The Euro-currency market has no geographical limits or a common market place. Business is done by telex, telephone and other communication systems. Internationally-reputed brokers put through the transactions for the banks. Deposits are secured for the banks operating in the market by the general guarantee of its parent or holding company and in some cases, by its central bank and /or the government of the concerned country. Similarly, loans to commercial parties are guaranteed by their respective governments. Deposits and loans to banks are, however, not guaranteed except by the banks parent companies or their exchange control authorities. The amounts of loans and the periods of maturity vary over a wide range from a few thousands to millions of dollars Continue reading
International Finance
International finance is the branch of economics that studies the dynamics of foreign exchange,foreign direct investment and how these affect international trade. Also studies the international projects, international investment and the international capital flow .International Finance can be broadly defined, as the study of the financial decisions taken by a multinational corporation in the area of international business i.e. global corporate finance. International finance draws much of its background from the preliminary studies in the topics of corporate finance such as capital budgeting, portfolio theory and cost of capital but now viewed in the international dimension.
An Overview of Depositary Receipts
Equity investment by foreign investors into a country can occur in one or more of three ways. Foreign investors can directly purchase shares in the stock market of the country e.g. investment by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) in the Indian stock market. Or, companies from that country can issue shares (or depositary receipts) in the stock markets of other countries. Finally, indirect purchases can be made through a mutual fund which may be a specific country fund or a multi-country regional fund. The Depositary Receipts Mechanism The volume of new equity issues in the international markets increased dramatically between 1983 and 1987 and again after 1989. The 90’s saw a growing interest in the emerging markets. From the side of Continue reading
Benefits of Forward Exchange Contracts
Forward exchange rates, like spot exchange rates are determined by the demand for and the supply of forward exchange. If the supply of forward exchange exceeds the demand for it, the forward rates will be quoted at a discount over the spot rate i.e., forward exchange rate will be lower than the spot exchange rate. On the other hand, if the demand for forward exchange exceed its supply, the forward rates will be quoted at a premium over the spot rate i.e., forward rate will be quoted at a premium over the spot rate i.e., forward rate will be higher than the spot rate. The demand for forward exchange arise, mainly, from: Imports, Outflow of capital, Arbitrage operation and Bullish Continue reading
Common Export Documents – Export Invoice
An export invoice is the basic document which gives full details of the contents of the shipment and serves as seller‘s bill of goods and sets out the terms of sale. An invoice usually means a Commercial invoice. An exporter must prepare this document which will fully identify the overseas shipment and serve as a basis for the preparation of all other documents. There is no standard form for an export invoice and it is the exporter’s choice to design his own form. The invoice is prepared for the buyer abroad. Any special requirement of the importer must be duly complied with. The following are the essential details which should be available in the export invoice: Name and address of Continue reading
Fiat Money – Meaning, Characteristics and Working
The term fiat money is used to define as any money declared by a government to be legal tender with no commodity backing. Legal tender simply means that there is a law requiring everyone to accept the currency in commerce. Besides, fiat money was state-issued money which is neither fixed in value in terms of any objective standard, nor legally convertible to any other thing that was demanded by someone else. In other word, fiat money is money without intrinsic value. In ancient times when money was not invented trade as a whole was on barter system. “Barter” basically means to pay for something you want with products or services instead of paying for what you want with money. Under Continue reading
Difference Between Letter of Credit and Guarantee
A letter of credit is a written undertaking issued by buyer’s bank to pay a certain sum of money within a stipulated period against a specified set of documents. It is a conditional undertaking. It undertakes to pay a certain amount of money on presentation of stipulated documents and the fulfillment by the exporter of all the terms and conditions incorporated in the L/C. The Letter of credit is a separate and distinct contract from the underlying sale contract, and the bank is not responsible for the fulfillment of the terms of the sale contract. The essential and basic provisions of the sale contract must be incorporated in the letter of credit. In addition, the amount of credit, its expiry Continue reading