Page 323 - TSMC 2020 Annual Report

b. Financial risk management objectives
The Company manages its exposure to foreign currency risk, interest rate risk, equity price risk, credit risk and liquidity risk with the objective to reduce the potentially adverse effects the market uncertainties may have on its financial performance.
The plans for material treasury activities are reviewed by Audit Committees and/or Board of Directors in accordance with procedures required by relevant regulations or internal controls. During the implementation of such plans, the Company must comply with certain treasury procedures that provide guiding principles for overall financial risk management and segregation of duties.
c. Market risk
The Company is exposed to the financial market risks, primarily changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and equity investment prices. A portion of these risks is hedged.
Foreign currency risk
The majority of the Company’s revenue is denominated in U.S. dollar and over one-half of its capital expenditures are denominated in currencies other than NT dollar, primarily in U.S. dollar, Japanese yen and Euro. As a result, any significant fluctuations to its disadvantage in exchanges rate of NT dollar against such currencies, in particular a weakening of U.S. dollar against NT dollar, would have an adverse impact on the revenue and operating profit as expressed in NT dollar. The Company uses foreign currency derivative contracts, such as currency forwards or currency swaps, to protect against currency exchange rate risks associated with non-NT dollar-denominated assets and liabilities and certain forecasted transactions. These hedges reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange rate movements on the assets and liabilities.
Based on a sensitivity analysis performed on the Company’s total monetary assets and liabilities for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, a hypothetical adverse foreign currency exchange rate change of 10% would have decreased its net income by NT$832,231 thousand and NT$2,112,450 thousand, respectively, and decreased its other comprehensive income by NT$107,690 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2019, after taking into account hedges and offsetting positions.
Interest rate risk
The Company is exposed to interest rate risks primarily related to its bank deposits and bank loans. Changes in interest rates affect the interest earned on the Company’s bank deposits, as well as the interest paid on its bank loans. Because all of the Company’s bonds issued are fixed-rate and measured at amortized cost, changes in interest rates would not affect the future cash flows and the carrying amount.
Other price risk
The Company is exposed to equity price risk arising from financial assets at FVTOCI.
Assuming a hypothetical decrease of 10% in prices of the equity investments at the end of the reporting period for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the other comprehensive income would have decreased by NT$73,464 thousand and NT$77,156 thousand, respectively.
d. Credit risk management
Credit risk refers to the risk that a counterparty will default on its contractual obligations resulting in financial losses to the Company. The Company is exposed to credit risks from operating activities, primarily accounts receivable, and from investing activities, primarily deposits, fixed-income investments and other financial instruments with banks. Credit risk is managed separately for business related and
- 164 -
- 52 -