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Derivatives Usage in Risk Management by US and German Non-Financial Firms: A Comparative Survey

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  • Gordon M. Bodnar
  • Gunther Gebhardt

Abstract

This paper is a comparative study of the responses to the 1995 Wharton School survey of derivative usage among US non-financial firms and a 1997 companion survey on German non-financial firms. It is not a mere comparison of the results of both studies, but a comparative study, drawing a comparable subsample of firms from the US study to match the sample of German firms on both size and industry composition. We find that German firms are more likely to use derivatives than US firms, with 78% of German firms using derivatives compared to 57% of US firms. Aside from this higher overall usage, the general pattern of usage across industry and size groupings is comparable across the two countries. In both countries, foreign currency derivative usage is most common, followed closely by interest rate derivatives, with commodity derivatives a distant third. In contrast to the similarities, firms in the two countries differ notably on issues such as the primary goal of hedging, their choice of instruments, and the influence of their market view when taking derivative positions. These differences appear to be driven by the greater importance of financial accounting statements in Germany than the US and stricter German corporate policies of control over derivative activities within the firm.

Suggested Citation

  • Gordon M. Bodnar & Gunther Gebhardt, 1998. "Derivatives Usage in Risk Management by US and German Non-Financial Firms: A Comparative Survey," NBER Working Papers 6705, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:6705
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    1. Ian H. Giddy & Gunter Dufey, 1995. "Uses And Abuses Of Currency Options," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 8(3), pages 49-57, September.
    2. Edwards,Jeremy & Fischer,Klaus, 1996. "Banks, Finance and Investment in Germany," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521566087, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ingo Fender, 2000. "The impact of corporate risk management on monetary policy transmission: some empirical evidence," BIS Working Papers 95, Bank for International Settlements.
    2. Graciela Moguillansky, 2002. "Non-Financial Corporate Risk Management and Exchange Rate Volatility in Latin America," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2002-30, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Michael G. Papaioannou, 2006. "Exchange Rate Risk Measurement and Management: Issues and Approaches for Firms," South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics, Association of Economic Universities of South and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region, vol. 4(2), pages 129-146.
    4. Marc De Ceuster & Liam Flanagan & Allan Hodgson & Mohammad I. Tahir, 2003. "Determinants of Derivative Usage in the Life and General Insurance Industry: The Australian Evidence," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 6(04), pages 405-431.
    5. Argenton, Cédric & Willems, Bert, 2015. "Exclusion through speculation," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 1-9.
    6. Chaudhry, Dr. Naveed Iqbal & Mehmood, Mian Saqib & Mehmood, Asif, 2014. "Determinants of corporate hedging policies and derivatives usage in risk management practices of non-financial firms," MPRA Paper 57562, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 26 Jul 2014.
    7. Chris Becker & Daniel Fabbro, 2006. "Limiting Foreign Exchange Exposure through Hedging: The Australian Experience," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2006-09, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    8. Flavio Bazzana & Monica Potrich, 2002. "Il risk management nelle medie imprese del Nord Est: risultati di un'indagine," Alea Tech Reports 016, Department of Computer and Management Sciences, University of Trento, Italy, revised 14 Jun 2008.
    9. Viviana Alejandra Alfonso Corredor, 2018. "El uso de forwards peso dólar en las empresas colombianas del sector real," Borradores de Economia 1058, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    10. Fatemi, Ali & Luft, Carl, 2002. "Corporate risk management: Costs and benefits," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 29-38.
    11. Hjalmar Böhm & Michael Funke, 2001. "Does the Nominal Exchange Rate Regime Matter for Investment?," Quantitative Macroeconomics Working Papers 20105, Hamburg University, Department of Economics.
    12. Katalin Bodnár, 2009. "Exchange rate exposure of Hungarian enterprises – results of a survey," MNB Occasional Papers 2009/80, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (Central Bank of Hungary).
    13. Paweł Ożga, 2012. "Instrumenty pochodne w spółkach notowanych na Giełdzie Papierów Wartościowych w Warszawie," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 4, pages 127-151.
    14. Lantara I Wayan Nuka & Takao Atsushi, 2013. "The Determinants of the Use of Derivatives in the Japanese Insurance Companies," Asia-Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 57-81, July.
    15. Adam, Tim R. & Fernando, Chitru S., 2006. "Hedging, speculation, and shareholder value," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(2), pages 283-309, August.
    16. Chris Mallin & Kean Ow-Yong & Martin Reynolds, 2001. "Derivatives usage in UK non-financial listed companies," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 63-91.
    17. Moguillansky, Graciela, 2003. "Corporate risk management and exchange rate volatility in Latin America," Series Históricas 7800, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    18. Kapitsinas, Spyridon, 2008. "Derivatives Usage in Risk Management by Non-Financial Firms: Evidence from Greece," MPRA Paper 10945, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Ales S. Berk & Jozko Peterlin & Mitja Cok, 2009. "Corporate Risk Management in Slovenian Firms," Managing Global Transitions, University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper, vol. 7(3), pages 281-306.
    20. Bartram, Söhnke M., 2004. "The Use of Options in Corporate Risk Management," MPRA Paper 6663, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    21. Gatopoulos, Georgios & Loubergé, Henri, 2013. "Combined use of foreign debt and currency derivatives under the threat of currency crises: The case of Latin American firms," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 54-75.
    22. Gianluca Bison & Loriana Pellizzon & Domenico Sartore, 2002. "La copertura dei rischi finanziari nelle imprese non finanziarie italiane attraverso gli strumenti derivati," Moneta e Credito, Economia civile, vol. 55(217), pages 55-75.
    23. Chansog Kim & Christos Pantzalis & Jung Chul Park, 2014. "Do Family Owners Use Firm Hedging Policy to Hedge Personal Undiversified Wealth Risk?," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 43(2), pages 415-444, June.

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    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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