Hedging
Taking an offsetting position to reduce the impact of currency or price movements on a business. The aim is to protect margins and make cash flows more predictable, not to speculate.
Related terms
Forward Contract
An agreement to exchange a set amount of one currency for another at a fixed rate on a future date. It locks in today’s rate, protecting a business from adverse currency moves before a payment falls due.
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A hedging strategy that combines buying a protective option and selling another to offset the cost. It caps downside risk within a defined range while keeping some upside, often at little or no premium.
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The degree to which a business’s financial results are affected by exchange-rate movements. It arises from foreign-currency sales, purchases, assets, liabilities or forecast cash flows.
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Forward Points
The amount added to or subtracted from the spot rate to price a forward contract. They reflect the interest-rate difference between the two currencies over the contract period.
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Reducing currency risk by matching revenues and costs in the same currency, so gains and losses offset without a financial instrument, for example, paying suppliers in the currency you also earn.
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Revaluing an open position at the current market rate to show its present gain or loss. Hedges are marked to market so a business can see the live value of its contracts.
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A request for additional funds when an open hedging position moves against you and its mark-to-market loss exceeds the collateral already posted. It restores the required security buffer.
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A forward contract that results in the physical delivery of currencies on the settlement date, with both parties exchanging the actual currencies as agreed.
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The rate at which two currencies can be exchanged on a pre-set future date.
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