Exam 9: Transaction Exposure

Use the information for the following problem(s). Plains States Manufacturing has just signed a contract to sell agricultural equipment to Boschin, a German firm, for euro 1,250,000. The sale was made in June with payment due six months later in December. Because this is a sizable contract for the firm and because the contract is in euros rather than dollars, Plains States is considering several hedging alternatives to reduce the exchange rate risk arising from the sale. To help the firm make a hedging decision you have gathered the following information. • The spot exchange rate is $1.40/euro • The six month forward rate is $1.38/euro • Plains States' cost of capital is 11% • The Euro zone 6-month borrowing rate is 9% (or 4.5% for 6 months) • The Euro zone 6-month lending rate is 7% (or 3.5% for 6 months) • The U.S. 6-month borrowing rate is 8% (or 4% for 6 months) • The U.S. 6-month lending rate is 6% (or 3% for 6 months) • December put options for euro 625,000; strike price $1.42, premium price is 1.5% • Plains States' forecast for 6-month spot rates is $1.43/euro • The budget rate, or the lowest acceptable sales price for this project, is $1,075,000 or $1.35/euro -Refer to Instruction 9.1. The cost of a call option to Plains States would be

Use the information for the following problem(s). Plains States Manufacturing has just signed a contract to sell agricultural equipment to Boschin, a German firm, for euro 1,250,000. The sale was made in June with payment due six months later in December. Because this is a sizable contract for the firm and because the contract is in euros rather than dollars, Plains States is considering several hedging alternatives to reduce the exchange rate risk arising from the sale. To help the firm make a hedging decision you have gathered the following information. • The spot exchange rate is $1.40/euro • The six month forward rate is $1.38/euro • Plains States' cost of capital is 11% • The Euro zone 6-month borrowing rate is 9% (or 4.5% for 6 months) • The Euro zone 6-month lending rate is 7% (or 3.5% for 6 months) • The U.S. 6-month borrowing rate is 8% (or 4% for 6 months) • The U.S. 6-month lending rate is 6% (or 3% for 6 months) • December put options for euro 625,000; strike price $1.42, premium price is 1.5% • Plains States' forecast for 6-month spot rates is $1.43/euro • The budget rate, or the lowest acceptable sales price for this project, is $1,075,000 or $1.35/euro -Refer to Instruction 9.1. If Plains States locks in the forward hedge at $1.38/euro, and the spot rate when the transaction was recorded on the books was $1.40/euro, this will result in a "foreign exchange loss" accounting transaction of

Assuming no transaction costs (i.e., hedging is "free"), hedging currency exposures should ________ the variability of expected cash flows to a firm and at the same time, the expected value of the cash flows should ________.