Stmicro Essay

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The closing case explores the effect of a strong dollar on STMicro, a European manufacturer of semiconductors. The majority of STMicro’s operations are located in Western Europe. Accordingly, when the dollar was strong relative to the euro, STMicro made a healthy profit, but saw its profit tumble when the value of the euro rose. Discussion of the case can revolve around the following questions. 1: In retrospect, could the fall in the value of the dollar against the Euro have been predicted in 2003? ANSWER: Since its introduction, the euro has been volatile relative to the U.S. dollar. Most analysts were surprised in 2003 by the rapid rise in value of the euro relative to the dollar. However, given that a key reason for the rise in value of the euro was the record U.S. foreign trade deficit which created an outward flow of dollars, and a lower value for the dollar, some might argue that the trend should have been expected. 2: What was the fundamental reason for the decline in the value of the dollar against the euro in 2003-2006? To what extent is the decline in the value of the dollar consistent with the theories of exchange rate determination discussed in this chapter? ANSWER: Investor psychology probably played a role in the decline of the dollar versus the euro in 2003-2006. Foreigners were pessimistic after the U.S. government announced that a weak dollar was acceptable since it helped firms trying to export. In addition, the U.S. government’s record budget deficit contributed to the demise of the dollar relative to the euro. Many foreigners believed the U.S. would have to finance its spending through an expansion in the money supply, which would lead to inflation, and cause a drop in the value of the dollar. 3: Why do you think that STMicro did very little currency hedging? ANSWER: Hindsight is 20/20. During the early years of the

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