Real format and depth — with data from a fictional company (Manufacturas del Caribe S.A.S.) to show you exactly what you receive.
Sector: Industrial manufacturing · Machinery imports · Barranquilla, Colombia
No. ViSFI-HDG-0031
Manufacturas del Caribe is importing machinery for US$450,000, payable in 180 days. Without a hedge, that payment is exposed to peso volatility: it could cost between $1,592M and $2,236M COP depending on which way the rate moves. A forward eliminates that uncertainty and locks the number in today.
A currency forward carries no prediction about where the peso is headed. It’s the mechanical result of covered interest rate parity (CIP): the point at which no one can make risk-free money by borrowing in one currency and investing in another.
| Variable | Value used | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spot USD/COP | $4,100 | Spot market, report date |
| COP rate (i_dest) | 9.5% E.A. | IBR curve / short-term TES |
| USD rate (i_origin) | 5.0% E.A. | SOFR + corporate funding curve |
| Term | 180 days (0.5 years) | Contractual supplier payment date |
| Theoretical forward (CIP) | $4,190.0 | Report calculation |
A forward locks in a cost. A swap solves a different problem: a timing mismatch between currencies, when a company holds cash in one and needs it in another, temporarily.
| Criterion | Forward (recommended) | Swap |
|---|---|---|
| Solves | Future cost certainty | Current liquidity mismatch |
| Principal exchange | No, net settlement only | Yes, on both legs |
| Typical cost | Pure rate differential | Differential + 0.8%–1.2% |
| Applies here | Yes | No — no liquidity mismatch |
| Scenario | Spot in 180 days | Total cost | vs. locked forward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very favorable (−2σ) | $3,537.5 | 1,591.9 | −293.6 |
| Favorable (−1σ) | $3,850.4 | 1,732.7 | −152.8 |
| Base / expected | $4,192.3 | 1,886.5 | +1.0 |
| Adverse (+1σ) | $4,564.4 | 2,054.0 | +168.5 |
| Very adverse (+2σ) | $4,967.9 | 2,235.6 | +350.1 |
| Δ 3.5% | Δ 4.5% | Δ 5.5% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spot $3,950 | 4,019 | 4,038 | 4,058 |
| Spot $4,100 | 4,172 | 4,190 | 4,211 |
| Spot $4,250 | 4,325 | 4,343 | 4,365 |
The theoretical forward is the reference point — not necessarily the price your bank will give you. The difference between the two is the spread, and here’s how to measure it.
| Source | Quoted forward | Spread vs. theoretical |
|---|---|---|
| Theoretical forward (CIP) | $4,190.0 | — |
| Corporate Bank A (reference) | $4,198.5 | +0.20% |
| Corporate Bank B (reference) | $4,207.0 | +0.41% |
| Treasury desk — reasonable range | $4,192 – $4,202 | +0.05% to +0.29% |
Hedging doesn’t mean eliminating all risk — it means trading an uncertain risk for a known one. These are the ones that remain.
A report that ends in a number is only half the work. This is what I would negotiate if this were my company.
- Close a simple forward for 100% of the confirmed amount, not an estimateWith the purchase order already signed, there’s no reason to leave exposure open — a forward for US$450,000 eliminates the ±$350M range identified on page 5.
- Request quotes from at least two banks before closingWith the theoretical forward of $4,190 as an anchor (p. 6), a spread above 0.5% on a deal this size justifies a second quote.
- Put the “roll” clause with the bank in writing before signingIf there’s a chance the supplier moves the delivery date, negotiate the extension terms today — not when it’s already urgent.
hola@criteriofinanciero.com.co
Every ViSFI report follows the same eight-step sequence — not as brand decoration, but as the actual order in which the decisions behind this document were made.
| Step | What it meant here |
|---|---|
| C — Comprehend | Discovery session: exact amount, payment date, supplier’s invoicing currency. |
| R — Reason | Distinguishing forward from swap before calculating anything — the wrong instrument costs more than a bad price. |
| I — Integrate AI | Volatility and sensitivity scenarios run with AI assistance, manually validated against the rate parity on page 3. |
| T — Take the decision | Recommending a simple forward for 100% of the exposure — not a partial hedge that leaves risk open for no reason. |
| E — Execute | This document: every number traceable to its source, every rate editable in the review session. |
| R — Review | Roll clause put in writing (recommendation 3) — a forward with no date-contingency plan is a new risk, not a solution. |
| I — Innovate | Explicit forward vs. swap comparison included because it’s the most common and least explained structuring error in SME treasury. |
| O — Optimize the impact | The goal isn’t just the locked-in number — it’s that you can negotiate with your bank from an informed position. |
You shouldn’t have to Google these terms or ask anyone else about your own currency exposure. They’re here, in the same document.
- Currency forward
- A contract to buy or sell a currency at a price fixed today, settling on a future date. It eliminates uncertainty about the cost, not the existence of the rate differential.
- Covered interest rate parity (CIP)
- The principle stating that the “correct” forward between two currencies is determined entirely by their relative interest rates — not by a prediction about the future.
- Uncovered interest rate parity (UIP)
- The expectation that the future exchange rate will move, on average, to offset the interest rate differential between two countries — the correct comparison point for deciding whether hedging is worth it.
- Currency swap
- A temporary exchange of one currency for another today, with a commitment to reverse the transaction on a future date. It solves a liquidity problem, not future exchange-rate exposure.
- Bank spread (forward points)
- The difference between the theoretical forward calculated by rate parity and the price a bank actually quotes — the intermediary’s margin.
Theoretical forward under rate parity, sensitivity scenarios, forward vs. swap comparison, quantified key risks, and a 30-minute review session with me — applied to your specific transaction, not Manufacturas del Caribe’s.