Asst.General Manager-Treasury
99 Points
Joined December 2011
Hi
Let me tell u how to calculate cross rate
Often one gets confused while calculation of rate whether to take bid rate or ask rate.
In foreign exchange market always think with selfish motives i.e. give less to other and take more from others. As a banker you will always give less to customer and take more from customer. As a market taker (user), a customer has to accept the adverse rate given by banker. As an exporter, a customer will always sell his receivable in foreign currencies, so he has to accept the Bid rate. (Bid rate is the rate at which bank is ready to buy) As a importer, a customer will always buy for his payables in foreign currency so he has to accept Ask rate (Ask rate is the rate at which bank is ready to sell)
In case of cross rates here is some simple method explained with e.g.
1) EUR/INR to be calculated given EUR/USD 1.3200/1.3202 and USD/INR= 49.00/49.02
EUR is in numerator and INR in denominator so
EUR/INR = EUR x USD
USD INR
= 1.3200 x 49.00 (here the product is multiplication)
= 64.68 (Bid rate) the rate given to exporter
Since a banker will give ex porter the worst rate and what constitute the worst rate? The bid rate of EUR/USD and Bid rate of USD/INR and what constitute the worst rate for importer? The Ask rate of EUR/USD and Ask Rate of USD/INR i.e. 1.3202 x 49.02 = 69.72
2) JPY/INR to be calculated given USD/JPY = 81.50/81.52 and USD/INR = 49.00/49.02
JPY is in numerator and INR in denominator
JPY/INR = JPY x USD here JPY/USD is reciprocal quote of USD/JPY = 1/ (USD/JPY)
USD INR
= 1 . x USD
(USD/JPY) INR
So bid rate = 1 . x 49.00 (here the product is division)
81.52
= 0.6012
Since here the product is division, the worst rate for exporter has to be a lower numerator and higher denominator and the worst rate for importer will be a higher numerator and lower denominator
Thus from the above we can conclude that if the base currency is same in both the pair we need to divide to get the cross rate and if the base currency is different in each pair then we need to multiply to get the cross rate.
Regarding your question
it is given 1FF= $0.2030 and 1DG= $ 0.6194 and 1CAD= FF 3.6347
i.e. FF/USD= 0.2030 , DG/USD =0.6194 and CAD/FF = 3.6347,
We require to find out 1CAD = how much USD i.e. CAD/USD
CAD/USD = CAD/FF x FF/USD
= 3.6347 x 0.2030
= 0.7378
so US $ value is 0.7378 for 1 CAD
Also u can find out 1 USD = how much CAD
= 1/0.7378
= 1USD =1.3553 CAD
The quote of DG is not required in calculation of CAD/USD
There is no existence of FF amd DG it has been replace by EURO on 1st jan 1999