supplier was unable to provide the goods, the bank would then pay the purchaser the agreed-upon sum. Essentially, the
bank guarantee acts as a safety measure for the opposing party in the transaction.
These financial instruments are often used in trade financing when suppliers, or vendors, are purchasing and selling
goods to and from overseas customers with whom they don't have established business relationships. The instruments
are designed to reduce the risk taken by each party.
c.) Off-balance-sheet transactions (other contingent liabilities)
Off-balance-sheet transactions are:
· contingent liabilities
· other non-recognizable commitments.
Contingent liabilities are debt guarantees, guarantee obligations and liens in favor of third parties as well as all other
obligations with contingent characteristics. Other non-recognizable commitments are irrevocable payment obligations
from contracts that do not need to be recognized as liabilities and other fixed delivery obligations and commitments
(e.g. investment commitments, warranty obligations, irrevocable loan commitments, long-term rental contracts,
liabilities from not recognized leasing obligations).
Contingent liabilities and other non-recognized commitments and their valuation principles have to be disclosed in the
notes. Contingent liabilities are, for example, also endorsement liabilities, parts of joint debts, which are not recognized
because of internal regress recourse (e.g. partnership) or legally binding comfort letters. The reported amounts have to
be broken down into:
· debt guarantees, guarantee obligations, and liens in favor of third parties
· other measurable commitments with a contingent character
· other non-recognizable commitments.
Short-term non-recognizable obligations with a duration of up to one year or obligations which can be cancelled within
12 months, assumed in the normal course of business, are exempted from being disclosed. Commitments not to be
recognized and not to be disclosed within the normal course of business are e.g. contracts of employment or rental
contracts with a maturity of less than one year as well as purchase agreements and orders.
Contingent liabilities and other non-recognizable commitments have to be evaluated. If contingent liabilities and other
non-recognizable commitments lead to an outflow of funds without simultaneous usable inflow of funds and the outflow
of funds is probable and estimable, a corresponding provision is required.
d.) Derivative financial instruments
We mitigate the risk of fluctuations in currency exchange rates on our results of operations and financial condition by
entering into foreign currency hedges. A foreign exchange hedge transfers the foreign exchange risk from the trading
Metrohm Group company to a business that carries the risk (=a bank). Futures contracts, forward contracts, options and
swaps are the most common types of derivatives.
Metrohm requires that subsidiaries hedge their FX risk with forward currency contracts that hedge 80 to 100% of their
future FX needs, for a term of 12-15 months in advance. A formal contract for the required sum of foreign currency will
therefore be closed. The corresponding bank fees need to be assigned to financial costs. The hedged amount itself does
not appear in any financial statement. Only the total nominal amount of open contracts in local currency needs to be