GRUPO TELEVISA, S.A.B. | CIK:0000912892 |

 

4.Financial Risk Management

 

(a)Market Risk

 

Market risk is the exposure to an adverse change in the value of financial instruments caused by market factors including changes in equity prices, interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices and inflation rates.

 

The Group is exposed to market risks arising from changes in equity prices, interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and inflation rates, in both the Mexican and U.S. markets. Risk management activities are monitored by the Risk Management Committee on a quarterly basis and reported to the Executive Committee.

 

(i)Foreign Exchange Risk

 

The Group is exposed to foreign exchange risk arising from various currency exposures, primarily with respect to the U.S. dollar and the Mexican peso. Foreign exchange risk arises from future commercial transactions, recognized assets and liabilities and net investments in foreign operations.

 

Foreign currency exchange risk is monitored by assessing the net monetary liability position in U.S. dollars and the forecasted cash flow needs for anticipated U.S. dollar investments and servicing the Group’s U.S. dollar-denominated debt.

 

Management has set up a policy to require Group companies to manage their foreign exchange risk against their functional currency. To manage their foreign exchange risk arising from future commercial transactions and recognized assets and liabilities, entities in the Group use forward contracts. In compliance with the procedures and controls established by the Risk Management Committee, in 2017 and 2016, the Group entered into certain derivative transactions with certain financial institutions in order to manage its exposure to market risks resulting from changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. The objective in managing foreign currency fluctuations is to reduce earnings and cash flow volatility.

 

Foreign Currency Position

 

The foreign currency position of monetary items of the Group at December 31, 2017, was as follows:

 

 

The foreign currency position of monetary items of the Group at December 31, 2016, was as follows:

 

 

 

As of April 6, 2018, the exchange rate was Ps.18.3333 per U.S. dollar, which represents the interbank free market exchange rate on that date as reported by Banco Nacional de México, S.A.

 

The Group is subject to the risk of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, resulting primarily from the net monetary position in U.S. dollars and U.S. dollar equivalent amounts of the Group’s Mexican operations, as follows (in millions of U.S. dollars):

 

 

 

 

 

At December 31, 2017, a hypothetical 10% appreciation/depreciation in the U.S. dollar to Mexican peso exchange rate would result in a foreign exchange gain/loss, net of hedge, of Ps.957,507. At December 31, 2016, a hypothetical 10% appreciation/depreciation in the U.S. dollar to Mexican peso exchange rate would result in a foreign exchange gain/loss, net of hedge, of Ps.1,654,620.

 

(ii)Cash Flow Interest Rate Risk

 

The Group monitors the exposure to interest rate risk by: (i) evaluating differences between interest rates on its outstanding debt and short-term investments and market interest rates on similar financial instruments; (ii) reviewing its cash flow needs and financial ratios (indebtedness and interest coverage); (iii) assessing current and forecasted trends in the relevant markets; and (iv) evaluating peer Group and industry practices. This approach allows the Group to determine the interest rate “mix” between variable and fixed rate debt.

 

The Group’s interest rate risk arises from long-term debt. Debt issued at variable rates expose the Group to cash flow interest rate risk which is partially offset by cash and cash equivalents held at variable rates. Debt issued at fixed rates expose the Group to fair value interest rate risk. During recent years the Group has maintained most of its debt in fixed rate instruments (see Note 13).

 

Based on various scenarios, the Group manages its cash flow interest rate risk by using cross-currency interest rate swaps, exchange rate agreements and floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps. Cross-currency interest rate swap agreements allow the Group to hedge against Mexican peso depreciation on the interest payments for medium-term periods. Interest rate swaps have the economic effect of converting borrowings from floating rates to fixed rates.

 

Sensitivity and Fair Value Analyses

 

The sensitivity analyses that follow are intended to present the hypothetical change in fair value or loss in earnings due to changes in interest rates, inflation rates, foreign currency exchange rates and debt and equity market prices as they affect the Group’s financial instruments at December 31, 2017 and 2016. These analyses address market risk only and do not take into consideration other risks that the Group faces in the ordinary course of business, including country risk and credit risk. The hypothetical changes reflect management view of changes that are reasonably possible over a one-year period. For purposes of the following sensitivity analyses, the Group has made assumptions of a hypothetical change in fair value of 10% for expected near-term future changes in U.S. interest rates, Mexican interest rates, inflation rates and Mexican peso to U.S. dollar exchange rate. The results of the analyses do not purport to represent actual changes in fair value or losses in earnings that the Group will incur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(iii)Price Risk

 

The Group is exposed to equity securities price risk because of investments held by the Group and classified in the consolidated statements of financial position as either available-for-sale or held-for-trading investments. To manage its price risk arising from investments in equity securities, the Group diversifies its portfolio. Diversification of the portfolio is done in accordance with the limits set by the Group. The Group is not exposed to commodity price risk.

 

(b)Credit Risk

 

Credit risk is managed on a Group basis, except for credit risk relating to accounts receivable balances. Each local entity is responsible for managing and analyzing the credit risk for each of their new clients before standard payment and delivery terms and conditions are offered. Credit risk arises from cash and cash equivalents, derivative financial instruments and deposits with banks and financial institutions, as well as credit exposure to customers, including outstanding receivables and committed transactions. For banks and financial institutions, only independently rated parties with a minimum rating of “AA” in local scale for domestic institutions and “BBB” in global scale for foreign institutions are accepted. If customers are independently rated, these ratings are used. If there is no independent rating, the Group’s risk control function assesses the credit quality of the customer, taking into account its financial position, past experience and other factors. Individual risk limits are set based on internal or external ratings in accordance with limits set by the Company’s management. See Note 7 for further disclosure on credit risk.

 

No credit limits were exceeded during the reporting period, and management does not expect any losses from non-performance by the counterparties.

 

The Group historically has not had significant credit losses arising from customers.

 

(c)Liquidity Risk

 

Cash flow forecasting is performed in the operating entities of the Group and aggregated by corporate management. Corporate management monitors rolling forecasts of the Group’s liquidity requirements to ensure it has sufficient cash to meet operational needs while maintaining sufficient headroom on its borrowing facilities at all times so that the Group does not breach borrowing limits or covenants (where applicable) on any of its borrowing facilities. Such forecasting takes into consideration the Group’s debt financing plans, covenant compliance, compliance with internal statement of financial position ratio targets and, if applicable external regulatory or legal requirements.

 

Surplus cash held by the operating entities over and above balance required for working capital management are transferred to the Group treasury. Group treasury invests surplus cash in interest bearing current accounts, time deposits, money market deposits and marketable securities, choosing investments with appropriate maturities or sufficient liquidity to provide sufficient headroom as determined by the above-mentioned forecasts. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Group held cash and cash equivalents of Ps.38,734,949 and Ps.47,546,083, respectively, and temporary investments of Ps.6,013,678 and Ps.5,498,219, respectively, that are expected to readily generate cash inflows for managing liquidity risk (see Note 6).

 

The table below analyses the Group’s non-derivative and derivative financial liabilities as well as related contractual interest on debt and finance lease obligations into relevant maturity groupings based on the remaining period at the statement of financial position date to the contractual maturity date. Derivative financial liabilities are included in the analysis if their contractual maturities are essential for an understanding of the timing of the cash flows. The amounts disclosed in the table are the contractual undiscounted cash flows.

 

 

 

 

 

Capital Management

 

The Group’s objectives when managing capital are to safeguard the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern in order to provide returns for stockholders and benefits for other stakeholders and to maintain an optimal capital structure in order to minimize the cost of capital.