Monday quiz
Kickstart the week with a test of your investment knowledge; this week's focus is on foreign exchange
a) UK tourists going on holiday
b) Boeing (US aircraft manufacturer) buying engines from Rolls-Royce in the UK
c) A UK speculator buying shares on the New York Stock Exchange
d) Johnson Matthey (a UK firm) buying raw materials from overseas
2. If the exchange rate was depreciating rapidly and the Bank of
England wanted to intervene, what would they do?
a) Sell sterling and buy other currencies
b) Build up foreign exchange reserves
c) Increase government expenditure and cut taxation
d) Buy sterling and sell other currencies from reserves
3. Which of the following would be most likely to result from a
depreciation of sterling?
a) A reduction in the price of imports into the UK
b) A decrease in the rate of inflation
c) A reduction in the price of exports in terms of foreign currency
d) Decreased sterling revenue for exporters
4. Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of a fixed exchange
rate system?
a) Governments need to maintain a high level of foreign exchange reserves
b) Significant capital flows may destabilise the economy.
c) Governments cannot allow the exchange rate to depreciate to restore balance of payments equilibrium.
d) Companies will have problems because of uncertainty about import and export prices.
5. As a UK company you know you will have to pay $500,000 to a US
company in three months' time for goods you have bought from them. The
current spot exchange rate is £1 = $1.50 and the three month forward
rate is £1 = $1.52. If UK interest rates look set to rise in the coming
months, would you be better off buying at the forward rate now or
waiting three months and buying at whatever the spot rate is then?
a) Spot rate (in three months)
b) Forward rate (now)
Answers
1. b) In buying products from a UK company, a foreign company needs to
'buy' (demand) sterling.
2. d) Buying sterling will increase the demand for it, and may therefore help slow down the fall of sterling.
3. c) A depreciation in the exchange rate makes exports cheaper overseas in terms of foreign currencies (though UK exporters still receive the same amount in sterling).
4. d) Companies do not have problems with uncertainty over import and export prices as fixed exchange rates create total certainty because the exchange rate is fixed.
5. a) Spot rate; if UK interest rates rise that may lead to an appreciation of sterling to a level greater than the forward rate. It may therefore pay to wait.
For further definitions and explanations of investment terms, check the Morningstar Glossary.