In: Finance
YOU are the financial officer at an Austrian company that wants to BUY USD 1.000.000 of solar equipment from a U.S. producer. You need to pay for the equipment in 90 days.
You have the following information available:
Spot rate $1.125 / € 90-Day forward rate $1.09 (actual spot rate expected based on historical distribution: $1.05 - $1.12)
Interest rates: US $ 4% EUR 2%
FX options available:
Contract size $125.000
CALLS : June (3 months ahead), strike price $1.10/€, Premium € 2000 per contract
PUTS : June (3 months ahead), strike price $1.00/€
Premium €1000 per contract
Futures contracts available:
Contract size $250.000
June contract, FX rate $1.11
Margin to maintain 10%
Describe your foreign exchange exposure
Describe how you would use the following instruments to hedge, i.e. how would each instrument work? (more important to describe than to calculate): Forward Contract , Options Contract
Would you recommend that the company hedge this transaction? Which instrument (any of the instruments, not just the two above) would you recommend?
The Austrian company has to buy US Dollars forward to pay for the equipment. The risk to the company is if the Euro depreciates against the US Dollar.
The company can hedge its FX exposure either by Selling Euro forward or by Buying a put on EUR/USD
The 90 day forward price for EUR/USD is quoting at 1.11
The company can enter into a forward contract to sell EUR/USD forward at 1.11. Since each futures contract is for a USD 250000 notional, the company would need 4 contracts to hedge the exposure
Alternatively, it can buy a put option on the EUR/USD. Since the available put option is of a very low strike i.e. 1, the company would lose if Euro depreciates to parity against the US Dollar. Hedging through forward is therefore a better option under this scenario. The company would crystallize a loss of 1100 pips straight away. Since the Euro has shown a propensity to depreciate in the past, this option is not advisable.
*The question is not very clear if the put is on EUR/USD or USD/EUR. If we are talking with respect to EUR/USD, the company would have to buy a put, If we are talking with respect to USD/EUR, the company would have to buy a call.
If it is a call on the USD that is being referred to then after including the EUR 2000 premium cost, the company is protecting itself at a rate of 1.0809. Even in this case hedging through futures is a better option.