If oil prices fall, Plastics will have higher-than-expected profits and free cash flows; but if oil prices rise, profits will fall.
Plastics’ value depends on its profits and free cash flows, so a change in the price of oil will cause stockholders to earn more or less than they anticipated.
If Plastics announces that it plans to lock in a 3-year supply of oil at a guaranteed price of $80 per barrel and the cost of guarantee is zero, would that cause the value of the company’s stock to rise?