A Finance Leader’s Guide to Managing Foreign Income, Expenses, and FX Risk

April 30, 2025

In today’s global economy, businesses of all sizes are increasingly exposed to foreign exchange (FX) risk. Currency fluctuations can significantly impact your bottom line, whether you invoice international clients, pay overseas suppliers, or manage cross-border investments.

This guide provides finance leaders with practical strategies for managing foreign income and expenses while mitigating FX risk. It draws insights from industry experts and highlights how Canadian companies that VBCE FX Traders Steve Brown and Garo Mavyan work with manage these risks

Understanding FX Risk: Why It Matters

Foreign exchange risk arises when the value of a company’s financial transactions is affected by changes in exchange rates. This can erode profit margins, disrupt cash flow, and create budgeting challenges. For instance, a Canadian exporter invoicing in U.S. dollars may find that a strengthening Canadian dollar reduces the value of their foreign revenue when converted back to CAD. Conversely, an importer may face higher costs if the foreign currency appreciates against the Canadian dollar.

For Canadian businesses, especially those operating in resource sectors, tourism, or cross-border e-commerce, exchange rate fluctuations between the Canadian dollar (CAD) and the US dollar (USD) or euro (EUR) can have a profound impact. A rising CAD may benefit importers by lowering the cost of goods, but can hurt exporters by making Canadian products less competitive abroad.

Typical transactions can range from tens of thousands to multiple millions per month in foreign exchange needs. To mitigate risks, planning needs to be done by finance leads to safeguard the company's FX exposure proactively. Businesses can look ahead to build in cost certainties when markets are volatile by working with FX Traders who can offer solutions considering wide market swings.

I sit down with CFOs, we map out cash flows, analyze trends, and set up strategies like forward contracts and limit orders in advance. - Steve Brown VBCE Trader

Strategies for Managing Foreign Income and Expenses

1. Implement Pricing Strategies

Adjusting your pricing to account for potential currency fluctuations can help protect profit margins. This may involve setting prices with a buffer to absorb exchange rate movements or including currency clauses in contracts that allow for price adjustments based on exchange rate changes.

2. Fixed or Guaranteed FX Rate

In industries like TV and film production, companies often buy currency in bulk to lock in an exchange rate for the project's duration. This strategy secures consistent costs despite market volatility.

3. Match Currency Cash Flows

Aligning revenues and expenses in the same foreign currency can naturally hedge against exchange rate movements. For example, if you earn revenue in euros and have costs in euros, fluctuations in the exchange rate will neutralize your net income.

Financial Instruments for Hedging FX Risk

1. Forward Contracts

A forward contract allows you to lock in an exchange rate for a future date, providing certainty over the cost or revenue in your home currency. Steve Brown explains that forward contracts are helpful for businesses with low profit margins and for those with delayed revenue collection, such as the footwear, tourism, steel, and mining industries. Clients who use forwards gain cost certainty and protect profit margins from sharp market moves. Garo Mavyan adds that forward contracts require a margin deposit and a Legal Entity Identifier (LEI). Still, they are highly effective in securing favourable rates and managing cash flow even if immediate funding is unavailable.

2. Currency Options

Currency options give you the right, but not the obligation, to exchange currency at a predetermined rate before a specified date. This flexibility can benefit companies that want protection but still wish to capitalize on favourable market movements. Options typically involve an upfront premium. Steve Brown shares, “There is often an element of risk with more complex option structures, and transaction costs may be much higher than traditional forward contracts. Option contracts also have set expiration dates, making them less flexible than a forward contract. VBCE does not provide option contracts and recommends open-dated or closed-dated forward contracts that have transparent pricing, lower transaction costs, and no risk.”

3. Currency Swaps

Currency swaps involve exchanging cash flows in different currencies and are often used by larger corporations to manage currency and interest rate risks. A swap is essentially a combination of a spot trade (near leg of the swap) and a forward contract (far leg of the swap). A client may want to swap CAD into USD when USD rates are unfavourable.

4. Limit Orders

Limit orders, as both Steve and Garo highlight, enable businesses to set a target exchange rate and automatically execute the trade once the market reaches that point. This “set it and forget it” approach allows companies to capture advantageous rates, even during overnight market spikes, without constantly monitoring the market.

5. Stop Order or Stop Loss Order

Where a limit order executes a trade at a specified price or better. A stop loss order, also called a stop order, triggers a market order to sell a stock if it reaches a specific price to prevent losses. This is effective in minimizing losses should the currency rate move unfavourably.

Operational Strategies to Mitigate FX Risk

1. Leading and Lagging

Adjust the timing of payments and receipts to benefit from favourable currency movements. Accelerate payments when the foreign currency is expected to strengthen or delay receipts when it’s expected to weaken.

2. Currency Clauses in Contracts

Including terms that allow adjustments based on exchange rate fluctuations can share FX risks between parties.

3. Diversify Operations

Spreading operations across multiple countries reduces reliance on any single currency. Working with an FX trader gives a long-term view of building sustainable strategies for diversification.

4. Cost Averaging

Another strategy Garo recommends is cost averaging—breaking a large foreign exchange transaction into smaller parts to reduce the impact of short-term rate volatility.

Leveraging Expert Support

Partnering with a dedicated FX provider like VBCE ensures businesses access:

Dedicated FX Traders: Personalized strategy development based on business needs.
Market Insights: Regular updates on economic trends impacting currencies.
Competitive Rates: Significant cost savings over traditional banks.
Flexible Hedging Options: Tailored solutions from forwards to limit orders.

Both Steve and Garo emphasize that, beyond better rates, working with dedicated FX traders provides expertise that is often unavailable through traditional banks. Traders actively monitor market movements, provide real-time advice, and ensure that finance leaders can make proactive, informed decisions.

When you talk to a banker, they might not even pick up the phone — but I’m always available. - Garo Mavyan, VBCE Trader

Planning and Risk Management in Volatile Times

Effectively managing foreign income, expenses, and FX risk is essential for maintaining financial stability and competitiveness in international markets. By implementing strategic approaches, utilizing financial instruments, and seeking expert guidance, finance leaders can navigate the complexities of currency fluctuations and safeguard their organizations' financial health. For more information and personalized assistance, consider contacting VBCE's team of dedicated FX professionals. We thank Steve Brown and Garo Mavyan for their insights and for sharing how they help finance leads manage risk.

Book a call with Steve Brown, Garo Mavyan or any of our expert VBCE FX traders to start managing your foreign exchange risk smarter. Email us at stevebrown@vbce.ca, garomavyan@vbce.ca or info@vbce.ca