An unknown number of Chinese companies speculated on shifting exchange rates of the Australian dollar and New Zealand dollar over the past two years. Now, because of high leverage and market volatility, their losses are multiplying.
A corporate finance expert who refused to be named told Caijing, “Citic Pacific made the same mistake as many Chinese companies.”
“In foreign exchange and exchange rate risk management, the goal of hedging is to lock in trading cost,” the expert said. “But many Chinese companies gambled on their analyses of market trends, which only led to speculation.”
Rating agencies and analysts wagged fingers at Citic Pacific, some citing weak internal control. JP Morgan Securities lowered its earnings estimate for the firm 11 percent for 2008, and 44 percent for 2009, while switching the stock call from “buy” to “sell.”
Meanwhile, Hong Kong market regulators launched a probe into possible insider trading, based on the fact that Citic Pacific’s two largest individual shareholders – possibly including company Chairman Larry Yung -- frequently raised their stakes before the derivative losses occurred and suddenly stopped these moves in early September.