Suppose you observe the following spot and forward exchange rates between the US Dollar and the Canadian Dollar:
Spot Exchange Rate One-Year Forward Exchange Rate
Canadian dollar (US Dollar/Canadian Dollar) 0.8932 0.9133
1. The current one-year interest rate on US Treasury securities is 6.89%. if interest rate parity holds, what is the expected yield on one-year Canadian securities of equal risk? A, 3.63% B. 4.54% C. 4.77% D. 3.86%
2. Which of the following statements is implied by interest rate parity theory?
A. A product bought in one country should have the same price in other countries, adjusted for exchange rate.
B. An investment in one's home country should have the same return as a similar investment in a doreign country.
C. If two countries have the same inflation rate, they should have the same interest rate too.
D. Interest rates in all countries with the same political risk should be the same.
Suppose you observe the following spot and forward exchange rates between the US Dollar and the Canadian Dollar:
Spot Exchange Rate One-Year Forward Exchange Rate
Canadian dollar (US Dollar/Canadian Dollar) 0.8932 0.9133
1. The current one-year interest rate on US Treasury securities is 6.89%. if interest rate parity holds, what is the expected yield on one-year Canadian securities of equal risk? A, 3.63% B. 4.54% C. 4.77% D. 3.86%
2. Which of the following statements is implied by interest rate parity theory?
A. A product bought in one country should have the same price in other countries, adjusted for exchange rate.
B. An investment in one's home country should have the same return as a similar investment in a doreign country.
C. If two countries have the same inflation rate, they should have the same interest rate too.
D. Interest rates in all countries with the same political risk should be the same.
Related questions
Short- and Long-Run Exchange Rate Risk Exercise
Worksheet (v1.2)
In this exercise you are asked to choose a currency in which it is assumed you have foreign exchange exposure both in trade (short-run) and investment (long-run). In this exercise you are asked to find both spot and forward exchange rates for a chosen currency and also inflation rates associated with that currency. You are encouraged to read through the exercise first before choosing your currency to ensure the requested data is accessible via the links provided.
Short-Run Exchange Rate Risk
Assume you have a trade receivable denominated in a foreign currency of your choice that is payable to you by your customer in 6 months. At the current spot rate the trade receivable is worth the equivalent of US$5,000,000. To find the current spot rate for the chosen currency pair go to http://www.hsbcnet.com/gbm/fxcalc-disp.[1] Enter 5,000,000 in the âConvertâ box, United States dollar in the âFrom:â box, and your chosen currency in the âTo:â box. Click on âGoâ for the spot rate, which will be expressed in European terms, that is, units of foreign currency per one US dollar. Enter the name of the chosen currency, the date the site is accessed, and the spot rate in European terms in the table below.
To find a 180 day forward rate for the currency pair, go to http://www.hsbcnet.com/gbm/fwcalc-disp#. For âAmountâ you can just enter 1 and enter US dollars in the âBuyâ box and the foreign currency in the âSellâ box. For âValue Dateâ enter â6 Monthsâ and click âGoâ for the forward rate. (Clicking on the Inverse box will switch the rate from European to American terms.) Enter the one-year forward rate in the table below. Make sure the forward rate is expressed in the same way as the forward rate, that is, in European terms.
| Foreign Currency | Date | Current Spot Rate in European terms: FX per 1 US dollar | Six -Month Forward Rate in European terms: FX per 1 US dollar |
Based on the data above, answer the following questions:
| At the current spot rate how much in the foreign currency are you owed in 6 months? Assuming you fully hedge your FX exposure in the forward market, how many US dollars will you receive in 6 months? Is the foreign currency selling in the forward market at a premium, i.e. it appreciates relative to the spot rate, or a discount, i.e., it depreciates relative to the spot rate? Provide numbers to support your answer. |
Long-Run Exchange Rate Risk
Assume you have undertaken a 3-year investment abroad with expected cash flows denominated in your chosen currency. At the current spot rate those cash flows are expected to provide a positive net present value (NPV) in US dollar terms. Based on relative purchasing power parity you are asked to estimate future spot rates over the next three years based on comparative inflation data.[2] With that data complete the table below.
| S0 = Current Spot Rate in European Terms (Foreign currency per US dollar) | E(St) = Expected Exchange Rate Spot Rate in t Years in European Terms (Foreign currency per US dollar) | hUS= Annual Inflation Rate in the United States | hFC = Annual Foreign Country Inflation Rate |
Using the data above and textbook equation (18.3) E(St) = S0 â [1 + (hFC - hUS)]t and assuming the estimated inflation rate in Year 1 also holds for Years 2 and 3, please respond to the following:
| Based on relative purchasing power parity, estimate S1. Based on relative purchasing power parity, estimate S2. Based on relative purchasing power parity, estimate S3. Based on relative purchasing power parity, has the foreign currency appreciated or depreciated against the US dollar? Explain. Based on relative purchasing power parity, has the NPV of the investment project increased or decreased in US dollar terms? Explain. |
[1] Please note currencies are grouped according to their region: Americas (where the United States dollar may be found), Asia-Pacific, Europe, and MENA. Please advise your instructor should this or any other link in the assignment be broken.
[2] Sources of Inflation data include http://stats.oecd.org/ for OECD countries and http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG at the World Bank site. It is viewed important to be consistent in the definition and source of inflation numbers for the US and the other currency that you use for the relative PPP equation. The most basic definitions of inflation are consumer price index (CPI), producer price index (PPI), and GDP deflator. Estimates of the next yearâs inflation are preferred but it is also common to use the past yearâs inflation as the best estimate of next yearâs and subsequent yearsâ inflation. You are encouraged to share any useful websites for this data you find with the class.
