A Note on Fuel Hedging in the Airline Industry

Hedging is a significant measure of financial risk management. Since the 1970s, the increasing number of powerful companies started to control the risk of the exchange rate, the interest rate and commodity by using financial derivatives. ISDA (2013) based on the Global 500 Annual Report 2012 survey found that 88 percent of companies use foreign exchange derivatives. Modigliani & Miller (1958) believed that if the financial markets were under perfect conditions, for instance, there was no agency costs, asymmetric information, taxes and transaction costs, hedging would not increase the company 's value because investors can hedge by themselves. However, a large number of practical studies have shown that hedging is beneficial

American Barrick is the largest gold producer in North America. The implementation of the gold-hedging program differentiated the firm from other major gold rivals and improved its reserve and financial strength. In 1995, American Barrick ’s latest gold find necessitated the company to determine a new hedge strategy for its gold production.

Mr. Lee and the other executives expect to generate a higher profit from hedging since they have majority of their personal wealth invested into the firm. The focus of any hedging program should always be to minimize the firm’s risk of loss, but that does not mean the they will

Based on the 1988 Supreme Court case of Corn Product Refining Co. v. Commissioner (350 U.S. 46; 76 S.Ct. 20; 100 L.Ed. 29), hedging transactions were determined to be used to support business practices of certain commodities. Such hedging transactions are normal for businesses engaged in commodity sales such as coal or corn to protect against market

This is because of each seller is setting its price based upon the reaction by the prices its competitor establishes.

For interest rate hedging strategy, swaps are used to hedge. And most importantly, interest rate swaps are an agreement between two counterparties exchanging one stream of future interest payments for another. Interest rate swaps can exchange a fixed payment for a floating payment or vice versa. We can also hedge against commodity price risk where this involves purchase of a futures contract, that guarantee a particular price at a certain point in time. In this case, the price is guaranteed and no unexpected loss can occur. Also no gain based on favorable price changes can occur as well. We can also hedge against commodity price risk where this involves purchase of a futures contract, that guarantee a particular price at a certain point in time. In this case, the price is guaranteed and no unexpected loss can occur. Also no gain based on favorable price changes can occur as well. Hedging against investment risk means strategically using instruments in the market to

there are a number of different buyers and sellers in the marketplace. This means that we have competition in the market, which allows price to change in response to changes in supply and demand. Furthermore, for almost every product there are substitutes, so if one product becomes too expensive, a buyer can choose a cheaper substitute instead. In a market with many buyers and sellers, both the consumer and the supplier have equal ability to influence price.

Water: The price of water is set by the overall abundance of water as well as the need of water. Water is used for just about everything but there is so much that prices remain low. In a way the price is set in the same way that corn is but there is just so much water that the price will not be affected too much. The delivery of the water is also what is driving the price. How much it will cost to get it from the source to the consumer.

When applying hedging strategies, the best way to implement these systems is by dealing

To mitigate the risk of future commodity price changes it is recommended that Desert Valley adopt a hedging program by purchasing forward contracts. This would allow the company to

BHP Billiton is the world’s top producers of major commodities. China, as BHP Billiton’s largest export market, demand strongly influences the BHP Billiton’s operation (Western Australian Iron Ore Industry Profile 2015). According to the annual report of BHP Billiton (2015), China brought about 36.6% revenue in the amount of total export revenue for BHP Billiton, among the largest product is Iron Ore, which was 66% in 2015. Meanwhile, the forecast of iron ore will continue to increase production. However, Chinese steel consumption may growth slow next few years (shows in figure 1) because the real estate industry decline (Mark 2015). Therefore, oversupply and weaker demand may create the fluctuations in commodity prices which related to commodity risk.

* Hedging. Hedging with the fuel market could save enough money in one year to offset the next year’s fuel supply and costs.

Hedging can be done in several ways, for instance engage in money market and a call/put option.

Most firms hedge at least some of their risks. Hedging can take two basic forms—namely, natural hedging and hedging by means of derivative instruments. The use of derivatives as hedges has expanded greatly in recent years.

Another advantage to hedging is that it insulates companies from volatile price movements and ensures stable revenue income as price volatility can have an adverse effect onto revenue and disrupt cash flows. Furthermore, through hedging, a company can ensure certainty in both the production