BA » Topics » Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

This excerpt taken from the BA 10-K filed Feb 28, 2005.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

Interest rate risk

 

We have financial instruments that are subject to interest rate risk, principally short-term investments, fixed-rate debt obligations, and customer financing assets and liabilities. Historically, we have not experienced material gains or losses due to interest rate changes. Additionally, we use interest rate swaps to manage exposure to interest rate changes.

 

Based on the current holdings of short-term investments, as well as related swaps, the unhedged exposure to interest rate risk is not material for these instruments. The investors in the fixed-rate debt obligations that we issue, generally do not have the right to demand we pay off these obligations prior to maturity. Therefore, exposure to interest rate risk is not believed to be material for our fixed-rate debt.

 

BCC’s assets and liabilities, both fixed-rate and floating-rate, may be subject to interest rate risk to the extent that the maturities and repricing characteristics of the liabilities do not perfectly match those of the assets. The types and terms of borrowing and hedging instruments that are available to BCC in the market and possible changes in asset terms limit BCC’s ability to match assets and liabilities. BCC attempts to minimize this risk, partly through the use of interest rate swaps, and does not believe it is materially exposed to gains or losses due to interest rate changes.

 

BCC has used public market information and common valuation methods to determine the fair value of its assets and liabilities. The estimates are not necessarily indicative of the amounts BCC could realize in a current market exchange, and the use of different assumptions or valuation methods could have a material effect on the estimated fair value amounts.

 

At December 31, 2004, the book values of BCC’s assets and liabilities were approximately $10.3 billion and $8.9 billion, respectively. BCC measures and manages its interest rate risk by estimating the potential changes in twelve-month net interest income and in the current discounted value of the assets and liabilities based on the cash flows projected from each. At December 31, 2004, we estimated that if market interest rates for all maturities were affected by an immediate, one-time, 100-basis-point increase, BCC’s net earnings, taking into account increases in both revenue and interest expense, would have changed by an amount that is immaterial to the results of operations. Additionally, although the assets and liabilities impacted by a change in interest rates are generally not traded, BCC estimated that the net present value of these assets and liabilities would have changed by an amount that is immaterial to its financial position.

 

Foreign currency exchange rate risk

 

We are subject to foreign currency exchange rate risk relating to receipts from customers and payments to suppliers in foreign currencies. We use foreign currency forward contracts to hedge the price risk associated with firmly committed and forecasted foreign denominated payments and receipts related to our ongoing business and operational financing activities. Foreign currency contracts are sensitive to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. At December 31, 2004, a 10% unfavorable exchange rate movement in our portfolio of foreign currency forward contracts would have resulted in an incremental unrealized loss of $60.0 million. Consistent with the use of these contracts to neutralize the effect of exchange rate fluctuations, such unrealized losses or gains would be offset by corresponding gains or losses, respectively, in the remeasurement of the underlying transactions being hedged. When taken together, these forward contracts and the offsetting underlying commitments do not create material market risk.

 

Commodity price risk

 

We are subject to commodity price risk relating principally to energy used in production. We periodically use commodity derivatives, such as fixed-price purchase commitments, to hedge against potentially unfavorable price changes of commodities. Commodity price exposure related to unhedged contracts is not material.

 

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