International Finance 5

Currency Derivatives
Forward Market
• A forward contract is an agreement
between a firm and a commercial bank to
exchange a specified amount of a
currency at a specified exchange rate
(called the forward rate) on a specified
date in the future.
• Forward contracts are often valued at $1
million or more, and are not normally used
by consumers or small firms.
Forward Market
• When MNCs anticipate a future need for or
future receipt of a foreign currency, they can
set up forward contracts to lock in the
exchange rate.
• The % by which the forward rate (F )
exceeds the spot rate (S ) at a given point in
time is called the forward premium (p ).
F = S (1 + p )
• F exhibits a discount when p < 0.
Forward Market
Example S = $1.681/£, 90-day F = $1.677/£
annualized p = F – S  360
S n
= 1.677 – 1.681  360 = –.95%
1.681 90
 The forward premium (discount) usually
reflects the difference between the home
and foreign interest rates, thus preventing
arbitrage.
Forward Market
• A swap transaction involves a spot transaction
along with a corresponding forward contract that
will reverse the spot transaction.
• A non-deliverable forward contract (NDF) does
not result in an actual exchange of currencies.
Instead, one party makes a net payment to the
other based on a market exchange rate on the
day of settlement.
• http://www.bmo.com/economic/regular/fxrates.ht
ml
Forward Market
• An NDF can effectively hedge future
foreign currency payments or receipts:
April 1 July 1
Expect need for 100M Buy 100M Chilean
Chilean pesos. pesos from market.
Negotiate an NDF to buy
100M Chilean pesos on Index = $.0023/peso 
Jul 1. Reference index receive $30,000 from
(closing rate quoted by bank due to NDF.
Chile’s central bank) = Index = $.0018/peso 
$.0020/peso. pay $20,000 to bank.
Currency Futures Market
• Currency futures contracts specify a
standard volume of a particular currency to
be exchanged on a specific settlement
date.
• They are used by MNCs to hedge their
currency positions, and by speculators
who hope to capitalize on their
expectations of exchange rate movements.
• The contracts can be traded by firms or
individuals through brokers on the trading
floor of an exchange (e.g. Chicago
Mercantile Exchange), automated trading
systems (e.g. GLOBEX), or the over-the-
counter market.
• Brokers who fulfill orders to buy or sell
futures contracts typically charge a
commission.
Comparison of the Forward & Futures
Markets
Forward Markets Futures Markets
Contract size Customized Standardized
Delivery date Customized Standardized
Participants Banks, brokers, Banks, brokers,
MNCs. Public MNCs. Qualified
speculation notpublic speculation
encouraged. encouraged.
Security Compensating Small security
deposit bank balances or deposit required.
credit lines needed.
Clearing Handled by Handled by
operation individual banks exchange
& brokers. clearinghouse.
Daily settlements
to market prices.
Comparison of the Forward & Futures
Markets
Forward Markets Futures Markets
Marketplace Worldwide Central exchange
telephone floor with worldwide
network communications.
Regulation Self-regulating Commodity
Futures Trading
Commission,
National Futures
Association.
Liquidation Mostly settled by Mostly settled by
actual delivery. offset.
Transaction Bank’s bid/ask Negotiated
Costs spread. brokerage fees.
• Enforced by potential arbitrage activities,

the prices of currency futures are closely
related to their corresponding forward rates
and spot rates.
• Currency futures contracts are guaranteed
by the exchange clearinghouse, which in
turn minimizes its own credit risk by
imposing margin requirements on those
market participants who take a position.
• Speculators often sell currency futures
when they expect the underlying currency
to depreciate, and vice versa.
April 4 June 17
1. Contract to sell 2. Buy 500,000 pesos
500,000 pesos @ $.08/peso
@ $.09/peso ($40,000) from the
($45,000) on spot market.
June 17. 3. Sell the pesos to
fulfill contract.
Gain $5,000.
• MNCs may purchase currency futures to
hedge their foreign currency payables, or
sell currency futures to hedge their
receivables.
April 4 June 17
1. Expect to receive 2. Receive 500,000
500,000 pesos. pesos as expected.
Contract to sell
500,000 pesos 3. Sell the pesos at
@ $.09/peso on the locked-in rate.
June 17.
• Holders of futures contracts can close out
their positions by selling similar futures
contracts. Sellers may also close out their
positions by purchasing similar contracts.
January 10 February 15 March 19
1. Contract to 2. Contract to 3. Incurs $3000
buy sell loss from
A$100,000 A$100,000 offsetting
@ $.53/A$ @ $.50/A$ positions in
($53,000) on ($50,000) on futures
March 19. March 19. contracts.
Currency Options Market
• Currency options provide the right to
purchase or sell currencies at specified
prices. They are classified as calls or puts.
• Standardized options are traded on
exchanges through brokers.
• Customized options offered by brokerage
firms and commercial banks are traded in
the over-the-counter market.
Currency Call Options
• A currency call option grants the holder the right
to buy a specific currency at a specific price
(called the exercise or strike price) within a
specific period of time.
• A call option is
¤ in the money if exchange rate > strike price,
¤ at the money if exchange rate = strike price,
¤ out of the money
if exchange rate < strike price.
• Option owners can sell or exercise their
options, or let their options expire.
• Call option premiums will be higher when:
¤ (spot price – strike price) is larger;
¤ the time to expiration date is longer; and
¤ the variability of the currency is greater.
• Firms may purchase currency call options
to hedge payables, project bidding, or
target bidding.
• Speculators may purchase call options on a
currency that they expect to appreciate.
¤ Profit = selling (spot) price – option premium
– buying (strike) price
¤ At breakeven, profit = 0.
• They may also sell (write) call options on a

currency that they expect to depreciate.
¤ Profit = option premium – buying (spot) price
+ selling (strike) price
Currency Put Options
• A currency put option grants the holder the right
to sell a specific currency at a specific price (the
strike price) within a specific period of time.
• A put option is
¤ in the money if exchange rate < strike price,
¤ at the money if exchange rate = strike price,
¤ out of the money
if exchange rate > strike price.
• Put option premiums will be higher when:
¤ (strike price – spot rate) is larger;
¤ the time to expiration date is longer; and
¤ the variability of the currency is greater.
• Firms may purchase currency put options
to hedge future receivables.
• Speculators may purchase put options on
a currency that they expect to depreciate.
¤ Profit = selling (strike) price – buying price
– option premium
• They may also sell (write) put options on a
currency that they expect to appreciate.
¤ Profit = option premium + selling price
– buying (strike) price
• One possible speculative strategy for
volatile currencies is to purchase both a
put option and a call option at the same
exercise price. This is called a straddle.
• By purchasing both options, the
speculator may gain if the currency moves
substantially in either direction, or if it
moves in one direction followed by the
other.
Efficiency of
Currency Futures and Options
• If foreign exchange markets are efficient,
speculation in the currency futures and
options markets should not consistently
generate abnormally large profits.
• http://www.ino.com/ Currency quotes
Contingency Graphs for Currency Options
For Buyer of £ Call Option For Seller of £ Call Option
Strike price = $1.50 Strike price = $1.50
Premium = $ .02 Premium = $ .02
Net Profit Net Profit
per Unit per Unit
+$.04 +$.04
Future
+$.02 +$.02 Spot
Rate
0 0
$1.46 $1.50 $1.54 $1.46 $1.50 $1.54
– $.02 Future – $.02
Spot
– $.04 Rate – $.04
Contingency Graphs for Currency Options
For Buyer of £ Put Option For Seller of £ Put Option
Strike price = $1.50 Strike price = $1.50
Premium = $ .03 Premium = $ .03
Net Profit Net Profit
per Unit per Unit
+$.04 +$.04
Future
+$.02 Spot +$.02
Rate
0 0
$1.46 $1.50 $1.54 $1.46 $1.50 $1.54
– $.02 – $.02 Future
Spot
– $.04 – $.04 Rate

International Finance 5

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Currency Derivatives

• Enforced by potential arbitrage activities,

• They may also sell (write) call options on a

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