Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Our market risk disclosures involve forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. We are exposed to market risk related to changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates.
Interest Rate Risk
Our long-term debt portfolio primarily consists of fixed-rate instruments complemented by a variable-rate Revolving Credit Facility that can be drawn on from time to time. Currently, we do not hold any derivative contracts that hedge our interest rate risk, however, we may consider entering into such contracts in the future. A 1% increase or decrease in interest rates would decrease or increase the fair value of our notes by approximately 6%. See Note — 11 Debt and Financing Arrangements to our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
A portion of our net assets and income are in currencies other than the U.S. dollar (“USD”), primarily the Euro (“EUR”) and British pound sterling (“GBP”). We are exposed to currency risk from potential changes in functional currency values of our foreign currency denominated assets, liabilities and cash flows. Accordingly, our operating results could be adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rate volatility relative to the USD.
We entered into cross-currency swap agreements to manage our foreign currency exchange risk by effectively converting a portion of the fixed-rate USD-denominated notes, including the interest payments, to fixed-rate, EUR-denominated debt. We use foreign currency option contracts to mitigate the risk of a reduction in the value of earnings from our operations that use the EUR or GBP as their functional currency.
As of December 31, 2021, a uniform 10% strengthening in the value of the USD relative to the EUR, including the derivatives noted above, would have resulted in a decrease in net assets of $53 million. As of December 31, 2021, a uniform 10% strengthening in the value of the USD relative to the GBP, including the derivatives noted above, would have resulted in a decrease in net assets of $21 million. These theoretical calculations assume that an instantaneous, parallel shift in exchange rates occurs, which is not consistent with the history of foreign currency transactions. Fluctuations in exchange rates also affect the volume of sales or the foreign currency sales price as competitors’ services become more or less attractive. The sensitivity analysis of the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates does not factor in a potential change in sales levels or local currency prices.
See Note — 13 Fair Value Measurements and Financial Instruments to our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
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