The degree to which a company is affected by currency fluctuations is referred to as foreign exchange exposure. (Shapiro, 2003). Foreign Exchange exposure can be divided into two main types-Accounting exposure and Economic exposure. Transaction reflects the firm’s risk to exchange rate movements regarding its balance sheet assets and liabilities... The terms of these transactions are established and settled at a given time period and their exposure can easily be measured by accounting systems (Mullem & Verschoor, 2005). The implicit or explicit contractual agreements have to be taken into account as well as when measuring the overall exchange rate exposure. (Mullem & Verschoor, 2005). The last component of a company’s exposure to currency fluctuations is called competitive or economic exposure. As exchange rate variations affect the relative prices of goods sold in different countries, they affect a firm’s competitive position and indirectly influence its economic environment and future growth possibilities (Mullem & Verschoor, 2005). Although a firm may hedge its foreign exchange contracts, limiting its transaction exposure, economic exposure is difficult to estimate and further, hedge. Economic exposure arises because future profits from operating as importer or exporter depend on exchange rates, and due to its nature, this type of exposure is difficult to mute. (Faff & Iorio 2001, Mullem & Verschoor).
(Mullem & Verschoor, 2005). However, there is greater complexity between the relationship between exchange rate fluctuations and competitiveness and this leads to difficulty in correctly estimating economic exposure and hence hedging it efficiently (Mullem & Verschoor, 2005).
Firms that do business abroad must be ready to account for changes in exchange rates that lead to variability in their cash flows. (Solt & Lee, 2001). Transaction exposure reflects the risk that exchange rates
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