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Chapter 21: International Cash Management
1. The Mexican one-year interest rate is 9 percent, while the U.S. one-year interest rate is 3 percent. Assume that interest
rate parity exists. If a U.S. firm uses the forward rate to forecast the exchange rate of the peso in one year, the expected
effective yield from investing in a one-year deposit in Mexico is:
a.
12 percent.
b.
9 percent.
c.
3 percent.
d.
6 percent.
2. Assume that Subsidiaries X and Y of the same MNC often trade with each other. Assume that Subsidiary X has excess
cash while Subsidiary Y is short on cash. How can Subsidiary X help out Subsidiary Y?
a.
X should lag its payments sent to Y to pay for imports from Y.
b.
X should request that Y lead its payments to be sent for goods that Y sent to X.
c.
A and B
d.
None of the above
3. Netting can achieve all but one of the following:
a.
Cross-border transactions between subsidiaries are reduced.
b.
Transaction costs are reduced.
c.
Currency conversion costs are reduced.
d.
Transaction exposure is eliminated.
4. Which of the following is true?
a.
Some countries may prohibit netting.
b.
Some countries may prohibit forms of leading and lagging.
c.
A and B
d.
None of the above
5. According to the text:
a.
banks in the United States are prohibited from facilitating cash transfers for MNCs.
b.
banks in most non-U.S. countries are more advanced than those in the United States in facilitating cash
transfers for MNCs.
c.
an MNC with subsidiaries in several different countries has no problems in coordinating its cash transfers
since a uniform global banking system exists.
d.
none of the above
6. In what is known as dynamic hedging, banks always hedge open positions in any foreign currencies.
a.
True
b.
False
7. The Swiss one-year interest rate is 7 percent, while the U.S. one-year interest rate is 2 percent. Assume that interest rate
parity exists. If a U.S. firm invests in a Swiss one-year deposit and sells Swiss francs forward with a forward contract to
hedge its exchange rate exposure, the effective yield from investing in a one-year deposit in Switzerland will be about:
a.
9 percent.
b.
7 percent.
c.
4 percent.
d.
2 percent.
8. Assume that a U.S. investor invests in a British CD offering a six-month interest rate of 5 percent. Over this six-month
period, the pound depreciates by 9 percent. The effective yield on the British CD for the U.S. investor is:
Chapter 21: International Cash Management
a.
14.45 percent.
b.
4.45 percent.
c.
14.00 percent.
d.
4.00 percent.
9. Assume that there are several foreign currencies that exhibit a higher interest rate than the U.S. interest rate. The U.S.
firm has a higher probability of generating a higher effective yield on a portfolio of currencies (relative to the domestic
yield) if:
a.
the foreign currency movements against the U.S. dollar are highly correlated.
b.
the foreign currency movements against the U.S. dollar are perfectly positively correlated.
c.
the foreign currency movements against the U.S. dollar exhibit low correlations.
d.
none of the answers above would have any impact on the probability of a foreign cash investment generating a
higher effective yield than a U.S. investment.
10. If the international Fisher effect (IFE) exists, then a U.S. firm that has access to banks offering high interest rates in
deposits denominated in foreign currencies should:
a.
invest in the foreign deposits since they will, on average, generate higher effective yields than a U.S. deposit.
b.
invest in the U.S. deposits since they will, on average, generate higher effective yields than a foreign deposit.
c.
invest in the U.S. deposits since they will, on average, generate similar effective yields as a foreign deposit.
d.
invest in the foreign deposits since they will, on average, generate similar effective yields as a U.S. deposit.
11. The most useful measure of an MNC's liquidity is its:
a.
cash balance
b.
amount of securities held as investments.
c.
political risk rating.
d.
potential access to funds.
12. Generally, if interest rate parity holds and the forward rate is an unbiased predictor of the future spot rate, then the
international Fisher effect will also hold.
a.
True
b.
False
13. According to the international Fisher effect:
a.
exchange rates adjust to compensate for income differentials between countries.
b.
interest rates adjust to compensate for income differentials between countries.
c.
exchange rates adjust to compensate for interest rate differentials between countries.
d.
exchange rates adjust to compensate for risk differentials between countries.
14. The international Fisher effect suggests that:
a.
the effective yield on short-term foreign securities should, on average, equal the yield on short-term domestic
securities.
b.
the effective yield on short-term securities of high-inflation countries is greater than the yield on short-term
domestic securities.
c.
if domestic income grows faster than foreign income, the effective yield on short-term foreign securities is
higher than the yield on short-term domestic securities.
d.
if foreign tax rates equal domestic tax rates, the exchange rates of different currencies will change by the same
degree.
15. If a foreign currency consistently depreciated against the dollar over several periods and had lower interest rates at the
beginning of those periods than the U.S. interest rates, then:
Chapter 21: International Cash Management
a.
U.S. firms could have achieved a higher effective yield on foreign deposits than on U.S. deposits during those
periods.
b.
the international Fisher effect is supported by the results.
c.
A and B
d.
none of the above
16. In a bilateral netting system, transactions between the parent and a subsidiary or between two subsidiaries are
consolidated over a specific period of time.
a.
True
b.
False
17. A common purpose of intersubsidiary leading or lagging strategies is to:
a.
allow subsidiaries with excess funds to provide financing to subsidiaries with deficient funds.
b.
assure that the inventory levels at subsidiaries are maintained within tolerable ranges.
c.
change the prices a high-tax rate subsidiary charges a low-tax rate subsidiary.
d.
measure the performance of subsidiaries according to how quickly subsidiaries remit dividend payments to the
parent.
18. Assume that a U.S. firm considers investing in British one-year Treasury securities. The interest rate on these
securities is 12 percent, while the U.S. interest rate on the same securities is 10 percent. The firm believes that today's spot
rate is an appropriate forecast for the spot rate of the pound in one year. Based on this information, the effective yield on
British securities from the U.S. firm's perspective is:
a.
equal to the U.S. interest rate.
b.
equal to the British interest rate.
c.
lower than the U.S. interest rate.
d.
higher than the British interest rate.
e.
lower than the British interest rate, but higher than the U.S. interest rate.
Chapter 21: International Cash Management
19. Assume that in recent months, most currencies of industrialized countries depreciated substantially against the dollar.
Assume that their interest rates were similar to the U.S. interest rate. If non-U.S. firms invested in U.S. Treasury securities
during this period, their effective yield would have been:
a.
negative.
b.
zero.
c.
positive, but less than the interest rate of their respective countries.
d.
more than the interest rate of their respective countries.
20. According to ____, the effective yield earned by U.S. investors will be the same as the effective yield earned by non-
U.S. investors in any given period.
a.
interest rate parity (IRP)
b.
the international Fisher effect (IFE)
c.
purchasing power parity (PPP)
d.
none of the above
21. Assume Scarlett Corporation, a U.S.-based MNC, invests 2,500,000 Zambian kwacha (ZMK) for a one-year period at
a nominal interest rate of 9 percent. At the time the loan is extended, the spot rate of the kwacha is $.00060. If the spot
rate of the kwacha in one year is $.00056, the dollar amount initially invested in Zambia is $____, and $____ are paid out
after one year.
a.
1,500; 1,526
b.
1,526; 1,500
c.
1,500; 1,400
d.
1,400; 1,500
22. Matis Corporation invests 1,500,000 South African rand at a nominal interest rate of 10 percent. At the time the
investment is made, the spot rate of the rand is $.205. If the spot rate of the rand at maturity of the investment is $.203,
what is the effective yield of investing in rand?
a.
11.08 percent
b.
8.92 percent
c.
10.00 percent
d.
none of the above
23. Assume that interest rate parity holds. The U.S. one-year interest rate is 10 percent, and the Australian one-year
interest rate is 8 percent. What will the approximate effective yield of a one-year deposit denominated in U.S. dollars be
for an Australian citizen? Assume the deposit is covered by a forward sale of dollars.
a.
10 percent
b.
8 percent
c.
2 percent
d.
cannot answer without more information
24. Assume that you forecast the value of the euro as follows for the next year:
Percentage Change
Probability of Occurrence
2%
30%
3%
40%
5%
30%
If the interest rate on the euro is 12 percent, the expected effective yield from a euro-denominated deposit is:
a.
15.36 percent.
b.
15.70 percent.
c.
12.00 percent.
d.
14.35 percent.
e.
none of the above
To benefit from the low correlation between the Trinidad dollar and the Japanese yen (¥), Sciorra Corporation decides to
invest 50 percent of total funds invested in Trinidad dollars and the remainder in yen. The domestic yield on a one-year
deposit is 8 percent. The Trinidad one-year interest rate is 10 percent, and the Japanese one-year interest rate is 7 percent.
Sciorra has determined the following possible percentage changes in the two individual currencies as follows:
Currency
Percentage Change
Probability
Trinidad dollar
1.0%
35%
Trinidad dollar
2.0%
65%
Japanese yen
2.0%
45%
Japanese yen
1.0%
55%
25. Refer to Exhibit 21-1 above. What is the expected effective yield of the portfolio Sciorra is contemplating (assume the
two currencies move independently from one another)?
a.
6.47 percent
b.
8.84 percent
c.
8.50 percent
d.
none of the above
26. Refer to Exhibit 21-1 above. What is the probability that the yield of the two-currency portfolio is less than the
domestic yield?
a.
.1575
b.
.35
c.
.6425
d.
1
e.
none of the above
27. Which of the following is not a technique to optimize cash flows?
a.
Accelerate cash inflows
b.
Minimize currency conversion costs
c.
Manage blocked funds
Chapter 21: International Cash Management
d.
All of the above are techniques to optimize cash flows
28. A ____ allows customers to send payments to a post office box.
a.
bilateral netting system
b.
multilateral netting system
c.
lockbox
d.
preauthorized payment
29. Lockboxes are post office box numbers assigned to employees for picking up their paychecks.
a.
True
b.
False
30. Preauthorized payment is an arrangement that allows a corporation to charge a customer's bank account up to some
limit.
a.
True
b.
False
31. Although netting typically increases the need for foreign exchange conversion, it generally reduces the number of
cross-border transactions between subsidiaries.
a.
True
b.
False
Chapter 21: International Cash Management
32. Leading refers to paying for supplies earlier than necessary; lagging refers to delaying the payment for supplies.
a.
True
b.
False
33. Since exchange rate forecasts are not always accurate, a probability distribution of possible exchange rates may be
preferable to a single point estimate.
a.
True
b.
False
34. When investing in a portfolio of foreign currencies, the currencies represented within the portfolio are ideally highly
positively correlated.
a.
True
b.
False
35. A subsidiary will normally have a more difficult time forecasting future outflow payments if its purchases are
international rather than domestic.
a.
True
b.
False
36. To ____, MNCs can use preauthorized payments.
a.
accelerate cash inflows
b.
minimize currency conversion costs
c.
manage blocked funds
d.
manage intersubsidiary cash transfers
37. ____ may complicate cash flow optimization.
a.
The use of a zero-balance account
b.
Government restrictions
c.
Leading and lagging
d.
None of the above
38. MNCs typically consider all but the following ____ when investing cash over a short-term period
a.
large deposits at commercial banks
b.
Treasury bills
c.
commercial paper
d.
foreign stocks
39. Centralized cash management is more complicated when the MNC uses multiple currencies.
a.
True
b.
False
Chapter 21: International Cash Management
40. In general, exchange rate fluctuations cause cash flows to be more volatile and uncertain.
a.
True
b.
False
41. Since each subsidiary may be more concerned with its own operations than with the overall operations of the MNC, a
centralized management group may need to monitor the parent-subsidiary and intersubsidiary cash flows.
a.
True
b.
False
42. If interest rate parity holds and the forward rate is expected to be an unbiased forecast of the future spot rate, then an
uncovered investment in a foreign deposit will on average earn a similar effective yield as an investment in a domestic
deposit.
a.
True
b.
False
43. An MNC has determined that the degree of appreciation for the Singapore dollar that equates the foreign and domestic
yield is 2 percent. If the Singapore dollar appreciates by less than 2 percent, the investment in Singapore will be more
attractive.
a.
True
b.
False
Chapter 21: International Cash Management
44. When investing in a portfolio of foreign currencies, the currencies represented within the portfolio are ideally highly
positively correlated if the goal is to reduce exchange rate risk.
a.
True
b.
False
45. The effective yield of investing in a foreign currency depends on both the ____ and the ____ of the foreign currency.
a.
inflation rate; exchange rate movements
b.
income level; interest rates
c.
interest rate; exchange rate movements
d.
interest rate; amount invested
46. An MNC that uses a strategy of dynamic hedging will apply a hedge it expects a foreign currency that it holds to
appreciate, and it will remove the hedge when it expects the currency to depreciate.
a.
True
b.
False
47. Which of the following statements is false?
a.
If interest rate parity exists, covered interest arbitrage is not worthwhile.
b.
If interest rate parity holds and the forward rate is an accurate forecast of the future spot rate, an uncovered
investment in a foreign security is not worthwhile.
Chapter 21: International Cash Management
c.
If interest rate parity exists and the forward rate is an unbiased forecast of the future spot rate, an uncovered
investment in a foreign security will on average earn an effective yield similar to an investment in a domestic
security.
d.
If interest rate parity exists and the forward rate is expected to underestimate the future spot rate, an uncovered
investment in a foreign security is expected to earn a lower effective yield than an investment in a domestic
security.
48. If interest rate parity does not hold, and the forward ____ is greater than the interest rate differential, then covered
interest arbitrage is feasible for investors residing in the ____ country.
a.
premium; home
b.
discount; home
c.
premium; foreign
d.
B and C
49. Assume the U.S. one-year interest rate is 5 percent, while the South African one-year interest rate is 13 percent. If a
U.S. firm invests in a South African one-year deposit, and the South African rand remains constant over the next year, the
U.S. firm will earn an effective yield of:
a.
zero percent.
b.
5 percent.
c.
8 percent.
d.
13 percent.
50. The Mexican one-year interest rate is 9 percent, while the U.S. one-year interest rate is 3 percent. Assume that interest
rate parity exists. If a U.S. uses the forward rate to forecast the exchange rate of the peso in one year, the expected
effective yield from investing in a one-year deposit in Mexico is:
a.
12 percent.
b.
9 percent.
c.
3 percent.
d.
6 percent.
Chapter 21: International Cash Management
