Siam Cement, the Bangkok-based cement manufacturer, suffered enormous losses with the coming of the Asian crisis in 1997. The company had been pursuing a very aggressive growth strategy in the mid-1990s, taking on massive quantities of foreign currency denominated debt (primarily U.S. dollars). When the Thai baht (B.was devalued from its pegged rate of B25.0/$ in July 1997, Siam’s interest payments alone were over $900 million on its outstanding dollar debt (with an average interest rate of 8.40% on its U.S. dollar debt at that time). Assuming Siam Cement took out $100 million in debt in June 1997 at 8.40% interest, and had to repay it in one year when the spot exchange rate had stabilized at B42.0/$, what was the foreign exchange loss incurred on the transaction? million Bahts.
1072.8 |
||
1132.8 |
||
1539.8 |
||
1750.4 |
||
1622.8 |
||
1842.8 |
Loan taken in USD | $ 100.00 |
Interest | 8.40% |
Loan repayment | 100*(1+8.40%) |
Loan repayment | $ 108.40 |
With stable exchange rate @ 25 Bhat per USD | 108.40*25 |
With stable exchange rate @ 25 Bhat per USD | 2,710.00 |
With devalued exchange rate @ 42 Bhat per USD | 108.40*42 |
With devalued exchange rate @ 42 Bhat per USD | 4,552.80 |
Loss due to exchange rate | 4552.80-2710 |
Loss due to exchange rate | 1,842.80 |
So last option is the right answer.
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