Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Unit 8
Unit 8
Structure:
8.1 Introduction
Objectives
8.2 Overview of International Financial Management
Evolution
Domestic versus International Financial Management
8.3 Components of International Financial Management
Foreign exchange market
Foreign currency derivatives
International monetary systems
International financial markets
8.4 Scope of International Financial Management
Management of working capital
Financing decisions
Taxation
8.5 Summary
8.6 Glossary
8.7 Terminal Questions
8.8 Answers
8.9 Caselet
8.1 Introduction
Understanding the role of financial management for international business is
of immense importance Overseas business operations may require funding
of a new venture as the firm has been planning to extend its business
basically from a domestically focused business model to the one that is
internationally oriented. In the globalised era; each firm wishes to extend its
activity to various markets due to a variety of reasons such as generating
economies of scale; higher profit margins; better returns; increased
productivity; technological development and enhanced experiences from
international buyers. This can be achieved by ensuring the proper planning
and execution of a financial plan for the successful conduct of international
business.
Unit 8
Unit 8
Unit 8
Political risks The political risks may include any changes that will
impact the economic environment of the country. For example, Taxation
rules, Contract Act and so on. This pertains to the management of the
country which can alter the rules of the game in an unanticipated
manner.
Unit 8
Unit 8
3. The _______ may include any changes that will impact the economic
environment of the country.
a) Foreign exchange
b) Political risks
c) Market imperfection
d) Enhance opportunity set
Next day foreign exchange currency deals that take place on the next
working day.
Unit 8
Unit 8
Credit risk takes place, arising from the parties involved in a contract.
Market risk occurs due to adverse moves in the overall market.
Liquidity risks occur due to the requirement of available counterparties to
take the other side of the trade.
Settlement risks similar to the credit risks occur when the parties
involved in the contract fail to provide the currency at the agreed time.
Unit 8
Operational risks are one of the biggest risks that occur in trading
derivatives due to human error.
Legal risks pertain to the counterparties of currency swaps that go into
receivership while the swap is taking place.
Unit 8
respect to gold. Most of the nations fixed their currency to the US dollar
funds in the United States. With a view to maintain a stable exchange rate at
the global level, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was created at the
Bretton Woods International Conference held in 1944. Uptil the 1970s the
US gold reserves continued to be drained. When the US discarded the gold
convertibility in 1971, the world was devoid of a single international
monetary system.
Floating exchange rates and recent development
After the abundance of the gold convertibility by the US, the IMF in 1976
decided to be in agreement on the float exchange rates. The gold standard
was suspended and the values of different currencies were determined in
the market. The Japanese Yen and the German Deutschmark
strengthened and turned out to be increasingly important in international
financial market; at the same time the US dollar diminished in importance. In
1999 the Euro replaced the currencies and became the most commonly
used currency in the international market second only to the dollar. The
better exchange rates enticed many large companies to choose the Euro
over the Dollar when in bond trading. Very recently some of the members of
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) such as Saudi
Arabia, Iraq have opted to trade petroleum in Euro than in Dollar.
8.3.4 International financial markets
Independent markets that are not under the authority of any one country and
the financial markets of each country are linked by international foreign
markets. What governs the heart of the international financial market is the
market where international trade and investment dominates foreign
currencyAs a result the purchase of currency preceeds the purchase of
services and goods.
The purpose of international securities markets, international capital
markets, international money markets and foreign currency markets is
stated below:
Unit 8
Unit 8
further capital at faster rates are the faster swings in interest rates and
faster swings in the stock values.
Self Assessment Questions 2
4. A _______ needs a more complex calculation.
5. The greater part of the worlds deal in foreign currencies is still taking
place in the cities where international financial activity is centered.
(True/False)
6. The ________ provides links among the capital markets of individual
countries.
a) Foreign currency markets
b) International security markets
c) International capital markets
d) International money markets
Unit 8
cash and bank balance. It will guarantee that the profit of business will
rise due to the increase of investment in the correct way. But the risk of
business will also increase because liquidity of business will reduce and
can ruin the business. So, profitability policy must be done following the
liquidity policy and provide for proper management of the working
capital.
Need for working capital management
After understanding the nature of production, we can make an estimation of
the working capital. For exampleIf the company produces under a large
scale and continues producing goods, tit will need a high amount of working
capital.
The high amount of working capital will decrease the return on investment,
whereas low amount will increase the risk of business. Therefore it is
necessary to get optimum level of working capital where both the profit and
risk will be balanced. If the manager supervises the cash, nonpayer and
inventory, then the working capital will repeatedly optimise.
8.4.2 Financing decisions
The way of arranging finance refers to the raising of capital. The financing
decision has to consider the following factors:
Risk There are chances to increase risk by financing with the use of
debt. There exists a limit on the amount of debt to be used to finance our
business. A high amount of debt can result in economic failure.
Unit 8
Refinancing risk
One of the main aims of financing decisions is to go with the maturity of
liabilities with the life expectancy of assets. This will allow the liabilities to be
self-liquidating. There are chances of facing refinancing risk if the maturity of
liabilities is less than the life expectancy of assets. Here, the capital has to
be raised to pay off liabilities. In either case there will be abundance of
assets around to pay off debts if the maturity of liabilities is longer than the
life expectancy of assets.
Inflation
As a result of using debt financing in periods of high inflation, one will pay
back the debt with currencies that are worthless. While expectations of
inflation increase, the rate of borrowing will be raised since creditors must
be compensated for a loss in value. Since inflation is a main motivating
force behind interest rates, the financing decision should be aware of
inflationary development.
8.4.3 Taxation
Taxation plays a vital role for the worldwide operation of firms. The tax
decision or taxation which is relevant in domestic firms has become central
to various financing decisions involving fund raising decisions, international
investment decisions, international working capital decisions and decisions
related to dividend and other payments.
The various reasons why international corporations find managing taxation
an extremely difficult issue are stated below:
Multiple tax jurisdictions or authorities with diverse tax rates and irregular
administration of the tax system in areas firms are expected to work in.
A more complex interaction of varying descriptions of the tax base
determine the ultimate tax load in the framework of international firms.
The difference in tax treatment in different nations will direct to
distortions in worldwide trade and investment. The companies which are
situated in the low-tax country can have a periphery over other firms in
worldwide market. There are possibilities to divert the investment to
those countries that have low cost rates.
Sikkim Manipal University
Unit 8
Internation firms overlap with different tax jurisdictions and this enables
them to utilise the arbitrage opportunities which helps them retain an
edge over the domestic firms.
Tax equity The principle of tax equity states that all equally positioned
tax players contribute in the cost of operating the government according
to the equal rules. The concept of equity can be perceived in two ways.
It is assert by the first view that the input of each tax player must be
consistent with the amount of public services as received. The second
maintains that the contribution of each tax player must be in terms of
their ability to pay. The ability to pay means the one with greater ability is
likely to pay a larger amount of tax.
There also exist some tax laws which prevent the tax through artificial
transactions such as transfer pricing. In addition, the corporate structures
will help to reduce the overall tax burden to the enterprise.
Self Assessment Questions 3
7. The device of finance is the ______ management.
8. The financing decisions made today will have an impact on the future.
(True/False)
9. The principle of _______ states that all equally positioned tax payers
should contribute in the cost of operating the government according to
the equal rules.
a) Tax equity.
Sikkim Manipal University
Unit 8
b) Tax neutrality.
c) Avoidance of double taxation.
d) Taxation.
Activity 2
Using resources on internet analyse how the financial management
takes place in different countries.
Hint: www.bjreview.com
8.5 Summary
Let us summarise the points covered in this unit about international financial
management:
8.6 Glossary
Arbitrage: The purchase of securities on one market for immediate resale
on another market in order to profit from a price difference.
Denominated: To express in terms of the monetary unit.
Sikkim Manipal University
Unit 8
8.8 Answers
Self Assessment Questions 1
1. Liberalisation
2. True
3. Political risks
Self Assessment Questions 2
4. Forward market
5. True
6. International capital markets
Self Assessment Questions 3
7. Working capital
8. True
9. Tax equity
Unit 8
Terminal Questions
1. Foreign exchange, political risks, market imperfection and enhance
opportunity set are the four major aspects which distinguish
international management from domestic financial management. These
are explained in the subsection 8.2.2. Refer the same for details.
2. A currency derivative as a financial contract in order to swap two
currencies at a predetermined rate. These are explained in the
subsection 8.3.2. Refer the same for details.
3. Deregulation of international capital flows, gain in technology and
transaction are the causes normally given for the enormous growth in
the trading of foreign currency. These are explained in the subsection
8.3.4. Refer the same for details.
4. The working capital policy which serves as guidelines to business are
liquidity policy, profitability policy and the need of working capital
management. These are explained in the subsection 8.4.1. Refer the
same for details.
5. The managing of taxation is an extremely difficult issue for the
international corporations. The basis of international tax system
includes tax neutrality, tax equity and avoidance of double integration.
These are explained in the subsection 8.4.3. Refer the same for details.
8.9 Case-let
XYZ Fruit Beverage Company
M/s. XYZ Company was in the business of making fruit beverages. The
said M/s. XYZ intended to expand its market and started exporting fruit
beverages to Japan. Subsequently, it so happened that the Japanese
Government, imposed higher tax on the fruit beverages imported from
other countries into Japan. The Japanese Government with intention to
protect its own domestic market imposed a lesser tax to domestic
producers compared to the foreign producers.
Discussion Questions
1. What do you think would be the strategy of XYZ Company in protecting
their business interests?
Sikkim Manipal University
Unit 8
(Hint: The XYZ Company can work out a possible option of a joint
venture with the domestic producer which would help them pay similar
tax to that of domestic producers.)
2. How relevant is the concept of political risk to the managerial
decisions of a Company and whether sufficient recourse is available in
the international forum to mitigate such risks?
(Hint: The Japanese Government introduced new tax rules for foreign
alcohol. However the countries do not have the liberty to impose unfair
rules rather every country has to treat everybody equally. As a risk
mitigation strategy, the XYZ Company through its country can approach
the WTO Dispute Settling Union (DSU) against such discriminatory rules.
Source: http://www.nuigalway.ie/law/GSLR/1998/case6.html
References:
E-References: