Financial derivatives in the South African mining industry
Date
2011-03-17
Authors
Josef, Avichay
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Abstract
The purpose of this research was to identify factors which influence the
decision to use financial derivatives in the South African mining industry and
then to establish their importance to the industry.
The research incorporated both qualitative and quantitative primary research
phases. The qualitative survey formed the questionnaire framework for the
quantitative phase. The quantitative survey formed the bulk of the analysis,
and both mean rank tests and factor analysis were employed to interpret the
data.
Thirteen factors, influencing the decision to use financial derivatives, were
identified. However, statistically significant mean rank tests (where p < 0.05)
indicated that, out of the initial thirteen factors, the South African mining
industry viewed the following to be the most important:
1. Change the Volatility of Cash Flows
2. Improve Value of the Firm
3. Change the Volatility of Accounting Earnings
4. The Size of the Firm
5. The Perceptions of Derivatives Use by Investors, Regulators and the
Public
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It was also found that combinations of factors, rather than individual factors,
influence the decision to use derivatives. Therefore, a factor analysis was
conducted to identify these various combinations.
The analysis yielded seven broadly defined combinations of factors which
incorporated the top five factors and were able to explain most of the variance
observed from the original thirteen factors. These seven combinations were:
Perceptions and External Finances
Cost of Capital and the Value of the Firm
Volatility of Accounting Earnings
Size of Firm
Availability of Information
Financial Distress
Political and Country Instability
Furthermore, outputs indicated that the use of financial derivatives and the
relative importance of factors in terms of derivative usage may be influenced
by factors other than those discussed in this research.
Description
MBA - WBS
Keywords
Mining, Finance