How Do Firms Manage Their Foreign Exchange Exposure?

Andreas Hecht () and Niklas Lampenius
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Andreas Hecht: ZHAW School of Management and Law, Department of Banking, Finance, Insurance, Institute for Financial Management, Gertrudstrasse 8, CH-8401 Winterthur, Switzerland
Niklas Lampenius: Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Hohenheim, Schwerzstrasse 42, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany

JRFM, 2023, vol. 16, issue 8, 1-17

Abstract: We examine how firms manage their foreign exchange (FX) exposure using publicly reported data on FX exposure before and after hedging with corresponding hedging instruments. Based on calculated firm-, year-, and currency-specific hedge ratios, we find that about 80 (20) percent of FX firm exposure is managed using risk-decreasing (risk-increasing/risk-constant) strategies. Further, we find that prior hedging outcomes affect the management of current FX exposure, where the exposure is reduced and management adjusts the hedge ratio closer to its benchmark average hedge ratio following prior benchmark losses. When separately evaluating risk-decreasing and risk-increasing positions, we find that prior benchmark losses are only relevant for risk-increasing but not for risk-decreasing positions, i.e., hedging decisions are independent of prior benchmark losses if the intention is to reduce FX exposure.

Keywords: foreign exchange; corporate risk management; selective hedging; speculation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C E F2 F3 G (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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