Managing Financial Risk for Multinational Companies in South East Asia

This book was written from the perspective of international accounting to show how risk mitigation applies to the multinational firms with complex global transactions and assets. It analyses the interplay of currencies, exchange rates, interest rates, and accounting systems. Financial risk management is a specialized area of international accounting that requires specific training, tools and techniques, if one is to be successful in mitigating risk for an international business.

Financial risk management refers to the practices used by corporate finance managers and accountants to limit and control uncertainty in the firm's total portfolio. Financial risk management aims to minimize the risk of loss from unexpected changes in the prices of currencies, interest rates, commodities, and equities. In the context of international accounting, financial risk management also contains an element of political, legal and "culture" risk-exposure to uncertainty in the outcomes of business transactions and asset transfers that comes with most international business operations.

Risk management has become an integral part of international business strategy, and accountants use quantitative tools to measure and analyze risk. The job of the Chief Financial Officer is to identify and address all types of risk, establish support and control mechanisms for dealing with it, and set the course for the risk management team in terms of its policies and objectives.

The financial practices commonly employed include diversification; asset allocation ; and hedging. These practices are examined in light of their applications for international business, where accountants must cope with many more types and degrees of risk. A firm's long-term strategy, such as investment risk, credit risk, and insurance risk are the basis focus for a financial analysis.