Managing Transaction Exposure 10
exercise price of $.80. In this case, Imports could have hedged more effectively by only
purchasing options of the first type to hedge, which would minimize its opportunity costs.
c. Constructing a bullspread with a higher exercise price is more expensive. However, the range in
46. Hedging with a Bearspread. (See the chapter appendix.) Marson Inc. has some customers in Canada
and frequently receives payments denominated in Canadian dollars (C$). The current spot rate for the
Canadian dollar is $.75. Two call options on Canadian dollars are available. The first option has an
exercise price of $.72 and a premium of $.03. The second option has an exercise price of $.74 and a
premium of $.01. Marson Inc. would like to use a bearspread to hedge a receivable position of
C$50,000, which is due in one month. Marson is concerned that the Canadian dollar may depreciate
to $.73 in one month.
a. Describe how Marson Inc. could use a bearspread to hedge its position.
b. Assume the spot rate of the Canadian dollar in one month is $.73. Was the hedge effective?
ANSWER:
a. Marson Inc. would construct a bearspread by writing the option with the $.72 exercise price and
b. If the spot rate of the Canadian dollar is $.73 in one month, the hedge would have been
successful. Marson would have received C$50,000 × ($.03 – $.01) = $1,000 from establishing the
47. Hedging with Straddles. (See the chapter appendix.) Brooks, Inc. imports wood from Morocco. The
Moroccan exporter invoices in Moroccan dirham. The current exchange rate of the dirham is $.10.
Brooks just purchased wood for 2 million dirham and should pay for the wood in three months. It is
also possible that Brooks will receive 4 million dirham in three months from the sale of refinished
wood in Morocco. Brooks is currently in negotiations with a Moroccan importer about the refinished
wood. If the negotiations are successful, Brooks will receive 4 million dirham in three months, for a
net cash inflow of 2 million dirham. The following option information is available:
Call option premium on Moroccan dirham = $.003
Put option premium on Moroccan dirham = $.002
Call and put option strike price = $.098
One option contract represents 500,000 dirham.
a. Describe how Brooks could use a straddle to hedge its possible positions in dirham.
b. Consider three scenarios. In the first scenario, the dirham’s spot rate at option expiration is equal
to the exercise price of $.098. In the second scenario, the dirham depreciates to $.08. In the third
scenario, the dirham appreciates to $.11. For each scenario, consider both the case when the
negotiations are successful and the case when the negotiations are not successful. Assess the
effectiveness of the long straddle in each of these situations by comparing it to a strategy of using
long call options to hedge.
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