Exercise 1 Sachin, in his capacity as an exporter, approaches Divine Bank with an offer to sell to the bank Spot USD

200,000. As someone working in the Export Section in Divine Bank, how would you go about arriving at the rate to be quoted to Sachin? Instead of Sachin, if Konara Bank were to approach Divine Bank for a similar transaction, how would your banks trader proceed? By the way, what would your approach be if you have to give a quote to Saurav who wants to buy Spot USD 500,000 for effecting his import payments? Incidentally, if Saurav wants you to quote forward rate for effecting his import payments after three months, what would you do? In the latter case, since Saurav is giving you enough time for completion of the transaction, would the forward rate you would be quoting be cheaper than the spot rate? Solution:Part I - Rate calculations for Sachin:The type of rate to be quoted by the bank for Sachin will be the Merchant rate. This will be calculated as follows (as he is an exporter and selling the USD the margin will be deducted to buy the USD cheaper by bank):Merchant rate = Interbank rate - Margin of the bank (generally 0.1%) Part II - Rate computations for Conara bank:The similar transaction for Conara bank will dealt at the interbank rates only. Part III Forward rate computations for Saurav For this transaction bank has to decide the price of USD in futures market and calculate the bill selling rate accordingly. It has to take the future price of USD (i.e. whether the USD is quoting at a premium of discount in three month futures and has to consider the three month swap points accordingly). It will be calculated as follows:Bill selling rate for Saurav = interbank selling rate + forward premium (as per the swap points) + exchange margin for TT selling rate + add exchange margin for bill selling rate. Bank has nothing to do with the amount of the time Saurav has given before execution of the transaction. Exercise 2 If you are a forex trader, what would be your maxim vis--vis buying and selling of foreign currencies respectively under direct and indirect quotation systems. Solution:Under direct quotation system: - Buy low and sell high Under indirect quotation system:- Buy high and sell low

Exercise 3 Delphi Bank purchases spot USD 1 mn from one of its export customers at the rate of Rs.46.35. Everything else remaining the same, in the normal course, purely from a revenue point of view, what could be the move that could make the bank maximise its gains? [Please suppose that the forex rates are steady and avoid focusing on exchange position.] Solution:Delphi bank will take the opposite stand in the interbank market and will put the USD 1 mn for sale in interbank market at a premium. Exercise 4 In the case of two-way quote, under what scenario a banks bid rate would be more than its offer rate? Elaborate. Solution:Exercise 5 In the foreign exchange markets, forward rates are definitely nothing but future spot rates. [This means, for instance, 2 month forward rate today in the market would exactly turn out to be the spot rate after 2 months]. Take a stand and defend. Solution:Forward rates are affected by following factors:1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Political situations Demand supply for the currency Central bank approach/actions GDP capital flows Interest rates Speculations

Some factor of the ibid list can be expressed in terms of mathematical models and using them the future prices of the foreign exchange prices are determined. However; some factors cannot be predicted and hence are not catered while calculation of swap points. Forward rates are definitely the future spot prices considering that everything remains the same as what was there at time of calculation of future rates. Exercise 6 Tony is a Chandigarh-based high-value exporter and he is totally risk-averse. While so far he has been using currency forwards to hedge his export receivables, he is not exactly enchanted with the instrument as it denies him the upside, even while according him protection against the downside. If you are Tonys advisor, which hedging instrument would you recommend to him for the following independent cases: Case A Tony wants to hedge in such a way that he can give up the hedge in no time if he so wants. Case B

Tony does not want to forego the possible upside in the name of hedging. In other words, he wants hedging only against the downside. Solution:Case A Tony wants to hedge in such a way that he can give up the hedge in no time if he so wants. This can be done using the forex futures they are very flexible and marked to market on daily basis. He can go long on selling the USD in futures market and hedge for the USD he will be receiving. He can get rid of the futures by selling it any time in the market. Case B Tony does not want to forego the possible upside in the name of hedging. In other words, he wants hedging only against the downside. This can be better done using the foreign exchange options. By paying nominal premium he can hedge against the downside and will give him the unlimited gains on the other side. Exercise 7 If, at a point in time, the spot rate, 1 month forward, 3 month forward, 6 month forward and 1 year forward rates are identical for a currency pair, what could it mean? By the way, whether such an absolute parity of rates is possible at all in the first place? [Consider all possibilities while responding.] Solution:It means that the total amount of the foreign currency in the country is same. Thus is manages to keep the foreign speculators away and keeps the market stable. Its possible and existing in HongKong and Singapore. Exercise 8 Which of the following two alignments of rates is universally correct for all currency pairs? i) Cash Rate < Spot TOM < Spot < Forward ii) Cash Rate > Spot TOM > Spot > Forward Elaborate and justify your view. Solution:i) Cash Rate < Spot TOM < Spot < Forward Cash rate is the rate a bank quotes to its customer when foreign exchange needs to be delivered/ received on the same working day. Banks quote Spot [TOM] rate when foreign exchange needs to be delivered/received on the next working day. Spot rate is quoted by banks when foreign exchange needs to be delivered/ received exactly two working days after the transaction date. Banks quote forward rate when foreign exchange needs to be delivered/received in future after a fixed period of time, say, one month/two months/six months and so on.

Exercise 9 Compare in all respects currency futures and currency options? Bring out the commonalities and differences between them? Solution:Commonalities:Currency futures and futures are standard contracts made for hedging/ speculation against the foreign currency. They are traded though the central exchange (SEBI) and has no counter party risk involved. They are helpful in gaining the profits in case of the currency exchange rate turns in favour. Option gives unlimited profits prospects and limits the loss which is not the case with futures. Options and futures can be shorted at any time. Differences:Sl 1 Futures An agreement to buy/ sell a standard quantity of a foreign currency at a predetermined price on a future date. It is marked to market on a daily basis and subjected to unlimited risk on both the sides. Sl 1 options Gives an option/right only to the buyer of the contract to buy/sell at a future date (or before it) a fixed quantity of the agreed currency at a predetermined rate Option gives the protection to the buyer against the adverse movements in rates without extinguishing the opportunity to take advantage of favourable movements

Exercise 10 If the aggregate values of forex buy and forex sell transactions respectively put through by a bank on a trading day are equal, then automatically its exchange and cash positions will have got squared. Is the statement correct? Elaborate. Exercise 11 Of the situations given below, which one/ones can potentially be indifferent to Herstatt Risk? Currency Pair Traded USD-EURO Counterparties / Trading Venue Canara Bank IOB [Mumbai] ABN Amro Bank Citibank [London] ABN Amro Bank Citibank [Mumbai] ABN Amro Bank Citibank [Mumbai]

USD-INR

Canara Bank IOB [Mumbai]

JPY-INR

Canara Bank IOB [Mumbai]

Solution:The first transaction USD-INR between Canara bank and IOB (Mumbai) trading venue (Mumbai) is indifferent to the Herstatt risk. As the counterparties and the trading venue both are in the same time zone. Exercise 12 Of the various types of forex transactions Cash, TOM, Spot and Forward, which one is more susceptible to Herstatt Risk? Justify your view. Solution:Transaction which is more susceptible to the Herstatt risk is the TOM transaction as the cash position of the counterparty is open till the second working day and is always subject to any change in the currency rates or the counterparty. Exercise 13 In the normal course, in the following situations, which bank may have to suffer the consequences of Herstatt Risk? a) Konara Bank, Mumbai buys EURO from Khazana Bank, Mumbai for JPY; b) Konara Bank, Mumbai buys USD from Bank of India, Mumbai for INR c) Konara Bank, Mumbai buys JPY from SBI, Mumbai for INR; d) Konara Bank, Mumbai buys EURO from DBS Bank, Singapore for USD. Solution:a) Konara Bank, Mumbai buys EURO from Khazana Bank, Mumbai for JPY; - Konara bank Mumbai b) Konara Bank, Mumbai buys USD from Bank of India, Mumbai for INR - Konara bank Mumbai c) Konara Bank, Mumbai buys JPY from SBI, Mumbai for INR; - Konara bank Mumbai d) Konara Bank, Mumbai buys EURO from DBS Bank, Singapore for USD. - Konara bank Mumbai Exercise 14 Between a currency option and currency forward, the former is always better as it does not extinguish the upside potential even while according protection against the downside. Do you agree? By the way, is there any downside at all to currency option contracts? Solution:Yes! I agree with the statement. Yes there is a downside for the currency options as the premium which is required to be paid for the hedging is higher if the risk taken by the writer is more.

Exercise 15 When you come across different instruments in finance with the tag forward, among them what would be the commonalities? Similarly, what is common among all the derivative instruments that carry the tag futures? By the way, can we reduce all option contracts to their barest bones and come out with their common features? Solution:The commonalities between the different instruments in finance with the tag forward are:1. They are used for the hedging purpose as well as for the speculation in the market. 2. They help in determining the price discovery of the underlying. 3. They are different type of the contracts forwards are not standard ones but futures and options are standard contracts.

Submitted By Abhijit A Mahapure E2010025