Mint Explainer: How IndusInd Bank slipped up on foreign currency hedging
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. IndusInd Bank shares recovered on Wednesday after falling to its lowest level in one year as investors were reassured by statements made by its promoter Ashok Hinduja and CEO Sumant Kathpalia. The shares of the private sector lender had crashed by 27% on Tuesday after the bank disclosed discrepancies in accounting for foreign currency derivative trades over a period of five to seven years.
The private sector lender expects to take the impact of these discrepancies–about 2.35% of its net worth–in the fourth quarter results, yet report a small profit. The bank has estimated the loss on derivatives trade at ₹1,520 crore net of taxes and ₹1,970 crore at the gross level. The discrepancy in accounting for derivatives was not the only setback for IndusInd Bank investors in recent days.
The Reserve Bank of India approved only a one-year extension of the term of its CEO against three sought by the board. Mint explains what led to the discrepancy in accounting and corrective measures taken by the bank. Like all banks, IndusInd Bank receives deposits in foreign currency.
These include remittances and receipts such as borrowings by institutions. As the bank management has explained in various interactions since it revealed the accounting discrepancy, when a deposit is received, the bank has to take a decision on whether it will hold the receipt in foreign currency such as US dollar or convert it into Indian rupees. If the foreign currency is converted into Indian rupees, it is hedged for the entire tenor of the deposit.
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