1) Gold Bullion Standard: The basis of money remains a fixed weight of gold but the currency in circulation consist of paper notes with the authorities standing ready to convert unlimited amounts of paper currency in to gold and vice-versa, on demand at a fixed conversion ratio. Thus a pound sterling note can be exchanged for say ‘x’ ounces of gold while a dollar note can be converted into say ‘y’ ounces of gold on demand. 2) Gold Exchange Standard: Gold Exchange Standard was established in order to create additional liquidity in the international markets. Hence the some of the countries committed themselves to convert their currencies into the currency of some other country on the gold standard rather than into gold. The authorities were ready to convert at a fixed rate, the paper currency issued by them into the paper currency of another country, which is operating a gold Continue reading
International Trade Finance
Syndicated Loan – Syndicated Lending Process
Syndicated form of raising finance came into existence when the size of individual loans got bigger and banks thought fit to share the risks with other lenders. The concept of sole bankers was no longer feasible when a large amount of funding was involved. Moreover the syndicated mode of financing has two important features, namely, amount (risks) and administrative saving (documentation to be one principal lender). There will be one principal lender who will finance and the other participant lenders in the syndicate will share the risks in a predetermined share. Governments of countries as well as the corporate sector are tapped the syndicated loan route. As the size of the individual loans increased, individual banks found it difficult to take the risk single handed-regulatory authorities in most countries limit the size of the individual exposures. Hence the practice of inviting other banks to participate in the loan, to form Continue reading
The Current Account Component in Balance of Payments (BoP)
The Current Account Component The Current Account records a nation’s total exports of goods, services and transfers, and its total imports of them. The current account is subdivided into two components (1) balance of trade (BoT), and (2) balance of invisibles (BOIs). Structure of Current Account in India’s BOP Statement A. CURRENT ACCOUNT I. Merchandise (BOT): Trade Balance (A-B) A. Exports, f.o.b. B. Imports, c.i.f. II. Invisibles (BOI): (a + b + c) a. Services i. Travel ii. Transportation iii. Insurance iv. Govt. not elsewhere classified v. Miscellaneous b. Transfers i. Official ii. Private c. Income i. Investment Income ii. Compensation to employees Total Current Account = I + II 1. Balance of Trade (BoT) Balance of payments refers the difference between merchandise exports and merchandise imports of a country. BOT is also known as “general merchandise”, which covers transactions of movable goods with changes of ownership between residents and Continue reading
Exchange Rate Determination Models
Determination of the exchange rate is as simple as the determination of price of any commodity or product or service. Only thing, here the commodity itself is one currency, so price of one currency in terms of another is required. But the caveat is determination of price of any commodity/product/service is not that simple. The determinants of the exchange rate are too many to consider. Yet certain macro variables would capture the same. Flow models and asset models are used in exchange rate determination. These are explained below: 1. Flow Model The flow model of exchange rate determination simply is based on demand and supply of Forex. Demand for foreign exchange takes place whenever a country imports goods and services, people of a country undertake visits to other countries, citizens of a country remit money abroad and whatever purpose, business units set up foreign subsidiaries and so on. In all Continue reading
The Capital Account component in Balance of Payments (BoP)
Capital account records public and private investment, and lending activities. It is the net change in foreign ownership of domestic assets. If foreign ownership of domestic assets has increased more quickly than domestic ownership of foreign assets in a given year, then the domestic country has a capital account surplus. On the other hand, if domestic ownership of foreign assets has increased more quickly than foreign ownership of domestic assets in a given year, then the domestic country has a capital account deficit. It is known as “financial account”. IMF manual lists out a large number of items under the capital account. But India, and many other countries, has merged the accounting classification to fit into its own institutional structure and analytical needs. Until the end of the 1980s, key sectors listed out under the capital account were: (i) private capital, (ii) banking capital, and (iii) official capital. Private capital Continue reading
Components of International Financial Environment
International financial environment is totally different from domestic financial environment. International financial management is subject to several external forces, like foreign exchange market, currency convertibility, international monitory system, balance of payments, and international financial markets. 1. Foreign Exchange Market Foreign exchange market is the market in which money denominated in one currency is bought and sold with money denominated in another currency. It is an overthe counter market, because there is no single physical or electronic market place or an organized exchange with a central trade clearing mechanism where traders meet and exchange currencies. It spans the globe, with prices moving and currencies trading somewhere every hour of every business day. World’s major trading starts each morning in Sydney and Tokyo, and ends up in the San Francisco and Los-Angeles. The foreign exchange market consists of two tiers: the inter bank market or wholesale market, and retail market or client Continue reading