The Multinational Enterprise (MNE)

I define globalization as producing where it is most cost-effective, selling where it is most profitable, and sourcing capital where it is cheapest, without worrying about national boundaries.
Narayana Murthy, President and CEO, Infosys.

A multinational enterprise (MNE) has operating subsidiaries, branches or affiliates located in foreign countries. The financial crisis of 2007-2009 has disrupted international business and identified disturbing risks.

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Financial Globalization and Risk

The global financial market place is a combination of complex risks:
The international monetary system is an eclectic mix of floating and managed fixed exchange rates. China is more and more a dominant player. Monetary and fiscal policies are complicated by large government deficits. Large and continuing balance of payments imbalances will shift the exchange rate landscape. The dominant form of business may have shifted from the publicly-traded firm to the privately owned model. Global capital markets are shrinking and changing. Perhaps too much capital sometimes flows to emerging market countries causing another set of problems
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The Global Financial Marketplace

Assets, institutions, and linkages comprise one method to map global capital markets (see Exhibit 1.1). The assets are debt securities issued by governments (e.g. U.S. Treasury securities). These form the baseline for other forms of financing. The institutions are the central banks, commercial, and investment banks. Their health keeps the global financial system stable. The linkages are the interbank networks using currency. Without ready exchange of currencies the market is hard-pressed to operate efficiently.

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Exhibit 1.1 Global Capital Markets

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The Market for Currencies

Most currencies are quoted against the dollar as in so many units per dollar A few are quoted as dollars per unit due to custom e.g., $/ and $/. There are also several symbols that can be used to write the quotations, but this is the authors stated preference. Exhibit 1.2 provides selected currency exchange rate quotes

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