Once a company establishes a balance sheet program, it likely runs on auto-pilot from then on. Exposures are gathered, forecasted, netted, hedged and adjusted inter-month, and the results of the program are reported — but rarely is there a “review” of the hedge program from top to bottom.
Businesses mired down by the impacts of COVID-19 are facing enough difficulties. But the march to LIBOR’s end has continued unabated.
As many of our readers already know, SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) has been selected by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee of the Federal Reserve to replace LIBOR in 2021.
To implement a successful hedge program, it’s important that all parties involved know exactly what the hedge program will provide. This prevents disappointment and level sets expectations with management.
Lenders such as banks, mortgage lenders, and credit unions manage large portfolios of fixed-rate loans. Typically, these assets are funded with floating-rate liabilities. This mismatch between fixed-rate assets and floating-rate liabilities can cause unwelcome earnings volatility.