Reserve Bank of Australia Annual Report – 2017 Financial Statements Note 15 – Financial Instruments and Risk

As the central bank in Australia, the RBA is responsible for implementing monetary policy and managing Australia's foreign reserve assets. Consequently, the RBA holds a range of financial assets, including government securities, repurchase agreements and foreign currency swaps. As to financial liabilities, the RBA issues Australia's banknotes and takes deposits from its customers, mainly the Australian Government, and eligible financial institutions. The RBA also provides banking services to its customers and operates Australia's high-value payments and interbank settlement systems.

Financial Risk

The RBA is exposed to a range of financial risks that reflect its policy and operational responsibilities. These risks include market risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. The chapters on ‘Operations in Financial Markets’ and ‘Risk Management’ provide information on the RBA's management of these financial risks. The RBA's approach to managing financial risk is set out in the Risk Appetite Statement available on the RBA website.

Market risk

Market risk is the risk that the fair value or future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in market prices. Market risk comprises foreign exchange risk and interest rate risk.

Foreign exchange risk

Foreign exchange risk is the risk that the fair value or cash flows of the RBA's foreign currency assets and liabilities will fluctuate because of movements in exchange rates. An appreciation in the Australian dollar results in valuation losses, while a depreciation leads to valuation gains. The overall level of foreign currency exposure is determined by policy considerations. The RBA's net foreign currency exposure as at 30 June 2017 was $51.8 billion ($53.3 billion as at 30 June 2016). Within the overall exposure and to a limited extent, foreign currency risk can be mitigated by holding assets across a diversified portfolio of currencies. The RBA holds foreign reserves in seven currencies – the US dollar, euro, Japanese yen, Canadian dollar, Chinese renminbi, UK pound sterling and South Korean won.

The RBA also undertakes foreign currency swaps to assist its daily domestic liquidity management and to manage foreign reserve assets. These instruments carry no foreign exchange risk.

Concentration of foreign exchange

The RBA's net holdings of foreign exchange (excluding Special Drawing Rights and Asian Bond Fund 2) were distributed as follows as at 30 June:

  Per cent of foreign exchange
2017 2016
US dollar 55 55
Euro 20 20
Japanese yen 5 5
Canadian dollar 5 5
Chinese renminbi 5 5
UK pound sterling 5 5
South Korean won 5 5
Total foreign exchange 100 100

Sensitivity to foreign exchange risk

The sensitivity of the RBA's profit and equity to a movement of +/−10 per cent in the value of the Australian dollar exchange rate as at 30 June is shown below. These figures are generally reflective of the RBA's exposure over the financial year.

  2017
$M
2016
$M
Change in profit/equity due to a 10 per cent appreciation in the reserves-weighted value of the A$ (4,715) (4,845)
Change in profit/equity due to a 10 per cent depreciation in the reserves-weighted value of the A$ 5,763 5,922

Interest rate risk

Interest rate risk is the risk that the fair value or cash flows of financial instruments will fluctuate because of movements in market interest rates. The RBA faces interest rate risk because most of its assets are financial assets that have a fixed income stream, such as Australian dollar and foreign currency securities. The price of such securities rises when market interest rates decline, and it falls if market rates rise. Interest rate risk increases with the maturity of a security. Interest rate risk on foreign assets is controlled through limits on the duration of these portfolios. Interest rate risk on Australian dollar assets is relatively low as most of the portfolio is held in short-term reverse repurchase agreements.

Sensitivity to interest rate risk

The figures below show the effect on the RBA's profit and equity of a movement of +/−1 percentage point in interest rates, given the level, composition and modified duration of the RBA's foreign currency and Australian dollar securities as at 30 June.

  2017
$M
2016
$M
Change in profit/equity due to movements of +/−1 percentage point across yield curves:    
Foreign currency securities −/+287 −/+339
Australian dollar securities −/+157 −/+144

Liquidity risk

Liquidity risk is the risk that the RBA will not have the resources required at a particular time to meet its obligations to settle its financial liabilities. As the ultimate source of liquidity in Australian dollars, the RBA can create liquidity in unlimited amounts in Australian dollars at any time. A small component of the RBA's liabilities is in foreign currencies, namely foreign repurchase agreements.

Liquidity risk may also be associated with the RBA, in extraordinary circumstances, being forced to sell a financial asset at a price less than its fair value. The RBA manages this risk by holding a diversified portfolio of highly liquid Australian dollar and foreign currency assets.

The analysis of portfolio maturity in the table that follows is based on the RBA's contracted portfolio as reported in the RBA's Statement of Financial Position. All financial instruments are shown at their remaining term to maturity, which is equivalent to the repricing period. Other liabilities include amounts outstanding under repurchase agreements. Foreign currency swaps reflect the gross settlement amount of the RBA's outstanding foreign currency swap positions.

Maturity Analysis – as at 30 June 2017
  Balance sheet total
$M
Contracted maturity
$M
No specified maturity
$M
Weighted average effective rate %
On demand 0 to 3 months 3 to 12 months 1 to 5
years
Over 5
years
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents 221 41 179 1 1.21
Australian dollar investments
Securities sold under repurchase
agreements
na
Securities purchased under repurchase agreements 90,303   63,198 800 26,305 1.65
Other securities 14,068 4,579 7,048 1,383 1,058 1.77
Accrued interest 398 392 6 na
  104,769              
Foreign currency investments
Balances with central banks 20,340 19,624 716 0.04
Securities sold under repurchase agreements 1,580 842 738 1.30
Securities purchased under repurchase agreements 4,134 4,134 1.06
Other securities 57,265 34,178 11,440 5,806 122 5,719 0.40
Deposits 194 193 1 1.05
Cash collateral provided na
Accrued interest 64 45 19 na
  83,577              
Gold
Gold holdings on loan 365 209 156 0.21
Gold holdings 3,782 3,782 na
  4,147              
Property, plant & equipment 741 741 na
Other assets 557 25 7 5 2 518 na
Total assets 194,012 19,665 107,848 20,318 7,932 1,182 37,067 1.05
Liabilities
Deposits 92,669 33,682 58,987 1.56
Distribution payable to the Commonwealth 1,286 1,066 220 na
Cash collateral received 1,108 1,108 1.50
Australian banknotes on issue 73,623 73,623 0.05
Other liabilities 3,563 3,354 209 0.42
Total liabilities 172,249 33,682 64,515 220 73,832 0.88
Capital and reserves 21,763              
Total balance sheet 194,012              
Swaps
Australian dollars
Contractual outflow (170) (170)  
Contractual inflow 28,815 28,815  
  28,645 28,645  
Foreign currency
Contractual outflow (52,745) (52,745)  
Contractual inflow 24,100 24,100  
  (28,645) (28,645)  
Maturity Analysis – as at 30 June 2016
  Balance sheet total
$M
Contracted maturity
$M
No specified maturity
$M
Weighted average effective rate %
On demand 0 to 3 months 3 to 12 months 1 to 5 years Over 5
years
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents 367 30 336 1 1.50
Australian dollar investments
Securities sold under repurchase
agreements
35 35 2.51
Securities purchased under repurchase agreements 83,223 58,315 1,828 23,080 1.83
Other securities 5,069 3,922 1,147 1.80
Accrued interest 173 163 10 na
  88,500              
Foreign currency investments
Balances with central banks 8,135 7,394 741 0.04
Securities sold under repurchase agreements 4,491 3,463 1,028 0.40
Securities purchased under repurchase agreements 5,873 5,873 0.67
Other securities 51,931 28,411 11,356 6,139 510 5,515 0.09
Deposits 42 42 0.44
Cash collateral provided 2,329 2,329 1.75
Accrued interest 78 56 22 na
  72,879              
Gold
Gold holdings on loan 402 230 172 0.22
Gold holdings 4,165 4,165 na
  4,567              
Property, plant & equipment 640 640 na
Other assets 536 23 4 6 2 501 na
Total assets 167,489 7,424 96,519 16,855 11,095 1,694 33,902 1.03
Liabilities
Deposits 61,210 30,943 30,267 1.69
Distribution payable to the Commonwealth 3,222 3,222 na
Cash collateral received na
Australian banknotes on issue 70,209 70,209 0.06
Other liabilities 8,936 8,346 590 0.26
Total liabilities 143,577 30,943 41,835 70,799 0.77
Capital and reserves 23,912              
Total balance sheet 167,489              
Swaps
Australian dollars
Contractual outflow (115) (115)  
Contractual inflow 9,255 9,255  
  9,140 9,140  
Foreign currency
Contractual outflow (34,472) (34,472)  
Contractual inflow 25,332 25,332  
  (9,140) (9,140)  

Credit risk

Credit risk is the potential for financial loss arising from an issuer or counterparty defaulting on its obligations to: repay principal; make interest payments due on an asset; or settle a transaction. The RBA's credit exposure is managed within a framework designed to contain risk to a level consistent with its very low appetite for such risk. In particular, credit risk is controlled by: holding securities issued by a limited number of highly rated governments, government-guaranteed agencies and supranational organisations; and holding high-quality collateral against reverse repurchase agreements.

The RBA's maximum exposure to credit risk for each class of recognised financial assets, other than derivatives, is the carrying amount of those assets as indicated in the balance sheet.

The RBA's maximum credit risk exposure to derivative financial instruments is:

  1. Foreign exchange swaps – As at 30 June 2017, the RBA was under contract to purchase $24.1 billion of foreign currency ($25.3 billion at 30 June 2016) and sell $52.7 billion of foreign currency ($34.5 billion at 30 June 2016). As of that date there was a net unrealised gain of $1.5 billion on these swap positions included in net profit ($1.9 billion unrealised loss at 30 June 2016).

    The RBA has a credit exposure from foreign exchange swaps because of the risk that a counterparty might fail to deliver the second leg of a swap, a sum that would then have to be replaced in the market, potentially at a loss. To manage credit risk on swaps, the RBA exchanges collateral with counterparties under terms specified in credit support annexes (CSAs), which cover the potential cost of replacing the swap position in the market if a counterparty fails to deliver. The RBA's CSAs specify that only Australian dollar cash is eligible as collateral. Under CSAs, either party to the agreement may be obliged to deliver collateral with interest paid or received on a monthly basis. At 30 June 2017, the RBA held $1.1 billion of collateral ($2.3 billion of collateral was provided at 30 June 2016).

  2. Interest rate futures – As at 30 June 2017, the amount of credit risk on margin accounts associated with interest rate futures contracts held by the RBA was approximately $0.8 million ($0.4 million at 30 June 2016). As at 30 June 2017, there was an unrealised gain of $0.3 million brought to account on those contracts ($0.2 million unrealised loss at 30 June 2016).

The RBA held no past due or impaired assets at 30 June 2017 or 30 June 2016.

Collateral held under reverse repurchase agreements

Cash invested under reverse repurchase agreements in overseas markets is secured against government securities or securities issued by US agencies; the RBA takes and maintains collateral to the value of 102 per cent of the cash invested. Cash invested under Australian dollar reverse repurchase agreements is secured by securities issued by Australian governments, banks and various corporate and asset-backed securities. The RBA holds collateral equivalent to the amount invested plus a margin according to the risk profile of the collateral held. If the current value of collateral falls by more than a predetermined amount, the counterparty is required to provide additional collateral to restore this margin; the thresholds are specified in the legal agreements which govern these transactions. The management of collateral and cash associated with tri-party repurchase agreements is conducted through a third party, in this case the Australian Securities Exchange. The terms and requirements of tri-party repurchase agreements are broadly consistent with bilateral agreements and the RBA manages the risk in a similar way. The RBA does not sell or re-pledge securities held as collateral under reverse repurchase agreements.

Collateral provided under repurchase agreements

At 30 June 2017, the carrying amount of securities sold and contracted for purchase under repurchase agreements was $1,580 million ($4,527 million at 30 June 2016). Terms and conditions of repurchase agreements are consistent with those for reverse repurchase agreements disclosed above.

Concentration of credit risk

As noted, the RBA operates to minimise its credit risk exposure through comprehensive risk management policy guidelines. The following table indicates the concentration of credit risk in the RBA's investment portfolio.

  Risk rating of security/issuer(a) Risk rating of counterparties(a) Per cent of investments
2017 2016
Australian dollar investments
Holdings of Australian Government Securities Aaa na 6.1 1.6
Holdings of semi-government securities Aaa na 0.5 0.6
  Aa na 0.8 0.9
Securities purchased under reverse Aaa Aa 27.4 26.4
repurchase agreements Aaa A 10.1 10.4
  Aaa Baa 0.2 0.0
  Aaa Other(b) 1.3 1.1
  Aa Aa 2.8 8.1
  Aa A 1.7 1.5
  Aa Baa 0.2 0.1
  Aa Other(b) 0.1 0.1
  A Aa 1.7 1.4
  A A 1.0 0.5
  A Baa 0.0 0.1
  Baa Aa 0.0 0.1
  Baa A 0.1 0.0
Foreign investments
Holdings of securities Aaa na 9.3 10.6
  Aa na 1.6 3.4
  A na 17.7 15.3
Securities sold under repurchase
agreements
Aaa Aa 0.0 1.1
  Aaa A 0.8 1.4
Securities purchased under reverse Aaa Aa 0.3 1.4
repurchase agreements Aaa A 1.4 1.9
  A A 0.4 0.2
Deposits na Aaa 0.5 0.5
  na Aa 0.6 0.1
  na A 9.5 4.3
Other Aaa A 0.0 0.4
  Aaa Other(b) 0.1 0.1
  A A 0.0 1.3
  Other(b) Aa 0.5 0.7
  Other(b) A 0.3 0.1
  Other(b) Other(b) 0.0 0.6
Other assets     3.0 3.7
      100.0 100.0

(a) Average of the credit ratings of the three major rating agencies, where available
(b) This category includes counterparties that are not rated