3.1 International Parity Conditions(1)

International Parity Conditions Ch 7

International International Parity Conditions •

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Some fundamental questions managers of MNEs, international portfolio investors, importers, exporters and government officials must deal with every day are:  –

What are the determinants of exchange rates?

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Are changes in exchange rates predictable?

The economic theories that link exchange rates, price levels, and interest interest rates together are called international international parity conditions. These international parity conditions form the core of the financial theory that is unique to international finance.

International International Parity Conditions •

These theories do not always work out to be “true” when compared to what students and

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practitioners observe in the real world, but they are central to any understanding of how multinational business is conducted and funded in the world today. today. The mistake is often not with the theory itself, but with the interpretation and application of said theories.

Prices and Exchange Rates •

If the identic i dentical al product or service can be:  –

sold in two different markets; and

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no restrictions exist exist on the sale; and

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transportation costs of moving the product between markets markets are equal, then the products price should be the same in both markets.

This is called the law of one price.

Prices and Exchange Rates •

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A primary principle of competitive markets is that prices will equalize across markets if frictions (transportation costs) do not exist. Comparing prices then, would require only a conversion from one currency to the other: P$ x S = P¥ Where the product price in US dollars is (P$), the spot exchange rate is (S) and the price in Yen is (P¥).

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Prices and Exchange Rates •

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If the law of one price were true for all goods and services, the purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rate could be found from any individual set of prices. By comparing the prices of identical products denominated in different currencies, we could determine the “real” or PPP

exchange rate that should exist if markets were efficient. •

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This is the absolute version of the PPP theory.

Exhibit 7.1 Selected Rates from the Big Mac Index

Prices and Exchange Rates •

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If the assumptions of the absolute version of the PPP theory are relaxed a bit more, we observe what is termed relative purchasing  power parity  (RPPP). RPPP holds that PPP is not particularly helpful in determining what the spot rate is today, but that the relative change in prices between two countries over a period of time determines the change in the exchange rate over that period.

Prices and Exchange Rates •

More specifically, with regard to RPPP: “If the spot exchange rate between two countries starts in equilibrium, any change in the differential rate of inflation between them tends to be offset over the long run by an equal but opposite change in the spot exchange rate.” 

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Exhibit 7.2 Relative Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)

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Prices and Exchange Rates •

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Empirical testing of PPP and the law of one price has been done, but has not proved PPP to be accurate in predicting future exchange rates. Two general conclusions can be made from these tests:  –

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PPP holds up well over the very long run but poorly for shorter time periods; and, the theory holds better for countries with relatively high rates of inflation and underdeveloped capital markets.

Prices and Exchange Rates •

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Individual national currencies often need to be evaluated against other currency values to determine relative purchasing power. The objective is to discover whether a nation’s exchange rate is “overvalued” or “undervalued” in terms of PPP.

This problem is often dealt with through the calculation of exchange rate indices such as the nominal effective exchange rate index .

Exhibit 7.3 IMF’s Real Effective Exchange Rate Indexes for the United States, Japan, and the Euro Area

Prices and Exchange Rates •

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Incomplete exchange rate pass-through is one reason that a country’s real effective exchange rate index can deviate The degree to which the prices of imported and exported goods change as a result of exchange rate changes is termed pass-through. Although PPP implies that all exchange rate changes are passed through by equivalent changes in prices to trading partners, empirical research in the 1980s questioned this long-held assumption. For example, a car manufacturer may or may not adjust pricing of its cars sold in a foreign country if exchange rates alter the manufacturer’s cost

structure in comparison to the foreign market.

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Prices and Exchange Rates •

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Pass-through can also be partial as there are many mechanisms by which companies can compartmentalize or absorb the impact of exchange rate changes. Price elasticity of demand  is an important factor when

determining pass-through levels. •

The own price elasticity of demand for any good is the percentage change in quantity of the good demanded as a result of the percentage change in the goods own price.

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Exhibit 7.4 Exchange Rate PassThrough

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Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

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The Fisher Effect states that nominal interest rates in each country are equal to the required real rate of return plus compensation for expected inflation. This equation reduces to (in approximate form): i=r+

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Where i = nominal interest rate, r = real interest rate and = expected inflation. •

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Empirical tests (using ex-post) national inflation rates have shown the Fisher effect usually exists for short-maturity government securities (treasury bills and notes).

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Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

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The relationship between the percentage change in the spot exchange rate over time and the differential between comparable interest rates in different national capital markets is known as the international Fisher effect . “Fisher-open”, as it is termed, states that the spot

exchange rate should change in an equal amount but in the opposite direction to the difference in interest rates between two countries.

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Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

More formally: S1 – S2

S2 •

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= i$ - i ¥

Where i$ and i¥ are the respective national interest rates and S is the spot exchange rate using indirect quotes (¥/$). Justification for the international Fisher effect is that investors must be rewarded or penalized to offset the expected change in exchange rates.

Interest Rates and Exchange Rates A forward rate is an exchange rate quoted for settlement at some future date.

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A forward exchange agreement between currencies states the rate of exchange at which a foreign currency will be bought  forward  or sold forward at a specific date in the future.

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Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

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The forward rate is calculated for any specific maturity by adjusting the current spot exchange rate by the ratio of eurocurrency interest rates of the same maturity for the two subject currencies. For example, the 90-day forward rate for the Swiss franc/US dollar exchange rate (FSF/$90) is found by multiplying the current spot rate (SSF/$) by the ratio of the 90-day euro-Swiss franc deposit rate (iSF) over the 90-day eurodollar deposit rate (i$).

Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

Formulaic representation of the forward rate: FSF/$90 = SSF/$ x [1 + (iSF x 90/360)] [1 + (i$ x 90/360)]

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Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

The forward premium or discount is the percentage difference between the spot and forward exchange rate, stated in annual percentage terms.  f SF = Spot – Forward Forward

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x

360 days

x 100

This is the case when the foreign currency price of the home currency is used (SF/$).

Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

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The theory of Interest Rate Parity (IRP) provides the linkage between the foreign exchange markets and the international money markets. The theory states: The difference in the national interest rates for securities of similar risk and maturity should be equal to, but opposite in sign to, the forward rate discount or premium for the foreign currency, except for transaction costs.

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Exhibit 7.5 Currency Yield Curves and the Forward Premium

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Exhibit 7.6 Interest Rate Parity (IRP)

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Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

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The spot and forward exchange rates are not, however, constantly in the state of equilibrium described by interest rate parity. When the market is not in equilibrium, the potential for “riskless” or arbitrage profit exists.

The arbitrager will exploit the imbalance by investing in whichever currency offers the higher return on a covered basis. This is known as covered interest arbitrage (CIA).

Exhibit 7.7 Covered Interest Arbitrage (CIA)

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Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

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A deviation from covered interest arbitrage is uncovered interest arbitrage (UIA). In this case, investors borrow in countries and currencies exhibiting relatively low interest rates and convert the proceed into currencies that offer much higher interest rates. The transaction is “uncovered” because the investor does no sell the

higher yielding currency proceeds forward, choosing to remain uncovered and accept the currency risk of exchanging the higher yield currency into the lower yielding currency at the end of the period.

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Exhibit 7.8 Uncovered Interest Arbitrage (UIA): The Yen Carry Trade

In the yen carry trade, the investor borrows Japanese yen at relatively low interest rates, converts the proceeds to another currency such as the U.S. dollar where the funds are invested at a higher interest rate for a term. At the end of the period, the investor exchanges the dollars back to yen to repay the loan, pocketing the difference as arbitrage profit. If the spot rate at the end of the period is roughly the same as at the start, or the yen has fallen in value against the dollar, the investor profits. If, however, the yen were to appreciate versus the dollar over the period, the investment may result in significant loss.

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Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

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The following exhibit illustrates the conditions necessary for equilibrium between interest rates and exchange rates. The disequilibrium situation, denoted by point U, is located off the interest rate parity line. However, the situation represented by point U is unstable because all investors have an incentive to execute the same covered interest arbitrage, which is virtually risk-free.

Exhibit 7.9 Interest Rate Parity (IRP) and Equilibrium

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Interest Rates and Exchange Rates •

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Some forecasters believe that forward exchange rates are unbiased predictors of future spot exchange rates. Intuitively this means that the distribution of possible actual spot rates in the future is centered on the forward rate. Unbiased prediction simply means that the forward rate will, on average, overestimate and underestimate the actual future spot rate in equal frequency and degree.

Exhibit 7.10 Forward Rate as an Unbiased Predictor for Future Spot Rate

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Exhibit 7.11 International Parity Conditions in Equilibrium (Approximate Form)

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Mini-Case Questions: Currency PassThrough at Porsche •

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Which do you believe is most important for sustaining the sale of the new Carrera model, maintaining a profit margin or maintaining the U.S. dollar price? Given the change in exchange rates and the strategy employed by Porsche, would you say that the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar customer has grown stronger or weaker? In the long run, what do most automobile manufacturers do to avoid these large exchange rate squeezes?

Currency Pass-Through at Porsche A case study of how a eur o-based cost structure must deal with f oreign curr ency pr icing i n target mark ets

Currency Pass-Through at Porsche •

Based in Germany, and with manufacturing and assembly exclusively located in Germany, Slovakia, and Finland, Porsche’s entire cost base is the euro or Slovakian koruna

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(which is managed by the Slovakian government to maintain stability against the euro). This means that all of the direct costs in its automobile manufacturing are incurred (for practical purposes) in eurodenominated operations (cost, markup, basic pricing). The three different product lines (911, Boxster, Cayenne) are then exported and distributed through distributors in the major industrial country markets. Porsche therefore has little local sourcing or local currency costs in the non-European markets where it sells more than half its total annual volumes.

Currency Pass-Through at Porsche •

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If Porsche were not actively managing this exchange rate exposure, the company would see declining profitability  –  or at least declining rates of profitable growth –  as a result of its euro-denominated products priced and sold in non-euro currency environments like the US dollar. Assuming there is a limit to the price consumers in US dollar market are willing and able to pay for Porsche products, the US price will hit a ceiling, and, if the euro continues to rise against the dollar, this will result in declining margins, or declining volumes, or both. A simple numerical example using the following equation can make the limitations of a dollar-price readily apparent.

Price $ =

Price  € x

Spot

$/ €

Currency Pass-Through at Porsche Pass-Through Analysis for the 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, 2003 Assume that Porsche established what it considered the target price in April 2003, when the exchange rate was $1.0862/ €. This allowed Porsche to price ni a margin of approiximately 15% on a full-cost basis, with a European price of 85,900 and a target North American price of $93,200, which preserved the 15% margin. Actual North American launch of the 4S Cabriolet did not occur until July. By then, the spot ecxhange rate had effectively By then, the spot exchange rate had effectively reduced the margin earned by Porsche on the new model. As 2003 continued, the margin continued to erode.

Price Component

Full cost Margin (@ 15%) European price Spot rate ($/ €) Base price in US$ if 100% pass-through

Pricing Apr

 € 74,696  € 11,204  € 85,900

1.0862 $93,305

May

€ 74,696 € 11,204 € 85,900

1.1565 $99,343

Jun

€ 74,696 € 11,204 € 85,900

1.1676 $100,297

NA Launch Jul

€ 74,696 € 11,204 € 85,900

1.1362 $97,600

Aug

€ 74,696 € 11,204 € 85,900

1.1286 $96,947

Sep

€ 74,696 € 11,204 € 85,900

1.1267 $96,784

Oct

€ 74,696 € 11,204 € 85,900

1.1714 $100,623

Nov

€ 74,696 € 11,204 € 85,900

1.1710

Dec

€ 74,696 € 11,204 € 85,900

1.2298

$100,589

$105,640

$93,200 1.1710 € 79,590 (€ 74,696) € 4,894

$93,200 1.2298 € 75,785 (€ 74,696) € 1,089

Effective Margin on 4S Cabriolet With Capped US$ Price

Target price in US$ Spot rate ($/ €) Price received in euros Less full cost Residual margin

$93,200 1.0862  € 85,804 (€ 74,696)  € 11,108

$93,200 1.1565 € 80,588 (€ 74,696) € 5,892

$93,200 1.1676 € 79,822 (€ 74,696) € 5,126

$93,200 1.1362 € 82,028 (€ 74,696) € 7,332

$93,200 1.1286 € 82,580 (€ 74,696) € 7,885

$93,200 1.1267 € 82,719 (€ 74,696) € 8,024

$93,200 1.1714 € 79,563 (€ 74,696) € 4,867