Transcript Exchange Rates

Exchange Rates
By Katie
Murray
–Def: The price of one
currency in terms of
another
What determine the rate of
exchange?
No. 1
The purchasing
parity theory
States that in a free market the
rate of exchange of currency will
settle at a point where internal
purchasing power = external
purchasing power.
What does this mean ?
• It means that any given quantity of a country
currency will buy the same amount of goods
whether it is spent home or abroad
• E.g.. If a make-up kit costs 20 euro in Ireland
and 10 dollars in America than the rate of
exchange is €2 = $1
Faults of theory
• Doesn’t take into account the extra cost of
transporting
• Doesn’t take into account that some economic
goods aren’t tradable e.g. Housing
• There is not free trade between many
countries and most countries operate forms of
protectionism
• No 2
The Balance of payments
If a value of a country’s exports is
greater than the value of it’s
imports, the price of the currency
will increase and vice versa
• Because the rate of exchange is determined by
the interaction of supply and demand
• Demand is derived by it’s exports as
foreign importers must purchase the country’s
currency
• Supply is derived by a country’s imports as
importers must buy foreign currency to pay
for imports
• No.3
The Role of speculators
If people think............
A currency
will increase
in value they
will buy it up
increasing
the demand
and thus
increasing its
price
A currency
will
decrease
in value
they will
sell it thus
creating a
supply of
it and
decreasin
g it’s price
4.The Role of multinational companies
If a branch of a multinational company in one
country has spare cash and another branch
in a country is in need of cash then they will
transfer the spare cash to the branch in
need
If they are using different currencies it
will create a supply of one currency
it’s value and demand for the other
currency it’s value
5. Intervention by Central Banks
If the
central bank feels that
the rate of exchange of
its currency is too high
or low they use it’s
resources to either buy
or sell the currency
International Agreements
• Sometimes countries that are member of a
trading group will agree to accept each others
currency at fixed rate of exchange.
• This was done in the EU prior to the single
currency .
•
Fixed and
Floating
rates of
exchange
Fixed rates of exchange
• A fixed rate of exchange is one where the
values of the currencies are agreed on and
each country undertakes to exchange its
currency at the agreed value.
Advantges:
• They eliminate the exchange risk involved in
importing on credit. If an Irish importer
ordered goods on credit from the U.S, if the
rate of exchange between the dollar and euro
changed the goods could cost more.
• They eliminate the risk of international
borrowing
• There is no speculation which can distort the
true value of the currency
Disadvantages
• Governments may have to implement policies
which can have a negative effect on their own
economy. E.g. The demand for domestic
produced goods may decrease.
• Countries may have to use up large amounts
of their foreign reserves
•Floating
Exchange
rates
Floating rates of exchange
• Currencies are allowed find their own value on
the international market through he
interaction of supply and demand.
Advantages
Currency
reflects
the real
state of
the
economy
B.o.p can be
brought into
equilibrium
Foreign
reserves
aren’t
required
for
currency
evaluation
Disadvantages
Speculation on currency
Uncertainty of cost of imports
Uncertainty on foreign loan repayments
Exam Questions
2011 sec a q.6
The End