Emerging insurance markets, have limited access to financial instruments that they can use to create common hedge(s) to manage foreign exchange risk. This is the first empirical study to focus on the limitations when modelling foreign exchange rate transaction exposure in emerging insurance markets. This work is based on the cash flow methodology proposed by Martin and Mauer (2003, 2005) in reference to banks, and employed by Li et al. (2009) when assessing US insurance companies. Some econometric methodological innovations have been introduced to study the limitations of modelling foreign exchange rate transaction exposure in emerging insurance markets. An extensive literature review is followed by a quantitative investigation, to answer the following research questions. 1) Is the foreign exchange transaction exposure, as measured by a fundamental (economic) method of modelling the interplay of foreign exchange rates with other economic variables, significant, for all Egyptian insurance companies? 2) Is the foreign exchange transaction exposure, as measured by a technical (statistical) way of modelling the interplay of foreign exchange rates with other economic variables, significant for all Egyptian insurance companies? 3) Is the exchange transaction exposure for the Egyptian insurance industry, as a whole, significant? Although the foreign exchange rate transaction exposure for the Egyptian insurance industry, as a whole, is insignificant (question3), the percentage of Egyptian insurers affected by foreign exchange rate transaction exposure in US dollars, estimated at the individual firm level, was found to be 22% (question 1) and 35% (question2) respectively.

Emerging insurance markets, have limited access to financial instruments that they can use to create common hedge(s) to manage foreign exchange risk. This is the first empirical study to focus on the limitations when modelling foreign exchange rate transaction exposure in emerging insurance markets. This work is based on the cash flow methodology proposed by Martin and Mauer (2003, 2005) in reference to banks, and employed by Li et al. (2009) when assessing US insurance companies. Some econometric methodological innovations have been introduced to study the limitations of modelling foreign exchange rate transaction exposure in emerging insurance markets. An extensive literature review is followed by a quantitative investigation, to answer the following research questions. 1) Is the foreign exchange transaction exposure, as measured by a fundamental (economic) method of modelling the interplay of foreign exchange rates with other economic variables, significant, for all Egyptian insurance companies? 2) Is the foreign exchange transaction exposure, as measured by a technical (statistical) way of modelling the interplay of foreign exchange rates with other economic variables, significant for all Egyptian insurance companies? 3) Is the exchange transaction exposure for the Egyptian insurance industry, as a whole, significant? Although the foreign exchange rate transaction exposure for the Egyptian insurance industry, as a whole, is insignificant (question3), the percentage of Egyptian insurers affected by foreign exchange rate transaction exposure in US dollars, estimated at the individual firm level, was found to be 22% (question 1) and 35% (question2) respectively.

With an increasingly globalized world of multinational firms dominating the global market, firms have discovered the impact of transaction exposure on their business. To handle the risk, firms can hedge their transaction exposure with currency derivatives. This paper aims to determine and explain what variables, beyond the size of the transaction exposure, affect firms’ usage of currency derivatives for hedging purposes. Previous research shows a divided estimation of what underlying causes. The variables studied to explain the usage of currency derivatives are industry affiliation, size of firm, geographical dispersal and profitability. With a sample size of 70 major Swedish internationally active non-financial firms, a multiple regression analysis was constructed to potentially demonstrate causality. To create a method triangulation, an interview with a currency derivatives expert was conducted as a complement to the quantitative strategy. The result of this paper indicates that industry affiliation possibly affects firm’s usage of currency derivatives for hedging purposes, however none of the studied variables show a sufficient statistical significance to prove a causality. / Med en allt mer globaliserad värld med multinationella företag som dominerar den globala marknaden har företagen upptäckt transaktionsexponeringens påverkan på dess verksamhet. För att hantera risken kan företag säkra sin transaktionsexponering med hjälp av valutaderivat. Denna studie ämnar till att fastslå och förklara vilka variabler, utöver transaktionsexponeringens storlek, som påverkar svenska rörelsedrivande företags användande av valutaderivat i säkringssyfte. Inom tidigare forskningen råder delade meningar om vilka bakomliggande orsaker som påverkar företags användande av valutaderivat. De variabler som undersöktes för att förklara användandet av valutaderivat är företagens branschtillhörighet, dess storlek, verksamhetens geografiska spridning samt dess lönsamhet. Med ett urval på 70 stora svenska internationellt verksamma rörelsedrivna företag gjordes en multipel regressionsanalys för att påvisa samband mellan användandet av valutaderivat i transaktionssäkringssyfte och påverkande variabler. För att skapa en metodtriangulering genomfördes även en intervju med en valutaderivatexpert som ett komplement till den kvantitativa strategin. Resultatet av studien indikerar på att branschtillhörighet möjligen kan påverka företagens användande av valutaderivat men ingen av de studerade variablerna uppvisade en tillräcklig signifikans för att statistiskt säkerställa sambanden.

我國自民國七十六年外匯開放管制後，匯率波動程度遽增，企業所面臨的匯率風險日漸擴大，如何加強對匯率風險的衡量與管理，以期將匯率風險降低至最小程度，實為當務之急。此外，由於國內金融環境的逐步放寬，可供企業規避匯率風險的管道日益增多，本研究以對國家經濟成長貢獻良多的貿易商做為研究對象，進行實證研究，並有以下幾點研究目的： 　　1.將有關匯率風險觀念及規避匯率風險之策略與技術之有關文獻做一整理與闡述。 　　2.以人員訪談及問卷調查方式對國內中大型貿易商進行實証研究，以期了解國內貿易商匯率風險因應之實際情形。 　　3.探討國內貿易商因應匯率風險方式的背後原因，並根據外匯市場現況及匯率管理理論提出建議。 　　本研究針對問卷調查結果，所使用之統計方法主要有二，敘述性統計方式乃是對回卷各問題，做簡單的次數分配表。而卡方分析、變異數分析兩種歸納統計方法，則用於公司基本資料與回卷結果的交叉分析。 　　經由上述研究目的及統計方法，本研究獲得以下的部份結論： 　　1.只從事進口或出口業務的台灣貿易商，其匯率風險規避需求，較兼營兩者的貿易商為大。 　　2.營業額高的台灣貿易商，會自行對貿易活動相關的外幣匯率進行預測。 　　3.大多數的貿易商有避險需求，其中超過半數採選擇性避險態度。 　　4.在各種避險方式中，以遠期外匯的使用最為普遍。

Bakgrund: I och med en ökad internationell handel har det blivit allt viktigare med en adekvat hantering av transaktionsexponering. Valutor är förknippade med olika risker och ger således upphov till skild transaktionsexponering, vid handel med utlandet. Tidigare forskning förordar att hantering av trasaktionsexponering regleras via styrdokument, och vi har identifierat en avsaknad av forskning kring hur svenska företags styrdokument är utformade. Problemformulering: I vilken utsträckning kongruerar tidigare forskning med hur svenska företag har utformat styrdokument för hantering av transaktionsexponering i olika valutor? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att, i relation till vad tidigare forskning förespråkar, undersöka och analysera hur styrdokument för hantering av transaktionsexponering är utformat i företag. Studien syftar även till att analysera skiljaktigheter i styrdokumentet för transaktionsexponering i olika valutor, samt vilka faktorer som ger upphov till eventuella avvikelser. Slutsatser: Studiens resultat tyder på en tydlig kongruens mellan tidigare forskning och etablerade tillvägagångssätt för hur styrdokument för hantering av transaktions-exponering är utformat i svenska företag. Styrdokumentet är övergripande i sin utformning; reglerar strategin för riskhantering men inte tillvägagångssättet för hanteringen. Styrdokumentet reglerar inga skillnader för hur transaktionsexponering i olika valutor ska hanteras, trots att den faktiska hanteringen uppvisar markanta skillnader. Upphov till olik hantering ger: faktorer relaterade till valutamarknadens egenskaper, företagsspecifika faktorer och andra påverkande omvärldsfaktorer. Kunskapsbidrag: Studien bidrar till en ökad förståelse och tydligare nyansering av hur svenska företag styr hantering av transaktionsexponering, utifrån ett företagsperspektiv. Vidare ämnar studien föranleda intresse för hur företag reglerar hantering av transaktions-exponering i olika valutor, och av vilken bevekelsegrund. / Background: As a result of increased international trading, adequate management of transaction exposure has become more important. Foreign currency cash flows are associated with different risks and thus give cause to distinct transaction exposure with overseas trading. Previous research advocates that management of transaction exposure is controlled through policy documents and we have identified a lack of research in how policy documents of Swedish firms are designed. Problem: To what extent is previous research agreeing with how Swedish firms have developed policy documents for managing transaction exposure of different foreign currency cash flows? Aim: The aim of the study is, compared to what previous research advocates, to examine and analyze how policy documents for managing transaction exposure are designed within the Swedish firms. The study also aims to analyze the differences in the policy document for the transaction exposure in different foreign currency cash flows, as well as the factors that give reasons to possible deviations. Conclusions: The findings of the study indicate a clear congruence between previous research and established practices of how policy documents for managing transaction exposure are designed in Swedish firms. Policy documents are comprehensive in their design; regulate the risk management strategy but not the management procedures. Even though the actual management of transaction exposure of different foreign currency cash flows indicates significant discrepancies, the policy document doesn’t regulate any of them. Giving reason for a different management are: factors related to the foreign exchange market characteristics, company-specific factors and other influencing market factors.Contribution: The study contributes to a better understanding and clearer differentiation of how Swedish firms control the management of transaction exposure, from a business perspective. Moreover, the study intends to give rise to the interest in how and on which grounds companies differently control the management of transaction exposure of different foreign currency cash flows.

International companies perform business transactions in different countries all over the world and must be able to manage their financial assets in various currencies. Significant foreign exchange alteration can markedly harm market value of any company. The companies use so called 'hedging' to avoid such situations. The aim of this master thesis is to analyze specifics of currency operations based on a case study in the international company and its transaction exposure. The thesis discovers that the selected company uses only two types of 'hedging'.