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SIX
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
MARKET
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
• THE PARTICIPANTS
– Large commercial Bank
– Foreign exchange brokers in the interbank market
– Commercial customer: MNCs
– Central Banks
• THE MAJOR PARTICIPANTS IN THE FORWARD MARKET
– Arbitrageurs.
– Traders
– Hedgers
– Speculators
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http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3021-forex.html?mod=mdc_curr_pglnk
Exhibit 6.1 Measuring Foreign Exchange Market Activity: The
Trading Volume of Currency Transactions Per Hour
※This exhibit illustrates the trading volume of currency transactions ebbs and
flows as the major currency trading centers across the globe open and close
throughout the day
※The per-hour trading volume data suggests that Europe is the major center for
foreign exchange transactions, the U.S. is the next, and Asia is the third
Transactions in the Interbank Market
• In interbank markets, forward exchange rates are
usually quoted for value dates of 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12
months
• Buying FX forward and selling FX forward
describe the same transaction (the only difference is
the order in which currencies are referenced)
– A FX forward contract to deliver dollars for Euros in six
months is buying Euros forward with dollars or selling
dollars forward for Euros
TRANSACTIONS IN THE INTERBANK MARKET
Generally speaking, all three categories of traditional currency transactions have rising trends from 1989 to 2010
http://www.bis.org/publ/rpfxf10t.pdf
LOCATIONAL ARBITRAGE
Finish Start
$125 $100
3. Buy dollars 1. Sell $100 in
in NY at Mexico at
Divided by Multiplied
SF2/$ Ps10/$
SF2/$ Ps10/$
SF 250 Ps 1.000
Zurich Divided by Mexico
Ps4/SF
2. Buy these SFr in Zurich at
Ps4/SF
THE SPOT MARKET
CURRENCY ARBITRAGE
1 rh F 1 rh
F S
1 rf S 1 rf
• Fund will flow from home country to foreign country if and only if:
F
(1 rh ) (1 rf )
S
• Fund will flow from foreign country to home country if and only if:
F
(1 rh ) (1 rf )
S
INTEREST RATE PARITY - IRP
(1 rh )
f s
(1 rf )
INTEREST RATE PARITY - IRP
Illustration,
• Suppose an investor with $1.000.000 to invest for 90 days.
Interest rate and exchange rate in exchange market as follows:
– 8%per annum (2%/90 days)in dollar, 6%/year (1.5%/90 days)
in SFr
– Spot rate: SFr1.5311/$, 90-day forward rate: SFr 1.5146/$
INTEREST RATE PARITY - IRP
Illustration,
• Suppose an investor with $1.000.000 to invest for 90 days.
Interest rate and exchange rate in exchange market as follows:
– 8%per annum (2%/90 days)in dollar, 6%/year (1.5%/90 days)
in SFr
– Spot rate: SFr1.5311/$, 90-day forward rate: SFr 1.5236/$
INTEREST RATE PARITY - IRP
• Example:
• Suppose: 7%/year for dollar in New York, 12%/year for £
in London - Spot rate: £ =$1.75, one year forward rate : £
=$1.68
• Is there an arbitrage opportunity? Compute the profit
using $?
INTEREST RATE PARITY - IRP
Fb S a
1 iha fa
1 i
fb
• Fb> fa: company can gain in the foreign exchange, by selling foreign
currency at forward rate
Fa Sb
1 ihb fb
1 i
fa
INTEREST RATE PARITY - IRP
CHAPTER 3
IMPACT OF ARBITRAGE ON AN MNC’S VALUE
Forces of Arbitrage
m
n
E CFj , t E ER j , t
j 1
Value =
t =1 1 k t
E (CFj,t ) = expected cash flows in currency j
to be received by the U.S. parent at the end of
period t
E (ERj,t ) = expected exchange rate at which
currency j can be converted to dollars at the end