Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risks
Foreign Currency Risk
We are exposed to market risks from changes in currency exchange rates. These exposures may impact future earnings and/or operating cash flows. Our exposure to market risk for changes in foreign currency exchange rates arises from international financing activities between subsidiaries, foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities and transactions arising from international trade.
We historically have hedged balance sheet as well as forecasted currency exposures with natural offsets to the fullest extent possible and, once these opportunities have been exhausted, through foreign currency exchange forward contracts.
We hedge forecasted currency exposure to minimize the earnings exposures arising from foreign currency exchange risk on foreign currency purchases and sales. Gains and losses on the underlying foreign currency exposures are partially offset with gains and losses on the foreign currency forward contracts. Under our cash flow hedging program, we designate the foreign currency forward contracts as cash flow hedges of underlying foreign currency forecasted purchases and sales, with gains and losses on the qualifying derivatives recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the Consolidated Balance Sheet until the underlying forecasted transactions are recognized in earnings. These contracts have varying terms that extend through 2023.
Effective with our entry into the Credit Agreement, the Company entered into floating-floating cross-currency swap contracts to limit its exposure to investments in certain foreign subsidiaries exposed to foreign exchange fluctuations. The cross-currency swaps have been designated as net investment hedges of its Euro-denominated operations. Gains and losses
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on the derivatives qualifying as net investment hedges are recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within the Consolidated Balance Sheet until the net investment is liquidated or sold.
As of December 31, 2022, the net fair value of all financial instruments with exposure to currency risk was a $92 million asset. The potential loss or gain in fair value for such financial instruments from a hypothetical 10% adverse or favorable change in quoted currency exchange rates would be $112 million and $(139) million, respectively, at December 31, 2022 exchange rates. The model assumes a parallel shift in currency exchange rates; however, currency exchange rates rarely move in the same direction. The assumption that currency exchange rates change in a parallel fashion may overstate the impact of changing currency exchange rates on assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Interest Rate Risk
Our exposure to risk based on changes in interest rates relates primarily to our Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement bears interest at floating rates. For variable rate debt, interest rate changes generally do not affect the fair market value of such debt assuming all other factors remain constant but do impact future earnings and cash flows. Accordingly, we may be exposed to interest rate risk on borrowings under the Credit Agreement. We manage this risk by entering into interest rate swaps to convert floating rate debt to fixed rate debt to reduce market risk associated with changes in interest rates. As of December 31, 2022, the net fair value of all financial instruments with exposure to interest rate risk was a $ 76 million asset.
For our outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2022, a 50 basis point increase (decrease) in interest rates would have increased (decreased) our interest expense by $6 million and ($6) million, respectively, compared to the amount of interest that would have been incurred in such period based on the rates of interest in effect at December 31, 2022. For additional information regarding our Credit Agreement, see Note 16, Long-term Debt and Credit Agreements of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Commodity Price Risk
We are subject to changes in our cost of sales caused by movements in underlying commodity prices. Approximately 73% of our cost of sales consists of purchased components with significant raw material content. A substantial portion of the purchased parts are made of nickel, aluminum and steel alloys. We have index-based escalators in place with most of our suppliers for raw material inflation / deflation. As our costs change, we are contractually able to pass through a portion of the changes in commodity prices to certain of our customers in accordance with long-term agreements. Where Long-term pass-through agreements are not in place with customers, we seek to negotiate additional pricing arrangements with our customers.
Assuming current levels of commodity purchases and contractually agreed customer pass-through arrangements, a 10% variation in the commodity prices would correspondingly change our earnings by approximately $24 million per year.
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