Chapter

21

International Cash Management

South-Western/Thomson Learning 2006

Slides by Yee-Tien (Ted) Fu

Chapter Objectives
To explain the difference in analyzing cash flows from a subsidiary perspective versus a parent perspective; To explain the various techniques used to optimize cash flows; To explain common complications in optimizing cash flows; and To explain the potential benefits and risks of foreign investments.

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Cash Flow Analysis: Subsidiary Perspective

The management of working capital has a direct influence on the amount and timing of cash flow. Subsidiary expenses It is difficult to forecast the payments for international purchases of raw materials or supplies because of exchange rate fluctuations, quotas, sales volume volatility, etc.

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Cash Flow Analysis: Subsidiary Perspective

Subsidiary revenue International sales may be more volatile than domestic sales because of exchange rate fluctuations, business cycles, etc. Subsidiary dividend payments If the payments and fees (royalties, overhead charges) for the parent are known and denominated in the subsidiarys currency, forecasting cash flows will be easier.

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Cash Flow Analysis: Subsidiary Perspective

Subsidiary Liquidity Management After accounting for all cash outflows and inflows, the subsidiary must either invest its excess cash or borrow to cover its cash deficiencies. If the subsidiary has access to lines of credit and overdraft facilities, it may maintain adequate liquidity without substantial cash balances.

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Centralized Cash Management

While each subsidiary is managing its own working capital, a centralized cash management group is needed to monitor, and possibly manage, the parentsubsidiary and intersubsidiary cash flows. International cash management can be segmented into two functions: o optimizing cash flow movements, and o investing excess cash.

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Cash Flow of the Overall MNC

Interest &/or Principal Loans or Investment Fees & Earnings Subsidiary Excess Cash Long-Term Investment Return on Long-Term Projects Investment Funds for Supplies Parent Loans Sources of Debt

Purchase Sale
Short-Term Securities

Subsidiary Excess Cash Fees & Earnings

Loans or Investment Interest &/or Principal

Repayment New Issues Cash Dividends

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Stockholders

Centralized Cash Management

The centralized cash management division of an MNC cannot always accurately forecast the events that affect parentsubsidiary or intersubsidiary cash flows. It should, however, be ready to react to any event by considering o any potential adverse impact on cash flows, and o how to avoid such adverse impacts.

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Techniques to Optimize Cash Flows

Accelerating cash inflows The more quickly the cash inflows are received, the more quickly they can be invested or used for other purposes. Common methods include the establishment of lockboxes around the world (to reduce mail float) and preauthorized payments (charging a customers bank account directly).

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Techniques to Optimize Cash Flows

Minimizing currency conversion costs Netting reduces administrative and transaction costs through the accounting of all transactions that occur over a period to determine one net payment. A bilateral netting system involves transactions between two units, while a multilateral netting system usually involves more complex interchanges.

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Intersubsidiary Payments Matrix & Netting Schedule

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Techniques to Optimize Cash Flows

Managing blocked funds A government may require that funds remain within the country in order to create jobs and reduce unemployment. An MNC can shift cost-incurring activities (like R&D) to the host country, adjust the transfer pricing policy (such that higher fees have to be paid to the parent), borrow locally rather than from the parent, etc.

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Techniques to Optimize Cash Flows

Managing intersubsidiary cash transfers A subsidiary with excess funds can provide financing by paying for its supplies earlier than is necessary. This technique is called leading. Alternatively, a subsidiary in need of funds can be allowed to lag its payments. This technique is called lagging.

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Complications in Optimizing Cash Flows

Company-related characteristics o When a subsidiary delays its payments to the other subsidiaries, the other subsidiaries may be forced to borrow until the payments arrive. Government restrictions o Some governments may prohibit the use of a netting system, or periodically prevent cash from leaving the country.

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Complications in Optimizing Cash Flows

Characteristics of banking systems o The abilities of banks to facilitate cash transfers for MNCs may vary among countries. o The banking systems in different countries usually differ too.

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Investing Excess Cash

Excess funds can be invested in domestic or foreign short-term securities, such as Eurocurrency deposits, Treasury bills, and commercial papers. Sometimes, foreign short-term securities have higher interest rates. However, firms must also account for the possible exchange rate movements.

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Short-Term Interest Rates

as of February 2004

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Investing Excess Cash

Centralized Cash Management Centralized cash management allows for more efficient usage of funds and possibly higher returns. When multiple currencies are involved, a separate pool may be formed for each currency. Funds can also be invested in securities that are denominated in the currencies needed in the future.

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Investing Excess Cash

Centralized Cash Management Given the current online technology, MNCs should be able to efficiently create a multinational communications network among their subsidiaries to ensure that information about their cash positions is continually updated.

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Investing Excess Cash

Determining the Effective Yield The effective yield on foreign investments r = (1 + if )(1 + ef ) 1 where if = the quoted interest rate on the investment ef = the % in the spot rate If the foreign currency depreciates over the investment period, the effective yield will be less than the interest rate.
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Investing Excess Cash

Implications of Interest Rate Parity (IRP) A foreign currency with a high interest rate will normally exhibit a forward discount that reflects the differential between its interest rate and the investors home interest rate. However, short-term foreign investing on an uncovered basis may still result in a higher effective yield.

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Investing Excess Cash

Use of the Forward Rate as a Forecast If IRP exists, the forward rate can be used as a break-even point to assess the shortterm investment decision. The effective yield will be higher than the domestic yield if the spot rate at maturity is more than the forward rate at the time the investment was undertaken.

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Use of the Forward Rate as a Forecast

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Investing Excess Cash

Use of Exchange Rate Forecasts Given an exchange rate forecast, the expected effective yield of a foreign investment can be computed, and then compared with the local investment yield. It may be useful to use probability distributions instead of point estimates, or to compute the break-even exchange rate that will equate foreign and local yields.

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Investing Excess Cash

Deriving the Value of ef that Equates Foreign and Domestic Yields r = (1 + if )(1 + ef ) 1 ef = (1 + r ) 1 (1 + if ) r = 11%, if = 14% breakeven ef = -2.63%. If the foreign currency depreciates by less than 2.63%, the foreign currency deposit will be more rewarding.

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Use of Probability Distributions

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Probability Distribution of Effective Yield

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Investing Excess Cash

Diversifying Cash Across Currencies If an MNC is not sure of how exchange rates will change over time, it may prefer to diversify its cash among securities that are denominated in different currencies. The degree to which such a portfolio will reduce risk depends on the correlations among the currencies.

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Investing Excess Cash

Use of Dynamic Hedging to Manage Cash Dynamic hedging refers to the strategy of hedging when the currencies held are expected to depreciate, and not hedging when they are expected to appreciate. The overall performance is dependent on the firms ability to accurately forecast the direction of exchange rate movements.

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