward which has the option of cash settlement or delivery of the currency. According to the Bank for International Settlements 2013 Triennial Central Bank Survey, daily trading volume in forward contracts reached $680 billion in April of 2013, accounting for 13% of total FX market volume, which is the highest percentage on record since the survey began.

To explain the fundamentals of FX forward contracts, the following 6 minute video clip from FX Initiative’s newly released course titled “FX Spot & Derivatives” discusses the basic concepts of forward contracts, including forward points, the forward point equation, and the “all in” forward rate.

If you found this information insightful, become a FX Initiative subscriber today and access our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Managing FX risk has become a higher priority for many firms for 2017 and it is now easier than ever to learn the fundamentals of currency risk management. Make this the year to reduce FX risk and reap rewards abroad by taking the FX Initiative for your international business today!

Click here to subscribe >

Cheers to your global organization's continued success in the new year,

The FX Initiative Team
support@fxinitiative.com

Identifying Direct vs. Indirect Currency Quoting Conventions

It is evident that no one single world currency exists. There are over 180 currencies recognized as legal tender in circulation throughout the world. The most widely used list of currencies is known as ISO 4217, which is a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization or the ISO. The ISO is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations, and the ISO 4217 currency codes shown in FX Initiative’s Currency Code Locator are used in banking and business globally. The ISO 4217 currency codes are also commonly used when publishing exchange rate quotes in newspapers or banks to help delineate the different currencies instead of translating currency names or using ambiguous currency symbols. The most traded pairs of currencies in the world are called “The Majors”, and they include the euro, British pound sterling, Australian dollar, New Zealand dollar, United States dollar, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc, and Japanese yen.

While someone new to the foreign exchange market might view published FX quotes similar to a stock or commodity price quotes, it is important to understand that foreign currencies differ because they are quoted in pairs using one of two currency quoting conventions, (1) a direct quote and (2) an indirect quote. A direct quote, also known as an American quote, is the domestic currency per unit of the foreign currency, and an indirect quote, also known as a European quote, is the foreign currency per unit of the domestic currency. Since currencies are always quoted in pairs, a currency quote will contain one currency on the left side of the quote known as the base currency, a forward slash in the center, and the other currency on the right side of the forward slash is known as the terms currency or the counter currency. The base currency is always equal to one unit, and the terms currency represents the number of units that equal one base unit of currency.

To illustrate the concept of identifying direct vs. indirect currency quoting conventions visually, the following 6 minute video clip from FX Initiative’s newly released course titled “FX Market Overview” explains how market participants can understand and interpret the two different foreign currency quoting conventions appropriately.

If you found this information insightful, become a FX Initiative subscriber today and access our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Managing FX risk has become a higher priority for many firms for 2017 and it is now easier than ever to learn the fundamentals of currency risk management. Make this the year to reduce FX risk and reap rewards abroad by taking the FX Initiative for your international business today!

Click here to subscribe >

Cheers to your global organization's continued success in the new year,

The FX Initiative Team
support@fxinitiative.com