The Group’s activities expose it to a variety of financial risks: market risk (including currency risk, fair value interest rate risk, cash flow interest rate risk and price risk), credit risk and liquidity risk. The Group’s overall risk management programmed focuses on the unpredictability of financial markets and seeks to minimize potential adverse effects on the Group’s financial performance. The Group uses derivative financial instruments to hedge certain exposures.
Risk management is carried out by a central treasury department (Group Treasury) under policies approved by the Board of Directors. The Group Treasury identifies, evaluates and hedges financial risks in close cooperation with the Group’s operating units. The Board provides written principles for overall risk management, as well as written policies covering specific areas, such as foreign exchange risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, use of derivative and non-derivative financial instruments, and investment excess liquidity.
(a) Foreign exchange rate risk
Purchases of network equipment are mainly made in foreign currencies, primarily in US Dollars. In order to manage the risk arising from fluctuations in currency exchange rates, the Group makes use of forward foreign exchange contracts. Trading of the forward foreign exchange contracts for speculative purpose is prohibited by the Group’s policy.
External foreign exchange contracts are designated at Group level as hedges of foreign exchange rate risk on specific assets, liabilities and future transactions.
(b) Interest rate risk
The Group has no significant interest-bearing assets. The Group maintains its borrowings in fixed rate instruments. The Group borrows at variable rates and uses interest rate swap as interest payments, which have the economic effect of converting borrowings from floating rates to fixed rates. The interest rate swaps allow the subsidiaries to raise long-term borrowings at floating rates and swap them into fixed rates that are lower than those available if the subsidiaries borrowed at fixed rates directly. Under the interest rate swaps, the Group agrees with the other parties to exchange, at specified intervals (mainly quarterly), the difference between fixed contract rates and floating rate interest amounts are calculated by reference to the agreed notional principal amounts.
(c) Credit risk
The Group has no significant concentrations of credit risks. The Group has policies in place to ensure that sales of products and services are made to customers with an appropriate credit history. Derivative counterparties and cash transactions are limited to high credit quality financial institutions.
(d) Liquidity risk
Prudent liquidity risk management implies maintaining sufficient cash and marketable securities, the availability of funding through an adequate amount of committed credit facilities and the ability to close out market positions. Due to the dynamic nature of the underlying business, the Group aims at maintaining flexibility in funding by keeping committed credit lines available.