What types of businesses benefit from foreign exchange risk management?

Currency fluctuations are a growing concern in today’s globalised economy, thanks to recent surges in energy prices and ongoing supply chain issues. These fluctuations can significantly impact the bottom lines of businesses of all sizes and industries. Understanding foreign exchange (FX) risk management can be the difference between financial success and unexpected losses.

Below, we explain how FX risk management is crucial for various business models, and how it can help navigate the ever-changing currency landscape.

Importers and Exporters

Bread and butter for the global economy, import and export businesses are on the front lines of FX risk. When you import goods in a foreign currency, a weakening of your home currency can significantly inflate your costs. Conversely, a strong home currency can erode your profit margins when exporting.

Using foreign exchange hedging strategies like forward contracts or currency options can lock in exchange rates at the time of agreement, protecting your bottom line from unforeseen fluctuations.

Multinational Corporations

Multinationals with a physical presence abroad face a complex web of FX exposures. They may have revenue and expenses denominated in various currencies, alongside foreign subsidiaries grappling with local currency fluctuations.

Comprehensive FX risk management strategy for multinational corporations often involves a combination of hedging tools, centralised treasury functions and exposure netting – offsetting foreign currency liabilities with assets denominated in the same currency.

Companies with Foreign Investments

Whether it’s direct investments in foreign companies or holding assets denominated in foreign currencies, businesses with international exposure face translation risk. This arises from the impact of currency fluctuations on the reported value of these investments in their financial statements.

While translation risk doesn’t affect cash flow, it can impact profitability ratios. Companies can employ techniques like fair value accounting or cash flow hedge accounting to mitigate its impact on reported earnings.

Online Businesses with International Customers

The explosion of e-commerce has helped businesses sell to customers worldwide. But when a UK-based company accepts euros for a product, for instance, a weakening euro translates to fewer pounds received.

Offering customers the option to pay in their local currency at checkout can mitigate some FX risk. However, it’s crucial to be transparent about any associated conversion fees.

Travel and Tourism Companies

Travel and tourism businesses are particularly vulnerable to FX risk. Fluctuations can impact everything from the cost of acquiring travel inventory like hotels and tours denominated in foreign currencies to the spending power of international tourists.

Businesses can gain some protection by negotiating contracts with travel suppliers in currencies with a stable exchange rate relative to the company’s home currency. Meanwhile, dynamic pricing that adjusts based on real-time exchange rates can help maintain profitability.