Annual report and accounts 2008

Notes contentsNotes to consolidated financial statements

19. Financial risk management

The Group’s approach to the management of financial risks together with sensitivity analyses is set out below.

Treasury policy
The Group holds financial instruments for two principal purposes: to finance its operations and to manage the interest rate and currency risks arising from its operations and its sources of finance. The Group finances its operations by a mixture of cash flows from operations, short-term borrowings from banks and commercial paper markets, and longer term loans from banks and capital markets. The Group borrows principally in US dollars and sterling, at both floating and fixed rates of interest, using derivative financial instruments (‘derivatives’), where appropriate, to generate the desired effective currency profile and interest rate basis. The derivatives used for this purpose are principally rate swaps, rate caps and collars, currency rate swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts. The main risks arising from the Group’s financial instruments are interest rate risk, liquidity and refinancing risk, counterparty risk and foreign currency risk. These risks are managed by the chief financial officer under policies approved by the board, which are summarised below. All the treasury policies remained unchanged throughout 2008, with the exception of a change to the foreign exchange hedging policy made with effect from October 2008, which is explained later in this note. Some minor updates will also be made to treasury policies for 2009, largely to reflect current financial market conditions.

The audit committee and a group of external treasury advisers receives reports on the Group’s treasury activities, policies and procedures. The treasury department is not a profit centre and its activities are subject to regular internal audit.

Interest rate risk management
The Group’s exposure to interest rate fluctuations on its borrowings is managed by borrowing on a fixed rate basis and by entering into rate swaps, rate caps and forward rate agreements. The Group’s policy objective has continued to be to set a target proportion of its forecast borrowings (taken at the year end, with cash netted against floating rate debt and before certain adjustments for IAS 39) to be hedged (i.e. fixed or capped at the year end) over the next four years, subject to a maximum of 65% and a minimum that starts at 40% and falls by 10% at each year end. At the end of 2008 the hedging ratio, on the above basis, was approximately 49%. A simultaneous 1% change on 1 January in the Group’s variable interest rates in US dollar and sterling, taking into account forecast seasonal debt, would have a £10m effect on profit before tax.

Use of interest rate derivatives
The policy described in the section above creates a group of derivatives, under which the Group is a payer of fixed rates and a receiver of floating rates. The Group also aims to avoid undue exposure to a single interest rate setting. Reflecting this objective, the Group has swapped its fixed rate bond issues to floating rate at their launch. This creates a second group of derivatives, under which the Group is a receiver of fixed rates and a payer of floating rates. The Group’s accounting objective in its use of interest rate derivatives is to minimise the impact on the income statement of changes in the mark-to-market value of its derivative portfolio as a whole. It uses duration calculations to estimate the sensitivity of the derivatives to movements in market rates. The Group also identifies which derivatives are eligible for fair value hedge accounting (which reduces sharply the income statement impact of changes in the market value of a derivative). The Group then balances the total portfolio between hedge-accounted and pooled segments, so that the expected movement on the pooled segment is minimal.

Liquidity and refinancing risk management
The Group’s objective is to secure continuity of funding at a reasonable cost. To do this it seeks to arrange committed funding for a variety of maturities from a diversity of sources. The Group’s policy objective has been that the weighted average maturity of its core gross borrowings (treating short-term advances as having the final maturity of the facilities available to refinance them) should be between three and ten years. At the end of 2008 the average maturity of gross borrowings was 5.0 years of which bonds represented 90% of these borrowings (up from 4.6 years and up from 72% respectively at the beginning of the year).

The Group believes that ready access to different funding markets also helps to reduce its liquidity risk, and that published credit ratings and published financial policies improve such access. All of the Group’s credit ratings remained unchanged during the year. The long-term ratings are Baa1 from Moody’s and BBB+ from Standard & Poor’s, and the short-term ratings are P2 and A2 respectively. The Group’s policy is to strive to maintain a rating of Baa1/BBB+ over the long term. The Group will also continue to use internally a range of ratios to monitor and manage its finances. These include interest cover, net debt to operating profit and cash flow to debt measures. The Group also maintains undrawn committed borrowing facilities. At the end of 2008 the committed facilities amounted to £1,217m and their weighted average maturity was 3.4 years.

Analysis of Group debt, including the impact of derivatives
The following tables analyse the Group’s sources of funding and the impact of derivatives on the Group’s debt instruments.

The Group’s net debt position is set out below:

All figures in £ millions	2008	2007
Cash and cash equivalents	685	560
Marketable securities	54	40
Derivative financial instruments	164	35
Bank loans, overdrafts and loan notes	(228)	(452)
Bonds	(2,128)	(1,150)
Finance lease liabilities	(7)	(6)
Net debt	(1,460)	(973)

The split of net debt between fixed and floating rate, stated after the impact of rate derivatives, is as follows:

All figures in £ millions	2008	2007
Fixed rate	781	567
Floating rate	679	406
Total	1,460	973

Gross borrowings, after the impact of cross-currency rate derivatives, analysed by currency are as follows:

All figures in £ millions	2008	2007
US dollar	2,081	1,401
Sterling	277	207
Euro	5	—
Total	2,363	1,608

As at 31 December 2008 there were no outstanding cross-currency rate derivatives.

As at 31 December 2008 the exposure of the borrowings of the Group to interest rate changes when the borrowings re-price is as follows:

All figures in £ millions	Less than one year	One to five years	More than five years	Total
Re-pricing profile of borrowings	476	629	1,258	2,363
Effect of rate derivatives	1,173	(254)	(919)	—
Total	1,649	375	339	2,363

The maturity of contracted cash flows on the Group’s borrowings and all of its derivative financial instruments are as follows:

All figures in £ millions				2008
	USD	GBP	EUR	Total
Not later than one year	311	17	—	328
Later than one year and not later than five years	884	65	—	949
Later than five years	954	266	—	1,220
Total	2,149	348	—	2,497
Analysed as:
Revolving credit facilities and commercial paper	141	—	—	141
Bonds	2,237	355	—	2,592
Rate derivatives — inflows	(392)	(21)	—	(413)
Rate derivatives — outflows	163	14	—	177
Total	2,149	348	—	2,497

All figures in £ millions				2008
	USD	GBP	EUR	Total
Not later than one year	153	(30)	—	123
Later than one year and not later than five years	966	70	—	1,036
Later than five years	420	285	—	705
Total	1,539	325	—	1,864
Analysed as:
Revolving credit facilities and commercial paper	429	—	—	429
Bonds	1,017	483	—	1,500
Rate derivatives — inflows	(268)	(160)	—	(428)
Rate derivatives — outflows	361	2	—	363
Total	1,539	325	—	1,864

All cash flow projections shown above are on an undiscounted basis. Any cash flows based on a floating rate are calculated using interest rates as set at the date of the last rate reset. Where this is not possible, floating rates are based on interest rates prevailing at 31 December in the relevant year. All derivative amounts are shown gross, although the company net settles these amounts wherever possible.

Amounts drawn under revolving credit facilities and commercial paper are assumed to mature at the maturity date of the relevant facility, with interest calculated as payable in each calendar year up to and including the date of maturity of the facility.

Financial counterparty risk management
Counterparty credit limits, which take published credit rating and other factors into account, are set to cover our total aggregate exposure to a single financial institution. The limits applicable to published credit ratings bands are approved by the chief financial officer within guidelines approved by the board. Exposures and limits applicable to each financial institution are reviewed on a regular basis.

Foreign currency risk management
Although the Group is based in the UK, it has its most significant investment in overseas operations. The most significant currency for the Group is the US dollar. The Group’s policy on routine transactional conversions between currencies (for example, the collection of receivables, and the settlement of payables or interest) remains that these should be transacted at the relevant spot exchange rate. The majority of the Group’s operations are domestic within their country of operation. No unremitted profits are hedged with foreign exchange contracts, as the company judges it inappropriate to hedge non-cash flow translational exposure with cash flow instruments. However, the Group does seek to create a natural hedge of this exposure through its policy of aligning approximately the currency composition of its core net borrowings with its forecast operating profit before depreciation and amortisation. This policy aims to dampen the impact of changes in foreign exchange rates on consolidated interest cover and earnings. The policy above applies only to currencies that account for more than 15% of Group operating profit before depreciation and amortisation, which currently are only the US dollar and sterling. However, the Group still borrows small amounts in other currencies, typically for seasonal working capital needs. In addition, our policy does not require existing currency debt to be terminated to match declines in that currency’s share of Group operating profit before depreciation and amortisation. Following the board’s approval of a policy change in October 2008, currencies that account for less than 15% of Group operating profit before depreciation and amortisation may now be included in the above hedging process at the request of the chief financial officer. At the balance sheet date, no hedging transactions had been undertaken under that authority.

Included within year end net debt, the net borrowings/(cash) in the two principal currencies above (taking into account the effect of cross currency swaps) were: US dollar £1,777m and sterling £127m.

Use of currency debt and currency derivatives
The Group uses both currency denominated debt and derivative instruments to implement the above policy. Its intention is that gains/losses on the derivatives and debt offset the losses/gains on the foreign currency assets and income. Each quarter the value of hedging instruments is monitored against the assets in the relevant currency and, where practical, a decision is made whether to treat the debt or derivative as a net investment hedge (permitting foreign exchange movements on it to be taken to reserves) for the purposes of IAS 39.

Financial instruments — sensitivity analysis
As at 31 December 2008 the sensitivity of the Group’s financial instruments to fluctuations in interest rates and exchange rates is as follows:

All figures in £ millions	Carrying value	Impact of 1% increase in interest rates	Impact of 1% decrease in interest rates	Impact of 10% strengthening in sterling	Impact of 10% weakening in sterling
Investments in unlisted securities	63	—	—	(2)	3
Cash and cash equivalents	685	—	—	(41)	50
Marketable securities	54	—	—	(5)	6
Derivative financial instruments	164	(80)	88	(15)	18
Bonds	(2,128)	77	(84)	155	(189)
Other borrowings	(235)	—	—	19	(24)
Other net financial assets	580	—	—	(46)	57
Total financial instruments	(817)	(3)	4	65	(79)

The table shows the sensitivities of the fair values of each class of financial instruments to an isolated change in either interest rates or foreign exchange rates. The class ‘Other net financial assets’ comprises trade assets less trade liabilities.

The sensitivities of derivative instruments are calculated using established estimation techniques such as discounted cash flow and option valuation models. Where modelling an interest rate decrease of 1% led to negative interest rates, these points on the yield curve were adjusted to 0%. A large proportion of the movements shown above would impact equity rather than the income statement, depending on the location and functional currency of the entity in which they arise and the availability of net investment hedge treatment. The changes in valuations are estimates of the impact of changes in market variables and are not a prediction of future events or anticipated gains or losses.