Poll

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

46.3. Market risk

Download note 46.3 in XLS

Market risk arises from the current and future performance of the Bank and the Capital Group as well as their equity being exposed to unfavorable changes in on- and off-balance sheet items due to changes in interest rates and foreign exchange rates.
The primary objective of market risk management in the Bank and in the Group is to optimize the exposure management process and protect the financial performance at the same time.
The Group’s market risk is managed at the level of the Bank as the market risk assumed by the subsidiaries is immaterial considering the nature of their business.
Market risk management in the Bank is based on written policies and procedures defining the objectives of market risk management as well as the methods of identification, measurement, monitoring, limiting and reporting of market risk. The regulations determine also the scope of competencies assigned to each unit of the Bank in the market risk management process.
In order to ensure high standards of market risk management, compliant with best banking practices, once a year the Bank reviews the applicable policies and procedures.
The Group has separate organizational units in charge of market risk control, monitoring and management.
Market risk reports present separately the interest rate risk related to the banking book, the trading book and the currency risk. Daily reports are used for operational market risk management purposes, while periodic reports are prepared for management purposes.
The Capital Group does not use hedge accounting for market risk management.

Interest rate risk
Interest rate risk results from the exposure of the Bank and the Group’s financial performance and equity to adverse changes in interest rates.
The interest rate risk arises from:

  • the risk of a mismatch of revaluation dates – a mismatch between the amount of assets, liabilities and off-balance sheet items revalued at a certain time; the risk represents a threat to the Bank’s revenue, mostly interest income, in case of adverse changes in market interest rates or significant changes in the on-balance sheet items revaluation structure resulting in changes in the net interest income;
  • basis risk arising from imperfect correlation between interest rates on products that generate interest income and expense and have the same revaluation dates;
  • yield curve risk where the ratio between the interest rates concerning different periods but the same index or market changes;
  • option risk arising when clients change the amount and time schedule of cash flows related to assets, liabilities and off-balance sheet items, to which they are entitled under the loan or deposit agreement at no additional cost, and various types of debt instruments with embedded call or put option, which enables them to redeem the instrument early.

The Bank adapts its interest rate risk management to the type and scale of its business. Interest rate risk in the Bank may be related to the banking book and to the trading book.
The objective of interest rate risk management is to build a structure of assets and liabilities ensuring protection of the present value and the net interest income of the Bank for the banking book and to obtain financial benefits through transactions on interest rate instruments concluded on own account in the trading book, with the accepted interest rate risk level.
Interest rate risk management in the Bank is based on written policies and procedures, which define the methods of:

  • risk identification;
  • risk measure calculation (risk measurement);
  • risk exposure limiting – determining the acceptable risk level;
  • monitoring items and changes in each book, portfolio and the limit use levels;
  • risk exposure reporting;
  • hedging exposures against interest rate risk.

Interest rate risk related to the banking book is measured and monitored with the use of such risk measures as:

  • BPV, Basis Point Value denoting interest rate risk expressed as a cash value, related to maintaining of a given position when interest rates change by one basis point;
  • NII (net interest income) – a change in the net interest income representing the difference between interest income and expense with an interest rate change at a specified level;
  • BPV gap value in each revaluation range;
  • Duration - a measure of interest rate risk interpreted as the average duration of an instrument or portfolio;
  • early repayment of loans and withdrawal of deposits ratios for each type of products and entities.

Interest rate risk related to the trading book is measured and monitored with the use of such risk measures as:

  • BPV and BPV gap value in each revaluation range;
  • Value at Risk (VaR).

Additionally, the Bank performs stress tests involving sensitivity analysis and examining the effects of interest rate changes on the present value of risk-exposed items based on specified changes in the yield curve, and the effects of changes in interest rates on the net interest income of the Group.
The Bank prepares the following cyclical reports on interest rate risk exposure related to the banking and trading book:

  • daily report for the ALCO, Management Board and Treasury Department;
  • monthly report for the ALCO and the Management Board;
  • quarterly report for the Supervisory and Management Board.

For the purpose of calculating the Banking Book risk measures, the current value of loans and deposits is determined based on reference rates arising from revaluation dates and liquidity adjustment excluding the commercial margin realized on each product. Additionally, stress tests for downward curve shift purposes are based on the assumption
that interest on items sensitive to interest rate risk shall not drop below 0%.
The following tables present the interest rate risk level for the banking book (BPV and stress tests) as at 31 December 2014 and 31 December 2013.

BPV for the banking book
Results of stress tests for +/- 200 b.p. for the banking book

The following table presents a change in annual net interest income with the rate change by +/-100 b.p. and balance sheet assumed to be stable. The analysis is based on the following assumptions:

  • for rate decrease: interest rates on loans shall not exceed four times the lombard rate and interest rates on deposits (both term and current accounts) shall not drop below 0%;
  • for rate increase: interest on interest-free current accounts shall not increase.

 

Change in annual net interest income with the rate change by +/-100 b.p.

 


In 2014 and 2013, Bank’s trading activities regarding interest rates were limited to transactions on Polish treasury securities denominated in PLN. The Bank did not conclude speculative derivative transactions on its own behalf or derivative transactions with its clients.
The following table presents the interest rate risk level for the trading book (BPV) as at 31 December 2014 and 31 December 2013.

BPV for the trading book Presented below are the Group’s assets, liabilities and off-balance sheet items classified based on the interest rate risk criterion – revaluation date for floating rate items or maturity for fixed rate items – as at 31 December 2014 and 31 December 2013.
 

 

Currency risk
Currency risk arises from the current and future performance of the Bank and the Capital Group as well as their equity being exposed to adverse changes in foreign exchange rates.
The objective of currency risk management is to protect the exchange gain and obtain financial benefits through transactions concluded in FX instruments on own account with the accepted risk level.
In the process of currency risk management, the said risk in the Bank is measured through:

  • calculation of the total position of the Bank;
  • calculation of the position in each currency;
  • calculation of Value at Risk (VaR);
  • stress tests.

Value at Risk (VaR) is defined as the maximum loss which may be incurred by the Bank within a specified time horizon and with a specified probability. The Bank calculates VaR using the historical simulation method assuming a 99.2% confidentiality range and a 10-day position maintenance period.
Stress tests are complementary to VaR for the currency risk and they are performed to estimate the loss which may be incurred by the Bank in case of extremely adverse (stress) changes in foreign exchange rates.
The currency risk management process includes daily monitoring of:

  • the value of positions in each currency;
  • VaR and total currency position limits;
  • daily, weekly and monthly stop-loss limits.
VaR statistics for currency risk in 2014 and as at 31 December 2014 and 31 December 2013

 
The Bank prepares the following cyclical reports on its currency risk exposure:

  • daily report for the ALCO, Management Board and Treasury Department;
  • monthly report for the ALCO and the Management Board;
  • quarterly report for the Supervisory and Management Board.

The table below presents the values of currency positions for USD, EUR, GBP and CHF in 2014 and as at 31 December 2014 and 31 December 2013. The maximum, minimum and average amounts have been presented for absolute position values (in thousands).
 

In 2014 and 2013, the Group's currency risk was very low due to an insignificant share of foreign currency assets and liabilities in the balance sheet total (below 2%). The value of the total currency position did not exceed 2% of equity, which did not generate a capital requirement with respect to this risk type.

The following table presents assets, liabilities and off-balance sheet items of the Group as at 31 December 2014 and 31 December 2013 by currency.


Financial derivatives
Although its offering includes derivatives, the Group has not actively participated in the market of derivative instruments. The Group’s transactions include those on derivatives concluded for currency and interest rate risk management purposes.
Derivatives are measured on a daily basis using the discounted cash flow model. The measurement is based on commonly available rates and market quotations recorded in the Reuters system. As the scale of derivative transactions, which are entered into with banks included in investment ratings only, is inconsiderable, the Group’s measurement of derivatives does not take into account the counterparty credit risk or own credit risk, which the Group believes exerts a marginal effect on measurement of its derivatives.

Annual Report 2014 - Bank Pocztowy