International Finance Assignment:Analysing Global Operations Of Reliance & Tesco

Question

Task: International Finance AssignmentTask:
Use relevant academic research articles to evaluate the theory and choose 2 multinational companies (MNC’s) – one from a developed country and one from a developing country that operates in similar industries.
Research the companies using annual reports and other resources (Company website, analyst reports).

a) Evaluate why organisations may choose to operate on an international basis. Briefly outline the core business and global operations of your MNC’s, including information about the type of MNC and the benefits they gain from operating on an international basis.

b) Discuss foreign exchange exposure and compare the exposure of the two MNC’s arising from their international operations, investments and finances.
c) Critically analyse the internal and external techniques that an organisation may choose to use to hedge against foreign exchange risk. Compare the two MNC’s by giving details of the techniques and strategies that they employ to manage foreign exchange risk. Identify any differences in managing the foreign exchange risk between the two MNC’s.
d) Discuss the other risks (eg. Economic, political, interest rate) that MNC’s are facing due to their international operations, investments and finances. Give examples from your chosen organisations.

Answer

Introduction
The report on international finance assignmentwould be focusing on the global operations of two MNC’s who are pioneers in the retail field. The first MNC is chosen from the developing nation of India and its Reliance retail. The second MNC chosen with respect to the context of the research is Tesco which is based in the nation of the United Kingdom. The report would be discussing the various core operations of the MNC’s along with their global operations which would be beneficial in the evaluation of their strengths while operating on the global front of the retail commerce. The report would also discuss the foreign exchange risks that the companies have to face while conducting international business as per their terms of regulations.

Reason for operating internationally
The only method for many firms to reach their global goals is by establishing their own organisation in a different nation when they are considering growing globally. If a corporation is involved in infrastructure development and has long-duration goals for a country, it is possible that the establishment of a separate legal entity may be the most appropriate solution. Maintaining their company's operations within its market place can limit its revenue potential. One of the disadvantages that businesses have when they exclusively compete in one nation is the increased sensitivity to market fluctuations (Mahapatra& Bhaduri, 2019). Taking their firm abroad provides them with the option to broaden their markets, thereby increasing the stability of their revenues. If your native market is experiencing a slowdown, having the benefit of a worldwide market will help to soften the company's financial position amid difficult economic conditions. Once their business has achieved success in their native country, it is time to consider expanding into international markets. Nevertheless, prior to entering a new industry, it is critical that they conduct thorough market research (Molele, 2018). No matter if they're searching at emerging industries in South America, technologically advanced centers in Asia, or advanced economies in Europe, each region has a plethora of options for business development success. The potential to not only offer their present good or service in a new market to a new consumer base, but also to engage in and incorporate fresh product lines is another advantage of growing overseas. Having a much larger client base allows them to create more revenue and hence boost their profits (Ponte, Sturgeon & Dallas, 2019).

Maintaining their company's operations within its native market can restrict its profit potential. One of the disadvantages that businesses have when they exclusively operate in one nation is the increased sensitivity to market fluctuations. Taking your firm abroad provides them with the option to broaden their marketplaces, thereby increasing the stability of their income. If their native market is experiencing a slowdown, having the benefit of a worldwide market will help to buffer the corporation 's financial position amid difficult economic conditions (Mahapatra& Bhaduri, 2019).

Core business and global operations of the MNC’s
Reliance retail
Consumer-facing operations of Reliance Industries are centred on Reliance Retailing, which is the company's retail effort. Reliance Retail has always been at the vanguard of India's Structured Retail Movement, having been one of the first companies to do so. The operating strategy of Reliance Retail unlocks the ambitious spirit of a rising India, allowing it to thrive (Fernandez-Stark& Gereffi, 2019). The guiding concept of Reliance Retail is based on the concepts of enabling inclusiveness, development, and the creation of long-term benefit to society for tens of thousands of people. In a short amount of time, it has established strong and lasting relationships with millions of customers by offering them an unrivalled buying experience throughout its retail locations, as well as an unrestricted choice, an exceptional pricing structure, quality product, and an unrivalled business model (Gereffi, 2020).Throughout its history, Reliance Retail's expansion has precipitated a significant socio-economic change on an unprecedented level in India. Reliance Wholesale has been named the quickest growing global retailer for the second year in a row. It is placed 53rd on the list of the world's top retail giants, and this is the only Indian merchant to make up the top hundreds of the presence of international retailers. It is the biggest and most successful store in India, and it has the broadest geographic reach of any retailer. Across all of its platforms, Reliance Retail has much more than 150 lakh devoted customer to purchase from the company. Upwards of 640 million people visited its locations across the country in fiscal year 2020, a figure that is unsurpassed by any other merchant in India (Gereffi, 2020). Day after day, Reliance Retail conducts more than 100,000 operations per hour, achieving a scale that is unmatched in the Indian retail business. Reliance Retail is committed to raising the standard of living of lakhs of Indians. Reliance Retail has implemented a multi-pronged strategy and maintains a diverse range of new stores that cater to both scheduled and daily or infrequent shopping requirements of clients throughout the primary consumption buckets of groceries, consumer devices, and fashion and beauty (Ponte, Sturgeon & Dallas, 2019). With regard to the food and beverage industry's basket of goods and services, Reliance Retail continues to operate the Reliance Organic and Shree Kannan Divisional stores and even the SMART and Sensible Point retail channels, which specialise in food, organic produce (including bakery and milk products), hygiene products, and household goods objects. When it comes to the consumer technology consumption pattern, Reliance Retail continues to operate the Reliance Virtual and MyJio Storefronts, which offer a broad variety of consumer technology, household appliances, computer technology and manoeuvrability product lines, the fancy technology and apparel, and other related products to customers (Fernandez-Stark& Gereffi, 2019). RESQ, a full-service company and India's only ISO 9001-established electronic service brand, provides support for these retail locations. With respect to the Clothing and Accessories consuming baskets, Reliance Retail offers a variety of styles that cater to consumers in the value, mid-market, high and luxury categories, among others. Fashion retailing layout Reliance Retail continues to operate under the developments brand, which includes the trends female, trends boy, trends sportswear, project eve, Reliance Jewelries, and Hamleys, as well as an asset allocation of much more than 40 global brands such as Armani, Burberry, GAS, Marks & Spencer, SUPERDRY, Brooks Brothers, and Steve Madden, to name a few (Molele, 2018). In the growing e - commerce broadcaster, Reliance Retail does have a significant presence thru the AJIO.com, which is a compiled clothing and accessories shop that brings the best of major brands to clients' porch, and Jiomart, which is India's largest location - based retail remedy that enables the widespread reach of Reliance Retail's major supermarkets and well-structured distribution network infrastructural facilities (Pananond, Gereffi& Pedersen, 2020).

Tesco

Fig: Tesco retail
(Source: Tung, 2022)

Tesco has diversified its market beyond the United Kingdom to include 11 other nations around the world. Tesco withdrew from the United States in 2013, although the company continues to thrive in other parts of the world (Pierce& Lai, 2019). By forming a joint endeavour with regional stakeholders, such as the Samsung Electronics in South Korea and the Charoen Pokphand Group in Thailand, Sam Pointer's internationalization strategy tactic (based in Birkenhead) has replied to the requirement to be responsive to particular preconceptions in other nations by assigning a very significant proportion of neighbourhood employees to managerial roles (Mondliwa, Roberts& Ponte, 2021). Additionally, as part of its overall approach, it occasionally makes purchases. For examples, during the 2005/2006 fiscal year, it made purchases in South Korea, one in Poland, and one in Japan. Because of reduced revenue per square meter beyond the United Kingdom, Tesco's usable space well outside United Kingdom exceeded the quantity of store space there was in its household marketplace in delayed 2004 (Pananond, Gereffi& Pedersen, 2020). However, the United Kingdom nevertheless attributed for more than 75 percent of consolidated revenues, owing to reduced revenue per unit volume well outside Great Britain. Tesco said in September 2005 that it was trading its businesses in Taiwan to Carrefour and that this was acquiring Carrefour's outlets in the Czech Union and Slovakia from Carrefour. Both firms indicated that they were focussing their operations in places where they already had high market share to their advantage. As of now, Tesco's worldwide activities are significant, encompassing 13 overseas markets across three different continents, and foreign subsidiaries are progressively supporting Tesco's top - line growth (Raju& Singh, 2018). Already, about two-thirds of Tesco's retail space is situated outside of the United Kingdom. One of Tesco's most well-known overseas operations is Fresh & Easy, a beginning in the United States that has grown to run 164 locations throughout the continental United States. Because Tesco has committed significant resources to the introduction and development of the company, the company is anxious to see a profit for the company (Pananond, Gereffi& Pedersen, 2020). Fresh & Easy's liking-for-liking sales risen dramatically in 2010/11 as the format picked up steam, but the company's losses soared as a result of the acquisition of two fresh food providers. As Tesco's youngest market, India represents a significant opportunity for the company, which is willing to expand its cash and carry network in conjunction with Tata Group's total sales, Trent. A franchising deal with Trent was also signed to assist the company in the expansion of its Star Bazaar superstore operations in the region (Mondliwa, Roberts& Ponte, 2021). Despite the fact that federal regulations forbidding the procedure of foreign-acquired multi-brand stores in India constrain development strategies in the country, the release would provide Tesco with important insights into the Indian food market as well as provide a framework for commercial properties in the occasion that constraints are hoisted (Agdayemawer& Kumar, 2019).

Foreign exchange exposure
The vulnerability to foreign exchange risk that transnational businesses experience arises from unforeseen fluctuations in the exchange values of economies in which they conduct business is referred to as foreign exchange risk. In the financial world, a currency exchange vulnerability is described as a contracted, anticipated, or conditional working capital whose size is not clear at the time of contracting and is dependent on future changes in the foreign currency values of the economies involved. Firms typically employ hedging, a practise that helps them safeguard themselves against foreign exchange risks that arise as a result of the unpredictability of currency fluctuations (Pierce& Lai, 2019). Foreign currency alternatives are utilised by businesses to protect themselves against foreign currency liabilities in hedging. Forwards, contracts, swaps, and choices are typical derivatives that are utilised by businesses all over the world to manage the risks associated with foreign exchange. When it comes to financial instruments, Transaction Vulnerability is considered as a measure of the fluctuations in the price of existing financial commitments that were previously assigned to fluctuations in exchange values and that are expected to be fulfilled in the foreseeable. A monetary obligation's transaction vulnerability is generated by the risk that the cash inflows associated with the commitment may vary as a result of developments in the value of a currency (Raju& Singh, 2018). When it comes to financial exposure, it refers to the risk that the current value of a company's estimated future revenue flows will alter as a result of an unanticipated changes in exchange rates. It is referred to as operating vulnerability in some circles. It assesses the changes to the current value of a company as a consequence of any adjustment in future operating income as a consequence of unanticipated fluctuations in conversion rates, such as those caused by inflation (Chang& Hung, 2018).

Reliance Industries Ltd. is a globally recognised operator in the complete energy value cycle, with a growing presence in India's digital commerce services sectors as well. A wide range of RIL operational processes are carried out, ranging from oil and gas development and manufacturing to the producing of oil products, polyester product lines and polyester middlemen, plastics and polyethylene counterparties as well as chemicals, synthesised fabrics and textile materials, general merchandise, and information technology. In India, RIL operates the nation's biggest refinery (Pierce& Lai, 2019). Tesco is susceptible to foreign exchange volatility primarily through transactional exposure, which originates from the expense of future procurement of goods that are priced in a currencies other than the operational money of the business that is making the acquisition. Foreign exchange risks associated with transactions that potentially have a massive influence on the Firm's financial statements are covered. Over the next one year, these levels of exposure will be hedged using upwards foreign exchange possibilities, which are identified as cash stream hedges. The regulation is to get a hedge threshold of forecast undecided exposure that is between a span of 20 percent and a highest of 80 percent sometime in the next one year (Chang & Hung, 2018).Tesco's overseas revenues climbed at a rate of 13.8 percent in 2010/11, more than three times the rate of the company's 4.3 percent growth in the United Kingdom (Agdayemawer & Kumar, 2019). Since Tesco is constructing stores at a quicker rate than its competitors, the retailer is expected to have more locations well outside United Kingdom than it does within its native market in late of the 2011 fiscal year.

Techniques against foreign exchange risk

Discussion of other risks
All export earnings are received in foreign exchange for the reliance, and local rates are determined in accordance with import duties pricing. As a result, any strengthening of the rupee versus different exchange seems to assist the corporation in growing its revenue. Foreign exchange forwarding and futures are used to hedge the firm's currency risk to a significant extent, with options being used as a second line of defence (Tian).

Invoices for loans made to non-UK affiliates in denominations besides the group's functioning currency. The Tesco's currency volatility is hedged to the tune of 100 percent, according to its policy. A foreign currency options and bank debt in corresponding currencies are used to limit the risk associated with the foreign exchange exposure. Those weren't formally recognised as hedges because the profits and losses on hedging and hedged mortgages will automatically offset each other over the long term (Pierce & Lai, 2019). Obviously, the status of the industry has a significant effect on the amount of money that people have to spend. There are other political risks to consider: Because of new Korean regulations, the firm's Korean Homeplus outlets can no more be available around at the hours, and they must also close on two Sundays every 30 days, reducing the sales revenue by 100 billion british pounds in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

References
Agdayemawer, A., & Kumar, M. (2019). Impact of Visual Merchandising on Consumers’ Buying ChoiCe with referenCe to Reliance Fresh. International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering, 7(12), 166-175.
BEULA, S. G. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT OF RETAIL TRADE THROUGH RELIANCE INDUSTRIES IN TIRUCHIRAPPALI DISTRICT. (BEULA). Chang, H. H., & Hung, I. W. (2018). Mirror, mirror on the retail wall: Self-focused attention promotes reliance on feelings in consumer decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 55(4), 586-599.
Fernandez-Stark, K., & Gereffi, G. (2019). Global value chain analysis: A primer. In Handbook on global value chains. International finance assignmentEdward Elgar Publishing.
Gereffi, G. (2020). What does the COVID-19 pandemic teach us about global value chains The case of medical supplies. Journal of International Business Policy, 3(3), 287-301.
Mahapatra, S., & Bhaduri, S. N. (2019). Dynamics of the impact of currency fluctuations on stock markets in India: Assessing the pricing of exchange rate risks. Borsa Istanbul Review, 19(1), 15-23.
Molele, M. H. (2018). Foreign exchange risk exposure, hedging behaviour, and corporate valuations: Evidence from South Africa (Doctoral dissertation, University of Cape Town).
Mondliwa, P., Roberts, S., & Ponte, S. (2021). Competition and power in global value chains. Competition & Change, 25(3-4), 328-349. Pananond, P., Gereffi, G., & Pedersen, T. (2020). An integrative typology of global strategy and global value chains: the management and organization of cross border activities. Global Strategy Journal, 10(3), 421-443.
Paranita, E. S., & Wahyudi, S. (2020). The Influence of Foreign Exchange Risk towards Shareholder Value.
Pierce, G., & Lai, L. (2019). Toward a comprehensive explanatory model of reliance on alternatives to the tap: evidence from California's retail water stores. Journal of water and health, 17(3), 455-462.
Ponte, S., Sturgeon, T. J., & Dallas, M. P. (2019). Governance and power in global value chains. In Handbook on global value chains. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Raju, G. S., & Singh, S. P. (2018). Business model practices in Indian retail sector: a conceptual study. Indian J Commer Manag Stud, 9(1), 24-28.
Tian, Q. Analysis on the Business Strategy of Tesco in the Chinese Market.
Tung, L. (2022). Tesco's website restored after suspected cyberattack | ZDNet. ZDNet. Retrieved 22 January 2022, from https://www.zdnet.com/article/tescos-website-restored-after-suspected-cyberattack/.