Cash Flow Hedge Considerations Are you curious about “cash flow” hedge considerations? FX Initiative’s Cash Flow Hedging webinar covers corporate best practices and case studies on hedging forecasted FX transactions, and walks you through pros and cons public and private companies can consider when deciding whether or not to elect “cash flow” hedge accounting treatment. Get started with our foreign exchange risk management training, which provides 24/7 365 access to our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Start Training > Download the PDF April 2, 2019By FX Initiative General, Webinar Accounting, ASC815, ASC830, BestPractices, CashFlow, CPE, Currency, Derivative, Earnings, Education, Expense, FAS133, Forecast, Forex, FXCPE, FXInitiative, Hedge, Learning, Management, Revenue, Risk, Strategy, Training, Volatility 0 0 Comment
FX Strategies for Foreign Subsidiaries Would you like to optimize FX strategies for foreign subsidiaries? FX Initiative’s Hedging Foreign Subsidiaries course outlines the fundamentals of hedging net income and net investment exposures in foreign subsidiaries, and reveals the cash flow and financial reporting implications of hedging FX translation risk with currency derivatives. Get started with our foreign exchange risk management training, which provides 24/7 365 access to our complete suite of foreign exchange (FX) continuing professional education (CPE), examples and events at FXCPE.com. Start Training > Download the PDF March 12, 2019By FX Initiative General, Hedging Foreign Subsidiaries bestpractices, consolidation, cpe, currency, derivatives, dividends, earnings, education, equity, foreign, forex, functional, fxcpe, fxinitiative, hedge, investment, learning, management, profits, repatriation, risk, strategy, subsidiary, TCJA, training, translation 0 0 Comment
Due Diligence & Distinguishing FX Derivatives Due diligence is a term that commonly applies to a business investigation, and it contributes significantly to informed decision making by assessing the costs, benefits, and risks of a transaction. As due diligence relates to foreign exchange (FX) risk management, firms can enhance their strategic decision making process by assessing the costs, benefits, and risks associated with currency derivatives, and recognizing their differences and similarities when hedging foreign currency transactions. At the highest level, currency derivatives are financial contracts between two parties whose value is derived from the exchange rate of one or more underlying currencies. FX risk management involves mitigating currency risk to an acceptable level by understanding when and how to hedge using FX derivatives to achieve FX objectives. The first part of the FX risk management decision making process is determining a firm’s FX hedging objectives and strategy for achieving those objectives. The two most common FX risk management hedging objectives are (1) minimizing foreign exchange gains and losses in earnings and (2) preserving cash flows. The most common currency derivatives used in practice are (1) forward contracts, (2) vanilla options, and (3) zero cost collars. Therefore, to achieve the 2 most common hedging objectives using the 3 most common currency derivatives, it is helpful to compare and contrast how each derivative achieves each hedging objective as follows: 1) Forward Contracts Objective 1: Minimizing Earnings Volatility - Forwards are particularly attractive for firms that seek a symmetrical payoff profile relative to the spot foreign exchange rate, where the hedge achieves largely equal and offsetting gains and losses related to the underlying foreign exchange exposure. Forwards are by far the most effective derivative for eliminating foreign exchange gains and losses to the greatest extent possible, and are used overwhelmingly in practice for all types of FX hedges. Objective 2: Preserving Cash Flows - Forward contracts do not require an upfront premium to be paid, unlike an option. However, a forward contract will almost always finish in either an asset or liability position at maturity depending on the ending spot rate, which may require a cash payment to be made in the future to settle the contract. 3 Distinguishing Characteristics: 3 key distinguishing characteristics of forward contracts are their forward point premium or discount, the lack of upfront cost, and the symmetrical payoff profile relative to the spot foreign exchange rate. 2) Option Contracts Objective 1: Minimizing Earnings Volatility - Options are particularly attractive for firms that seek an asymmetrical payoff profile relative to the spot foreign exchange rate, where the hedge secures the value of an underlying position against unfavorable market moves beyond the strike rate, while retaining 100% participation in favorable market moves. Options do not provide the same degree of offset in earnings as a forward due to its asymmetrical payoff profile, and tend to be used for longer dated and/or uncertain exposures. Objective 2: Preserving Cash Flows - A purchased vanilla option requires a cash premium to be paid to the counterparty at inception, which can be a deterrent compared to a forward contract. However, an option will always expire with either a positive intrinsic value or zero fair value at maturity, ensuring no future cash payment is required by the option holder to settle the contract. 3 Distinguishing Characteristics: 3 key distinguishing characteristics of vanilla option contracts are the premium paid upfront, the asymmetrical payoff profile relative to the spot foreign exchange rate, and the lack of obligation to make a payment at maturity. 3) Zero Cost Collars Objective 1: Minimizing Earnings Volatility - Zero cost collars are particularly attractive for firms that seek to establish a predefined range of foreign exchange rates where the value of the hedged FX transaction is secured on the downside by the collar “floor” and limited to the upside by the collar “ceiling" or "cap”. Zero cost collars provide less downside protection and less of an offset in earnings relative to a forward contract, but allow for participation in favorable market moves like an option contract with no upfront premium. Objective 2: Preserving Cash Flows - Zero cost collars do not require an upfront premium to be paid by combining two vanilla options, (1) a purchased out of the money option and (2) a sold out of the money option, whereby the premium paid on the purchased option is offset by the premium received from the sold option to create a zero cash outlay. However, a collar has the potential to finish in a zero fair value, asset or liability position at maturity, which may require a future cash payment to be made to settle the contract. 3 Distinguishing Characteristics: 3 key distinguishing characteristics of zero cost collars are the ability to participate in favorable foreign exchange rate movements with no upfront cost, the reduced downside protection relative to a forward contract, and the unique payoff profile of the collar range relative to the spot foreign exchange rate. Overall, each company must decide their FX hedging objectives and strategy for achieving those objectives that balances minimizing earnings volatility and preserving cash flows. There is no one prescribed method for selecting a FX derivative, and firms can benefit by approaching the selection of a derivative from a hedge objective perspective. As the late, great economist Milton Friedman said, “there is no free lunch” in economics, and when selecting a FX strategy, firms can benefit from recognizing the tradeoffs, differences and similarities of how the 3 most common currency derivatives can be used to achieve the 2 most common FX hedging objectives. To learn more about FX derivatives, you can explore our previous blog post on “How to Compare Currency Derivatives & Credit Considerations” and sign up for FX Initiative’s currency risk management training. Our FX Spot & Derivatives Course deconstructs forward contracts, option contracts, and zero cost collars to help you select an optimal hedge instrument. Additionally, our FX Derivative Speculator illustrates the economics and accounting of derivative positions to compare and contrast the payoff profiles, cash flows and accounting entries under virtually any FX rate scenario. Start doing your derivative due diligence today by taking the FX Initiative! Are you curious how forwards, options, and zero cost collars work in practice? Click here to learn from real-world examples! Cheers, The FX Initiative Team support@fxinitiative.com October 9, 2017By FX Initiative FX Derivative Speculator, FX Spot & Derivatives, General Accounting, Cash Flows, Compare, Continuing Professional Education, Contract, CPE, Currency, Derivatives, Foreign Exchange, Forward Contracts, FX, FX Initiative, Management, Option Contracts, Risk, Strategy, Zero Cost Collars, Due Dilligence 0 0 Comment
Check Your FX Knowledge: Take Our Pre-Test Evaluation Are you a foreign exchange expert? Take the FX pre-test evaluation to see how you perform using our scoring brackets! 100% Excellent Job! Ready to earn your certification? 90% Good Start! Complete your FX Risk Management Training! 80% About Average. Let’s close your FX knowledge gaps! <70% Room for Improvement! It’s time to take the FX Initiative! Whether you’re an experienced professional or brand new to foreign exchange, FX Initiative’s Currency Risk Management Training helps you learn currency risk management best practices using a video based on-demand format with real-world examples. Complete your FX training today in 4 simple steps: Select Your FX Risk Management Training Program Complete Your FX Risk Management Training Education Track Your FX Risk Management Training Progress Download Your Certificate of Completion Ready to take the FX Initiative? Click here to get started! Cheers, The FX Initiative Team support@fxinitiative.com June 26, 2017By FX Initiative General Collars, Continuing Professional Education, CPE, Currency, Economics, Evaluation, Financial Reporting, Forwards, Hedging, Options, Policy, Qualitative, Quantitative, Risk Management, Spot, Strategy, Trading, Treasury, Derivatives, FX, Pre-Test 0 0 Comment