FX Hedging is the process of reducing risk by locking in exchange rates for a set period using market tools, sometimes called “derivatives.” Many businesses use these instruments to offset currency volatility and protect against losses on short-term transactions.
Hedging is a complex strategy that requires a lot of skill, experience and understanding of the forex markets. However, it can be a very useful tool in reducing your trading risks and protecting your longer-term profits.
The key is to choose a forex hedging strategy that fits your risk tolerance and trading objectives. A hedging strategy can be as simple as a direct hedge or as complex as one involving multiple currencies and financial derivatives, such as options.
A simple hedging strategy involves opening a short position on one currency and a long position on another. This strategy works well in situations where the value of one currency is expected to decline and the other is expected to rise.
You should always consider closing both positions simultaneously, as you can end up with a loss if one side of your hedging strategy goes against the other.
An example of a simple hedging strategy is to open a short position on the USD/JPY pair, targeting a potential rebound from a recent price decline. This could happen if the USD/JPY breaks through its trend line and continues to decline, or if it bounces back from its lows and starts moving in the direction of previous highs.
The same approach can be used with the EUR/USD and GBP/USD pairs. The EUR/USD pair is likely to strengthen, while the GBP/USD pair is more susceptible to a fall in value.
There are a number of reasons that companies need to reevaluate their foreign exchange (FX) risk and hedging policies in an increasingly volatile world. This is an important task, but it must be done methodically to ensure that the program is effective and aligned with corporate goals and objectives.
To manage this review, companies can use a four-part framework to articulate their corporate goals and objectives; identify and analyze their FX exposures; design a hedging strategy; and review and monitor the program on an iterative basis. Once the hedging program is in place, companies can implement a more systematic, iterative process to continually refine their hedging strategies as conditions change over time.
Using this framework, companies can develop a comprehensive hedging policy that keeps currency fluctuations within tolerable limits so they can operate more freely and effectively in a global marketplace. This is a holistic approach that takes into account the many different types of risk to which a company may be exposed and how they affect each other.
A market-based approach, on the other hand, is more about trying to time the currency markets. This approach can result in large losses when market movements are outside of the company’s expectations.
For this reason, hedging programs should be designed based on the company’s unique risk tolerance and business goals, rather than a market-based approach. During this process, it is also critical to articulate the firm’s current FX exposures and understand how they fit into existing business processes.