UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

EMBA PROGRAM
FACULTY OF BUSINESS STUDIES

COURSE CODE : EIB 513

COURSE NAME : INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

TERM PAPER
ON

MONEY EXCHANGE
MARKET
PREPARED BY
NAME: SALEH RAFIQ CHOUDHURY

STUDENT ID: 801310016

SUPERVISOR

Prof. Abu Hena Reza Hasan

DATE OF SUBMISSION
MARCH 28, 2015

INTRODUCTION
The markets in which participants are able to buy, sell, exchange and speculate on
currencies are known as money exchange market or foreign exchange markets.
Foreign exchange markets are made up of banks, commercial companies, central
banks, investment management firms, hedge funds, and retail forex brokers and
investors. Exchange rate is the price of one nations currency in terms of another
nations currency. So in an exchange rate there are two components which are
domestic currency and foreign currency. This term paper is written on a theme
behind which is to analyze the bid/ask spread, bod/ask fluctuations and presence of
arbitrage.

DATA COLLECTION
For completing this term paper, I have collected data from two private banks and
two money exchange dealer.
The names of the two banks are:

BRAC Bank Limited

Standard Chartered Bank.

The names of the two money exchange dealer are:

SKAF Money Exchange from Kalabagan

B.K.B Money Exchange(Pvt.) Limited from Gulshan-2

I have collected these data consecutively for ten days except the holidays. All the
data collected by me for completing term paper, are attached with this term paper.

LIMITATIONS
Exchange rate collection is not that easy for everyone. Normally the private banks are
not willing to pay the entire currency rate while the money exchange brokers are also
gives limited data of some common currencies.

ANALYSIS
With all the collected data, I have to analyze bid/ask spread, bid/ask fluctuations and
presence of arbitrage. At first, I have calculated the percentage of bid/ask spread and
plotted the percentage rate on a chart. Then tried to analyze the bid/ask fluctuations
and finally tried to find the presence of arbitrage.

(1). BID/ASK SPREAD ANALYSIS

Normally the price by which someone buys the currency is the bid/buy price and the
price at which the someone sells it is the ask/sell price. The sell/ask price is normally
higher from the buy/bid price and because of this here comes the term spread. So
basically, spread is the difference between the ask/sell price and buy/bid price which
is normally shown in percentage. The formula that is used for calculating the bid/ask
spread is given below:
Percentage of Bid/Ask Spread = [{(Ask price Bid price) / Ask price} 100]

Spread as defined represents discount in the bid rate as percentage on the ask rate.
Spread is the key indication of the liquidity of the currency. Normally, the smaller the
spread the better the liquidity.

Percentage of Spread calculation of US Dollar

BRAC Bank
Limited

Currency

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

% of Spread

US DOLLAR

77.0949
77.0949
77.045
77.0949
76.9951
76.9951
77.045
77.0949
76.9951
76.9951

78.19
78.19
78.14
78.19
78.09
78.09
78.14
78.19
78.09
78.09

1.400562732
1.400562732
1.401330944
1.400562732
1.402100141
1.402100141
1.401330944
1.400562732
1.402100141
1.402100141

Currency

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

% of Spread

US DOLLAR

77.1
77.1
77.1
77.1
77
77
77
76.9
76.9
76.9

79.1
79.1
79
79
79
79
79
79
79
79

2.528445006
2.528445006
2.405063291
2.405063291
2.53164557
2.53164557
2.53164557
2.658227848
2.658227848
2.658227848

Currency

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

% of Spread

78.9

79.2

0.378787879

02.03.2015

78.9

79.2

0.378787879

03.03.2015

78.65

78.85

0.253646164

04.03.2015

78.8

79.1

0.379266751

78.6

78.9

0.380228137

78.8

79.1

0.379266751

09.03.2015

78.8

79

0.253164557

10.03.2015

78.7

78.9

0.253485425

11.03.2015

78.7

78.9

0.253485425

12.03.2015

78.6

78.8

0.253807107

01.03.2015
02.03.2015
03.03.2015
04.03.2015
05.03.2015
08.03.2015
09.03.2015
10.03.2015
11.03.2015
12.03.2015

Standard
Chartered Bank
01.03.2015
02.03.2015
03.03.2015
04.03.2015
05.03.2015
08.03.2015
09.03.2015
10.03.2015
11.03.2015
12.03.2015

B.K.B Money
Exchange(Pvt.)
Ltd.
01.03.2015

05.03.2015
08.03.2015

US DOLLAR

SKAF Money
Exchange

Currency

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

% of Spread

US DOLLAR

78.1
78.5
78.2
77.9
78.3
78.5
78.3
78.5
78.8
78.5

78.4
78.8
78.5
78.3
78.5
78.8
78.6
78.8
79.2
78.8

0.382653061
0.38071066
0.382165605
0.510855683
0.25477707
0.38071066
0.381679389
0.38071066
0.505050505
0.38071066

01.03.2015
02.03.2015
03.03.2015
04.03.2015
05.03.2015
08.03.2015
09.03.2015
10.03.2015
11.03.2015
12.03.2015

From the above calculation, I can say that the percentage of spread changes every
day though the amount is very little.. So the market value of US Dollar against the
Bangladeshi taka changes every day but on a very short margin and it can be said
that the market is stable. After plotting in a chart it can be understand very easily.
3

2.5

% Of Spread

1.5

0.5

% of Spread(BRAC)

% of Spread(SCB)

% of Spread(BKB)

% of Spread(SKAF)

From the plot it is clear that in Standard Chartered Bank the bid/ask spread
percentage is high than the others. Though there are no major fluctuations in the
percentage of spread but considering the BKB money exchangers spread on dollar it
can be said that they are maintaining a very stable market for US Dollar. So the
liquidity of currency is in a better position of this money exchanger. Among the
others BRAC bank is containing a very non-fluctuate percentage of spread. There is
no major up and down in their bid/buy price and ask/sell price. And SKAF money
exchangers percentage of bid/ask spread is also on the lower side.

(2). BID/ASK FLUCTUATIONS ANALYSIS

Fluctuations mean any kind of irregular increase or decrease. Bid/Ask fluctuations
means any kind of irregular increase or decrease in the price range of currency. It
could occur in a daily basis or consecutive days.
US Dollar Bid/Ask Fluctuations for ten days:
80
SCB

Brac Bank

SKAF Money Exchange

B.K.B Money Exchange(Pvt.) Ltd.

79.5
79
78.5
78
77.5
77

1.03

2.03

3.03

4.03

5.03

8.03

9.03

10.03

11.03

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

76.5

12.03

In the above chart, it is clear that though the fluctuations are not that big but there
are fluctuations available. The highest fluctuations are shown is Standard Chartered
Bank. Their buy/bid price close to $77 and ask/sell price is more than $79.
Moreover I have tried to find out the fluctuations in British Pound bid/ask price. For
this again I have plotted a chart. Again Standard Chartered tops the chart I case of
fluctuations. Though BRAC bank have a lower spread but their fluctuation rate is
high.
British Pound Bid/Ask Fluctuations for ten days:
126

SCB

BRAC

SKAF

BKB

124
122
120
118

116
114
112

1.03

2.03

3.03

4.03

5.03

8.03

9.03

10.03

11.03

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

Sale/Ask

Buy/Bid

110

12.03

Considering the two chart it can be easily said that the currency fluctuations rate is
not very high but it occurs every day and sometimes in a single day it can fluctuate
many times. As the rate of fluctuate is not that high so it can be said that the money
market is stable.

(3). ARBITRAGE ANALYSIS

Generally arbitrage is system by which one can buy a currency from one place and
sell it to another place immediately. With this immediate action there is profit which
is generated. This profit is known as Locational arbitrage. Considering the data that I
have collected, it will not be hard to say that, there will arbitrage available as there is
a presence of spread and the bid/ask price fluctuate every day. So one can earn
profit from locational arbitrage.
Another arbitrage process is known as triangular arbitrage in which total three
currencies is used. Among them the currency from which the exchange started, in the
end one will convert he currency to gain profit. In this process, one has to be aware
of cross exchange rates. To gain profit one has to move for the highest cross
exchange rates available in the market.
So to have arbitrage, I can easily buy currency from any bank and sell them to any
money broker house as they offer more considering the banks.

CONCLUSION
Money exchange market is the biggest market in the world. It performs 365*7*24
basis means it is always open. Having proper knowledge, one can performs well in
this market.