Accounting Methods
MNC’s degree of translation exposure affected by the accounting procedures used to translate when consolidating financial statement data
Under FASB 52, consolidated earnings are sensitive to the functional currency’s weighted average exchange rate
E.g. British subsidiary of a U.S. MNC earned 10 million pounds in year 1 and 10 million pounds in year 2. When these earnings are consolidated along with other subsidiary earnings, they are translated into U.S. dollars at the weighted average exchange rate in that year. Assume that the weighted average rate is $1.70 in year 1 and $1.50 in year 2.