Page 199 - AFM Integrated Workbook STUDENT S18-J19
P. 199

Hedging foreign exchange risk




                             6.4 Forecasting futures prices using ‘basis’

                             An understanding of 'basis' enables us to estimate the likely closing
                             futures price on the transaction date.


                                                   Basis = Spot rate – futures price

                             The level of 'unexpired basis' can be estimated on the transaction date
                             by assuming that the basis reduces from its opening value to zero in a
                             linear manner.


               6.5 Basis workings


                                                                 Transaction           Futures expiry
                                              Now
                                                                      date                   date

               Spot rate                    KNOWN

                                                                                       The same rate!

               Futures price                KNOWN




                                                               ‘Unexpired basis’
               Basis                    Easy to calculate                                   ZERO
                                                               can be estimated





































                                                                                                      187
   194   195   196   197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204