Management of Foreign Exchange Risks
What gives rise to foreign exchange transactions? Basically, there are four important factors which give rise to foreign exchange deals or transactions: (a) trade (exports/imports); (b) transfer (remittances); (c) investment (say, FCNR transactions); and (d) speculation. If one were to ask what is the proportion of speculation to the first three in the global foreign exchange market, one would be shocked to know that speculation accounts for nearly 96 per cent of the foreign exchange turnover of about US$ 700 billion per day in the international foreign exchange market. As we are aware, banks have established huge dealing rooms, and foreign exchange dealers are consistently buying and selling foreign currencies to make profits for their own institutions. Although speculation or pure dealing, as opposed to a merchant transaction, is anathema to banking, it is not “uncontrolled” speculation, as most senior managements of banks have imposed stringent controls to contain exposures Continue reading