...MWEMA, Sophia (344 words) Canadian Companies Need More Women on Corporate Boards Women are continuously under-represented in leadership positions despite constituting a large part of the workforce. A recent GMI ratings study revealed that only 13.1% of Canadian board members are females (Tedesco, 2013). Gender diversity has economic benefits to businesses rather than merely being a matter of social justice, as it is evident from studies and interviews in various articles showing the current level of public understanding on females’ representation (Carlson, 2013; Toller, 2013). Companies are urged to diversify their board membership because women have a “complex moral reasoning”(p. 51) unlike the “traditional normative thinking”(p. 51) by men (Toller, 2013). Consequently, women will challenge the board by asking more questions, which leads to efficient decision-making. However, women remain passive despite their talents because today’s business setting is male biased (Toller, 2013). Like men, most corporations think of success as a victory, whereas, women aim at personal growth and dignity. Furthermore, there is the prevalence of misleading sexist stereotypes such as there are more talented men than women (Carlson, 2013). Canada must choose either quotas or “comply or explain” policy to increase women’s representation. Stakeholders suggest the latter because the policy creates awareness since firms disclose their strategies to diversify board membership and still retain...
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...many decades, the Canadian dollar has been lower compare to the United States. This has its advantages and disadvantages for the video game industry in both countries. An advantage for the Canadian video game industry it is a disadvantage for US video game industry. Therefore, advantage for US video game is a disadvantage for Canadian Video game industry. For instances an advantage for Canada video game industry, the industry will experience a tremendous high inflow of American customers buying Canadian video games; meaning Canadian video game is constantly selling their products. Therefore, Canadian companies are doing better because in order for a company to be better off; the company’s accounts receivable and inventory turnover ratio must be higher and days to sell must be lower. This is a disadvantage for US because their dollar is worth more, but Canada is getting high inflow of tourist from US because of higher US exchange rate, as a result those tourists expend lots of revenue on Canadian goods and services. Since Canada is one of the biggest exporters in the world, an advantage for the US is that, the exports sales converts into larger amount in Canadian dollars (which is a disadvantage for Canada); meaning US production cost is lower in Canadian dollars. The Exchange rate changes all the time, an increase in Canadian dollar may also have its advantages and disadvantages for companies in general in Canada “As part of a globalized industry, a given Canadian publisher or developer...
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...Phixonix is a graphic design company out of Toronto, Canada. Mikayla Cain is the chief financial officer of this company. The major issue in this case is high exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. and Canadian dollar. Historically, there have been sharp increases and decreases of the value of one currency to the other. In the early 1970s, the Canadian dollar was valued higher than the US dollar. In 2002, the Canadian dollar valued at an all-time low at US$0.6179. In 2007, Canada’s economic welfare increased as that of the US decreased. The two currencies were trading at parity for the first time since 1976. RBC forecasts that the Canadian dollar will appreciate to $1.08 before declining below parity in the second half of the following year. The biggest issues in this case are the timing and degree of change to which exchange rate fluctuations occur. In the past few years, the Canadian dollar has been showing strength compared to the US dollar. Most believed this increase was due to the high price of Canadian commodity exports, primarily oil. Despite the recent trend of Canadian dollar strength and the tough economic times in the US, Cain should be worried about the upcoming exchange rate fluctuation for a number of reasons: 1. The US markets are continuing to rally back after the crisis. 2. The largest international trader in Canadian dollars, RBC, has raised its outlook on the US dollar, and predicts soon the two currencies will be at parity (trading at the...
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...relative to Canadian inflation. Other things being equal, how should this affect the (a) U.S. demand for Canadian dollars, (b) supply of Canadian dollars for sale, and (c) equilibrium value of the Canadian dollar? ANSWER: If U.S inflation rate becomes high relative to Canadian dollars then the demand for Canadian dollars should increase, supply of Canadian dollars for sale should decrease, and the Canadian dollar’s value should increase. Q3. Assume U.S. interest rates fall relative to British interest rates. Other things being equal, how should this affect the (a) U.S. demand for British pounds, (b) supply of pounds for sale, and (c) equilibrium value of the pound? ANSWER: If U.S interest rates fall relative to British interest rate then the demand for pounds should increase, supply of pounds for sale should decrease, and the pound’s value should increase. Q4. Assume that the U.S. income level rises at a much higher rate than does the Canadian income level. Other things being equal, how should this affect the (a) U.S. demand for Canadian dollars, (b) supply of Canadian dollars for sale, and (c) equilibrium value of the Canadian dollar? ANSWER: Assuming no effect on U.S. interest rates and if U.S income level rises at a much higher rate, then demand for dollars should increase, supply of dollars for sale may not be affected, and the dollar’s value should increase. Q5. Assume that the Japanese government relaxes its controls on imports by Japanese companies. Other...
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...and banks. However, a currency forward has little flexibility and represents a binding obligation, which means that the contract buyer or seller cannot walk away if the “locked in” rate eventually proves to be adverse. Therefore, to compensate for the risk of non-delivery or non-settlement, financial institutions that deal in currency forwards may require a deposit from retail investors or smaller firms with whom they do not have a business relationship. The mechanism for determining a currency forward rate is straightforward, and depends on interest rate differentials for the currency pair (assuming both currencies are freely traded on the forex market). For example, assume a current spot rate for the Canadian dollar of US$1 = C$1.0500, a one-year interest rate for Canadian dollars of 3%, and one-year interest rate for...
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...=========================================== When reporting a crime to local police, you should insist on receiving the Comprobante de Denuncia as confirmation that a report has been made. Police officers may speak only Spanish. Passports and Visas A valid Canadian passport is required for Canadians intending to visit Cuba. The passport must be valid for at least one month beyond the date of your expected departure from Cuba. Canadians must also carry a tourist card (or visa), or a business or student visa. The tourist card is generally provided by tour operators or airlines, or can be obtained from a Cuban government office in Canada in the case of privately organized flights. It can also be purchased at certain airports in Canada. Health Insurance Since May 1, 2010, travellers must present proof of health insurance in order to enter the country. Upon arrival, travellers may be required to present an insurance policy, insurance certificate, or medical assistance card valid for the period of their stay in Cuba. Those who do not have proof of insurance coverage may be required to obtain health insurance from a Cuban insurance company when they arrive. Temporary residents also have to hold valid health insurance policies. Although proof of Canadian provincial health insurance is sufficient for visitors to enter Cuba, your provincial plan may cover only part of the costs and will not pay the...
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...Canada from responding to a rapidly changing economic environment. Discuss what the weaknesses are and how they have hampered Canadian competitiveness. Finally, offer your own assessment, drawing on course materials, of this argument. There are numerous economic weaknesses that the author has argued. This essay mainly focuses on these flaws and how they are hampering Canadian competitiveness. Firstly majority of the companies in Canada are foreign owned or foreign controlled. From manufacturing sector including auto, chemical, and electronics to giant retail stores such as Wal-mart, Costco, Sears, Hudson Bay, etc are all foreign owned. In automobile sector GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, etc dominates the auto industry in Canada. The automotive industry employs 158,302 people in automotive assembly and component manufacturing, and another 336,212 in distribution and aftermarket sales and service[1]. These foreign operated companies are extremely aggressive in nature, tough for domestic companies to compete and have monopoly over Canadian market. In addition they are usually productive than domestically controlled companies. Equally important it seems that foreign industry has assisted Canadian economy to become stronger and employ Canadian, however Government studies revealed that foreign enterprises had generally employed Canadian capital to expand their resource and manufacturing concerns rather than bringing new capital into the country to fund growth[2]...
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...Identification of Problems Pixonix is a Canadian company that makes major purchases in the United States. The American and Canadian dollars are always changing, and the company is faced with the difficult decision of how they will react to the constant change in currency exchange rates. Pixonix is very susceptible to failure and losses as a result of this fluctuating exchange rate. This is known as the foreign exchange risk. At present, the Canadian dollar is valued above the US. dollar, but if the Canadian dollar dips, it could have a unfavorable fiscal outcome for Pixonix when it comes time to purchasing new tools and software in US dollars. On the other side of this, if the Canadian dollar continues to rise above the US dollar, Pixonix may have trouble selling their products to US consumers. There are a number of ways that Pixonix can insure against the foreign exchange risk, but Cain has no previous experience in these strategies. Analysis of Problems The exchange rate fluctuation is a concern for any Canadian company because the US market also drives the Canadian market. That being said, Pixonix is affected by the exchange rate fluctuation specifically because it licensed tools and software for an annual cost of $7.5 US. This is a significantly different number in Canadian dollars if the exchange rate of $1 Canadian is worth $1.0717US. Cain is concerned about the fluctuating Canadian dollar because she needs to convert Canadian dollars to US dollars to pay for the tools...
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...Using the Accenture document on governance presented with the Alcan case, place Canadian Shield in the appropriate quadrant. According to the Accenture document, I would place Canadian Shield within the efficient, predictable operator category. The slow rate of change and need to compete on operational efficiencies characterized by most companies in this quadrant is detailed by the following quote from the case authors. “Sustainability for Canadian insurance companies greatly depended on investments in projects that increased customer service and improved operational efficiency.” This comment is aligned with the predictable operator company practices and is evidence that in order to gain a competitive advantage in the Canadian insurance industry it is vital that operational efficiencies are realized through better IT solutions at Canadian Shield and its parent company, Assurance Centrale Inc. (AC). In the key decision going forward, is this Seamus' call? If not, whose decision is it? Who should make the decision? Under what decision area(s) in the Weill & Ross governance model does this decision fall? As the leader of Information Systems at Canadian Shield, one of many subsidiaries of Assurance Centrale, Seamus Reynolds was tasked with piloting a new information system that could potentially replace the IS’s at all of Assurance Centrale’s regional offices. Five years after starting this project he was feeling the weight of the responsibility for a project that could...
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...year ago. Wheat is the dominant food grain of world commerce with 682 million tons productions, 638 million tons consumption, and 136 million tons trade with 197 million tons ending stocks. Wheat is the most common food product and it is widely used by each group of society. So, we plan to import wheat from India because India stands at number 2nd after China in wheat production. It contributes 81 million tons. India's production rate expected to raise high during current years. The wheat harvesting area in India is the world's largest. It is cultivated from a sea level up to even 10,000 feet. More than 95 percent of the wheat area in India is situated north of a line drawn. India, the second-biggest grower of wheat, allowed private companies to export the grain for the first time in four years, Food Minister K.V. Thomas said. A panel of ministers permitted overseas sales of 2 million metric tons of wheat. Varieties of wheat in India Dara Kalyan Mexican 147‐Avg. Desi (Durum) Economic, financial and marketing reasons for the choice of wheat As wheat is the most common food product and used in every part of the world and each group of the people, it is in demand in every country. Everywhere people eat something, includes a part of wheat for example pizza base, sandwich, bread, and everything like that. Being a most common product it is always demanded and it is a great opportunity for the countries where wheat is produced in a...
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...have responded to your request regarding an analysis of the Canadian Tire Corporation and in this report you will find the information about the Company and their recent corporate activity. We have identified various points that will be useful in your decision to invest in this company. We have included information regarding Canadian Tire’s history, the products and services offered by them, and an analysis of the internal and external factors that affect the Corporation’s operations. We have also assessed the critical issues the company is currently facing along with their major implications. In order to see the direction in which the company is head, we also evaluated their vision, mission and long term objectives and strategies, followed by a sound strategy assessment. We have also analysed the company’s marketing strategy in regards to three of the products that they offer and also an overview of the marketing mix pursued by the company in general. We collected data regarding their financials of the past three fiscal years, and checked their sources of capital. Lastly, we have provided conclusions and our recommendations about the company keeping in mind the overall shape of the company’s future operations. We hope that this report guides you in your decision to invest in this company. Sincerely, Star Investors This letter would be even better if it had several paragraphs! 2012 INVESTOR ANALYSIS OF THE CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION November 27, 2012 ...
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...to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services, c/o Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail cases@ivey.uwo.ca. Copyright © 2008, Ivey Management Services Version: (A) 2008-06-05 THE COMPANY tC On Friday November 2, 2007, Mikayla Cain, chief financial officer of Pixonix Inc., sat in her office and pondered the impact of the strong Canadian dollar on her firm’s projected financial results. The Report on Business today stated that the Canadian dollar had hit another record, jumping to US$1.0717 from the previous day’s close of $1.0512 after a stronger-than-expected jobs report reduced the odds of an interestrate cut. The Canadian dollar had already been the world’s best-performing major currency this year, increasing 25 per cent against the U.S. dollar and almost seven per cent in the past month alone. Cain knew she would have to understand the impact of the strong dollar on her firm’s cash flows and the tools available to manage the company’s currency risk. No Pixonix was a graphic design company that operated in...
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...When it comes to FX trading, traders have two sets of currencies that come in a pair. The fluctuations in the exchange rate between these two currencies are where a trader looks to make profit on the Exchange Market. If trader believes that the foreign currency will appreciate against the USD, the trader’s profits will rise with every increase in the exchange price. However if the foreign currency were to fall against the dollar, than the trader would take a loss. Seems simple enough, however traders have option to buy or sell that foreign currency at any time and can go both ways of the currency. So even if the foreign currency were to depreciate against the USD, the trader can still make a profit if they were to sell the dollar on the exchange market. To bring some clarity lets take a look at the Yen. If the Yen were appreciate (rises) against the dollar. A trader would than buy the Yen. By buying the Yen the buyer is also selling the dollar on expectation that the exchange price of the Yen will rise in value. The trader will than decide to close the position, selling the Yen with the exchange price higher than when they first bought it leaving them an increase in value or profit. Now if the Yen were to depreciate against the dollar, the YEN/USD exchange price will fall. That would than leave the trader with a loss as the exchange price falls below their purchase level and leave them a loss. In any trading market, the traders have the option of buying or selling currency...
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...CHAPTER 7 Swaps Practice Questions Problem 7.1. Companies A and B have been offered the following rates per annum on a $20 million five-year loan: | |Fixed Rate |Floating Rate | |Company A |5.0% |LIBOR+0.1% | |Company B |6.4% |LIBOR+0.6% | Company A requires a floating-rate loan; company B requires a fixed-rate loan. Design a swap that will net a bank, acting as intermediary, 0.1% per annum and that will appear equally attractive to both companies. A has an apparent comparative advantage in fixed-rate markets but wants to borrow floating. B has an apparent comparative advantage in floating-rate markets but wants to borrow fixed. This provides the basis for the swap. There is a 1.4% per annum differential between the fixed rates offered to the two companies and a 0.5% per annum differential between the floating rates offered to the two companies. The total gain to all parties from the swap is therefore [pic]% per annum. Because the bank gets 0.1% per annum of this gain, the swap should make each of A and B 0.4% per annum better off. This means that it should lead to A borrowing at LIBOR [pic]% and to B borrowing at 6.0%. The appropriate...
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...Introduction: Clearwater Seafoods (CS) is a seafood exporting firm based in Canada. The firm is suffering value declining from international trade due to the appreciation of Canadian dollars. Hence, the company’s value declined for 35% that fails to distribute dividends under income trust since 2002. The company has to hold a conference for shareholders to establish an appropriate strategy to address the value declining problem and change its unit holder’s pessimistic shareholding sentiment. This report will initially identify the root of foreign exchange risk that Clearwater Seafoods is encountering. After then, it will also discuss about the business risks that the firm needs to overcome. Further, we will try to find out relevant strategy to solve the company’s current issue. CS Foreign Exchange Risk As CS conducts international seafood trading, therefore, the firms receives foreign currencies and transfers its revenue into Canadian dollars. Additionally, the firm arranges its foreign exchange risk management operations which provide a considerable extra income for CS. However, there are significant risk will bring along from its foreign exchange management. Foreign exchange risk can be divided in to three types which are translation, transaction and economic risk. For CS, it source of foreign exchange risk can be as follows The first sort of risk is the translation risk. This occurs from the potential loss due to the moment when foreign currency transferred into home...
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