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M.B.A. / To determine the factors that influence the foreign exchange hedging practice adopted amongst corporate customers of Standard Corporate and Merchant Bank (SCMB). The objectives of this study are: To achieve the above aim the following research objectives are relevant: To determine the factors influencing the setting of foreign exchange hedging objectives. To investigate the foreign exchange products that are used to achieve the hedging objective. And to determine from corporations if the foreign exchange products used are effective in achieving their hedging objectives.

No description available.

This thesis is a long-term evaluation of the profit margin hedging strategy suggested by Kenyon and Clay. To implement this strategy an expected profit margin is estimated based on the amount of pork, corn price, and soybean meal price. The profit margin that can be 'locked in' by the futures market is calculated from the futures prices of live hogs, corn and soybean meal with an allowance for other cost. The hedging rule is to hedge hogs, corn and soybean meal when a profit margin of fifty percent above the expected profit margin can be 'locked-in' with the futures. In their original paper, using data from 1975-82, Kenyon and Clay found this method of hedging stabilized cash flow while increasing the overall profit level. Using out-of-sample data from 1983-98, the current research finds no difference in profits from hedging versus not hedging. The most obvious reason for the lack of success is the inability to predict the expected profit margin with the simple supply model used by Kenyon and Clay. Addition of demand shifting variables to the model failed to significantly improve the prediction of expected profit margin or the hedging results. The hedging strategy was also affected by a significant decrease in the variance in the futures market that lead to a decrease in hedging opportunities. With the failure of the Kenyon and Clay hedging strategy with out-of-sample data, this research empirically demonstrates the need for out-of-sample testing of selective hedging strategies. / Master of Science

This dissertation addresses issues in corporate risk management. Part I examines the determinants for corporate decisions to commodity hedge and to the extent of hedging. Chapter 1 discusses prior literature, including theory and empirical evidence on corporate risk management. It provides the background to support the empirical analyses of Chapters 2, 3 and 4. Chapter 2 examines corporate decisions to commodity hedge. I find that firms are more likely to hedge when they are big, have risk management department set up and have more of their competitors hedge. Chapter 3 investigates what determines the extent of hedging conditional on hedging decisions and the cross-sectional and time series deviation of the hedge ratio. I find that firms tend to hedge less when they have younger CEOs and have more options in their compensation plan. I also find that when determining the hedge ratio, firms with young CEOs and higher option compensation tend to respond to past commodity price growth and to deviate from industry average. Part II investigates the relationship between corporate risk management and product market competition. Chapter 4 examines the different product market performance for firms with different hedging polices after commodity price shocks. I find that unhedged firms which are ex ante financially constrained lose market share and experience a decreased profitability during and after commodity price shocks. Chapter 5 examines whether the loss of unhedged constrained firms in product market is driven by the competitors. I find that firms with financial advantages—unconstrained hedged firms—tend to increase advertising expenditures and decrease price-cost-margins during negative commodity shocks, indicating that the market share loss of constrained unhedged firms is due to increased competition in the product market. Chapter 6 examines whether corporate risk management affects the likelihood of firms exiting the market. I find that constrained unhedged firms are 6% more likely to exit the market than their unconstrained hedged rivals and the effects are stronger in concentrated industries and industries with higher leverage dispersion. / text

Univ., Diss.--St. Gallen, 2005.

University, Diss.--St. Gallen, 1998.

This study was designed to yield three types of information: (1) The degree of perfection prevailing in the parimary and secondary convertible bond markets; (2) the profit potential of various investing and hedging techniques in the convertible bond market; and (3) a judgment on whether each technique can be classified as rational or irrational.

Inledning: Finansiella risker har blivit mer påtagliga i dagens samhälle och finansiell risk management har under senare år blivit ett mycket omtalat och studerat ämne. Det finns olika finansiella derivat som används för att säkra finansiella risker, det går att identifiera olika åsikter bland forskare om vilken påverkan dessa derivat har på risker inom företag. Valutaderivat är en av dessa säkringsinstrument som enligt teorin används för att reducera valutarisker. Problem: Huruvida valutaderivat reducerar den totala risken inom företag. Syfte: Undersöka om det finns ett riskreducerande samband mellan omfattningen på valutaderivat och företagens totala risk.  Teoretisk referensram: Teorier som används i uppsatsen beskriver valutarisker och vad de grundar sig i. Vidare tar den teoretiska referensramen upp hur valutarisker kan hanteras med hjälp av valutaderivat. Slutligen beskrivs vilket mått på risk undersökning använder, det vill säga standardavvikelsen i aktiekursen. Teoriavsnittet inkluderar även en djupare insyn i forskares delade åsikter om vilken effekt valutaderivat har på risk.  Metod: Studien använder sig främst av en kvantitativ metod där 45 internationellt verksamma företag har undersökts. Ett korrelationssamband samt polynomsamband testades mellan variablerna; företagens standardavvikelse i aktiekursen och omfattningen på valutaderivat i förhållande till nettoomsättningen. Även kvalitativa inslag i form av intervjuer inkluderades och bidrog till en metodtriangulering.  Slutsatser: Varken ett linjärt samband eller ett olinjärt samband gick att identifiera med hjälp av de statistiska uträkningarna. Den kvalitativa datan pekar på att valutaderivat kan minska företagens totala risk men för att kunna se en påverkan i aktiekursen behöver man rensa bort ett antal störande faktorer.

published_or_final_version / Economics and Finance / Master / Master of Economics