The risks the Group is exposed to are the Interest rate risk and the Exchange rate risk

The main financial risks the Group is exposed to are exchange rate risk and interest rate risk.

The management of these risks is centralised and treasury operations take place in accordance with formal policies and guidelines which are applicable to all Group companies.

Exchange Risk

The Group operates in an international context where transactions are conducted in currencies different from Euro. This exposes the Group to risks arising from exchange rates fluctuations. The existing exchange risk management policy aims to neutralise the possible negative effects of the changes in exchange rates on company cash-flows.

This policy analyses:

The exchange risk

The policy wholly covers this risk which arises from differences between the recognition exchange rate of receivables or payables in foreign currency in the financial statements and the recognition exchange rate of actual collection or payment. To cover this type of exchange risk, the exposure is naturally offset in the first place (netting between sales and purchases in the same currency) and if necessary, by signing currency future derivatives, as well as advances of receivables denominated in currency.

The settlement exchange risk

Arises from the conversion into euro of the financial statements of subsidiaries prepared in currencies other than the euro during consolidation. The policy adopted by the Group does not require this type of exposure to be covered.

The business risk

Arises from changes in company profitability in relation to annual figures planned in the economic budget on the basis of a reference change (the "budget change") and is covered by derivatives. The items of these hedging operations are therefore represented by foreign costs and revenues forecast by the sales and purchases budget. The total of forecast costs and revenues is processed monthly and relative hedging is positioned exactly on the average weighted date of the economic event, recalculated based on historical criteria. The economic occurrence of future receivables and payables will occur during the budget year.

 

Interest rate risk

This risk arises from fluctuating interest rates and the impact this may have on future cash flows arising from financial assets and liabilities. The Group regularly measures and controls its exposure to interest rates changes and manages such risks also resorting to derivative instruments, mainly Interest Rate Swaps and Cross Currency Swaps, as established by its own management policies.

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