36. Financial instruments and risk management

The group holds or issues financial instruments mainly to finance its operations; for the temporary investment of short-term funds; and to manage the currency and interest rate risks arising from its operations and from its sources of finance. In addition, various financial instruments – for example trade debtors and trade creditors – arise directly from the group’s operations.

The group finances its operations primarily by a mixture of issued share capital, retained profits, deferred taxation, long-term loans and short-term loans, principally by issuing commercial paper and medium-term notes. The group borrows in the major long-term debt markets in major currencies. Typically, but not exclusively, the bond markets provide the most cost-effective means of long-term borrowing. The group uses derivative financial instruments primarily to manage its exposure to market risks from changes in interest and foreign exchange rates. The derivatives used for this purpose are principally interest rate swaps, gilt locks, currency swaps and forward currency contracts.

The types of financial instrument used for investment of short-term funds are prescribed in group treasury policies with limits on the exposure to any one organisation. Short-term investing in financial instruments is undertaken on behalf of the group by substantial external fund managers who are limited to dealing in debt instruments and certain defined derivative instruments and are given strict guidelines on credit, diversification and maturity profiles.

During the year ended 31 March 2003, the group’s net debt reduced from £13.7 billion to £9.6 billion. £2.6 billion was realised from the disposal of the group’s interest in Cegetel Groupe SA in the year, and the group has closed out £2.6 billion of associated fixed interest rate swaps. The group’s fixed:floating interest rate profile therefore remains at 88:12 at 31 March 2003.

During the year ended 31 March 2002, net debt was reduced from £27.9 billion to £13.7 billion mainly by the group’s rights issue, disposal of its Yell business, its Japanese and Spanish interests, and the property sale and leaseback transaction. The proceeds of the rights issue and sale of assets were applied mainly in reducing short-term borrowings. The group repaid substantially all of its medium-term notes and commercial paper in the year. As a result of the demerger of the mmO₂ business including its European operations, the group swapped an additional €7 billion into floating rate sterling debt. This, in conjunction with the novation of £1 billion fixed rate swaps to Telereal for the property transaction, enabled the group to maintain its fixed:floating ratio at approximately 88:12 at 31 March 2002.

During the year ended 31 March 2001, net debt increased from £8.7 billion to £27.9 billion mainly as a result of the group making acquisitions of businesses and third-generation mobile licences. This increase in debt was funded primarily by the issuance of long-term debt together with use of the group’s medium-term note programme. As a result of this, together with the group’s interest rate swap activity, the borrowing profile changed during that year from one mainly at floating rates to one with a fixed: floating rate ratio of approximately 70:30. This change was in line with the group’s intention to limit the group’s exposure to interest rate increases given the substantial size of the group’s debt portfolio at the time. During the second quarter of the year ended 31 March 2001, it was not practical for the group to issue longer-term debt in the global capital markets. The group therefore pre-hedged its desired fixed rate profile by transacting £9.3 billion of interest rate swaps with maturities ranging from five to 30 years at a weighted average fixed interest payable rate of 6.2%.

The group uses financial instruments to hedge some of its currency exposures arising from its non-UK assets, liabilities and forward purchase commitments. The group also hedges some of its interest liabilities. The financial instruments used comprise borrowings in foreign currencies, forward foreign currency exchange contracts, gilt locks and interest and currency swaps.

There has been no change in the nature of the group’s risk profile between 31 March 2003 and the date of these financial statements.

The notional amounts of derivatives summarised below do not necessarily represent amounts exchanged by the parties and, thus, are not necessarily a measure of the exposure of the group through its use of derivatives. The amounts exchanged are calculated on the notional amounts and other terms of the derivatives which relate to interest and exchange rates.

The group has entered into interest rate swap agreements with banks and other institutions to vary the amounts and periods for which interest rates on borrowings are fixed. Under interest rate swaps, the group agrees with other parties to exchange, at specified intervals, the differences between fixed rate and floating rate interest amounts calculated by reference to an agreed notional principal amount. Under gilt locks, forward sales of UK government long-dated treasury stock were entered into for periods of up to one year. This hedge effectively fixed in the interest on part of the group’s then future borrowings, all of which have now been taken on.

At 31 March 2003, the group had outstanding interest rate swap agreements having a total notional principal amount of £5,170 million (2002 – £7,870 million).

Cross currency swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts have been entered into to reduce the foreign currency exposure on the group’s operations and the group’s net assets. The group also enters into forward foreign exchange contracts to hedge investments, interest expense and purchase and sale commitments denominated in foreign currencies (principally US dollars and the euro). The remaining terms of the currency swaps are up to 30 years and the terms of currency forward exchange contracts are typically less than one year.

The purpose of the group’s foreign currency hedging activities is to protect the group from the risk that the eventual net inflows and net outflows will be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates.

At 31 March 2003, the group had outstanding foreign currency swap agreements and forward exchange contracts having a total notional principal amount of £14,545 million (2002 – £16,670 million).

The fair values of forward foreign currency contracts at 31 March 2003 were £673 million (2002 – £864 million) for purchases of currency and £1,041 million (2002 – £1,582 million) for sales of currency. These fair values have been estimated by calculating their present values using the market discount rates, appropriate to the terms of the contracts, in effect at the balance sheet dates.

At 31 March 2003, the group had deferred unrealised gains of £2 million (2002 – £1 million) and losses of £nil (2002 – £13 million), based on dealer-quoted prices, from hedging purchase and sale commitments, and in addition had deferred realised net gains of £10 million (2002 – £20 million). These are included in the profit and loss account as part of the hedged purchase or sale transaction when it is recognised, or as gains or losses when a hedged transaction is no longer expected to occur.

The group considers that it is not exposed to major concentrations of credit risk. The group, however, is exposed to credit-related losses in the event of non-performance by counterparties to financial instruments, but does not expect any counterparties to fail to meet their obligations. The group limits the amount of credit exposure to any one counterparty. The group does not normally see the need to seek collateral or other security.

The long-term debt instruments issued in December 2000 and February 2001 both contained covenants that if the group credit rating was downgraded below A3 in the case of Moody’s or below A minus in the case of S&P, additional interest would accrue from the next interest coupon period at the rate of 0.25 percentage points for each ratings category adjustment by each ratings agency. In May 2001, Moody’s downgraded BT’s credit rating to Baa1, which increased BT’s interest charge by approximately £32 million per annum. BT’s current credit rating from S&P is A minus. Based upon the total debt of £12 billion outstanding on these instruments at 31 March 2003, BT’s annual interest charge would increase by approximately £60 million if BT’s credit ratings were to be downgraded by one credit rating category by both agencies below a long-term debt rating of Baa1/A minus. If BT’s credit rating with Moody’s was to be upgraded by one credit rating category the annual interest charge would be reduced by approximately £30 million.

The following table shows the carrying amounts and fair values of the group’s financial instruments at 31 March 2003 and 2002. The carrying amounts are included in the group balance sheet under the indicated headings, with the exception of derivative amounts, which are included in debtors or other creditors or as part of net debt as appropriate. The fair values of the financial instruments are the amount at which the instruments could be exchanged in a current transaction between willing parties, other than in forced or liquidation sale.

			Carrying amount				Fair value
	2003		2002		2003		2002
	£m		£m		£m		£m
Non-derivatives:
Assets
Cash at bank and in hand	91		158		91		158
Short-term investmentsa	6,311		4,590		6,319		4,605
Fixed asset investmentsb	317		373		311		450
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings	4		78		4		78
Long-term borrowings,       excluding finance leasesc	15,966		18,750		17,720		19,774
Derivatives relating to investments and   borrowings (net)d:
Assets	10		427		229		–
Liabilities	–		–		–		234
Derivative financial instruments held     or issued to hedge the current     exposure on expected future     transactions (net):
Assets	2		–		2		–
Liabilities	–		–		–		12

The following information is provided in accordance with the requirements of FRS 13 – ‘‘Derivatives and other financial instruments: disclosures’’. Except for disclosures under currency exposures below, the financial information excludes all of the group’s short-term debtors and creditors.

After taking into account the various interest rate swaps and forward foreign currency contracts entered into by the group, the interest rate profile of the group’s financial liabilities at 31 March was:

The floating rate financial liabilities bear interest at rates fixed in advance for periods ranging from one day to one year by reference to LIBOR. The financial liabilities on which no interest is paid are due to mature within one year of the balance sheet date.

The maturity profile of financial liabilities is as given in note 25.

After taking into account the various interest rate swaps and forward foreign currency contracts entered into by the group, the interest rate profile of the group’s financial assets at 31 March was:

The sterling fixed rate financial assets yield interest at a weighted average of 4.3% (2002 – 4.3%) for a weighted average period of 16 months (2002 – 39 months).

The floating rate financial assets bear interest at rates fixed in advance for periods up to one year by reference to LIBOR.

The table below shows the currency exposures of the group’s net monetary assets (liabilities), in terms of those transactional exposures that give rise to net currency gains and losses recognised in the profit and loss account. Such exposures comprise the monetary assets and monetary liabilities of the group that are not denominated in the operating (or ‘‘functional’’) currency of the operating unit involved, other than certain non-sterling borrowings treated as hedges of net investments in non-UK operations. At 31 March, these exposures were as follows:

The amounts shown in the table above take into account the effect of any currency swaps, forward contracts and other derivatives entered into to manage those currency exposures.

At 31 March 2003, the group also held various forward currency contracts that the group had taken out to hedge expected future foreign currency purchases and sales.

The net gain was derived from government bonds, commercial paper and similar debt instruments. The average fair value of financial assets held during the year ended 31 March 2003 did not differ materially from the year end position.

Gains and losses on instruments used for hedging are not recognised until the exposure that is being hedged is itself recognised. Unrecognised and deferred gains and losses on instruments used for hedging and those recognised in the years ended 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2002 are as follows:

^aExcluding gains and losses on hedges accounted for by adjusting the carrying amount of a fixed asset.

During the year ended 31 March 2003, the group entered into two derivatives contracts as an investment in a UK listed equity, with limited net overall exposure. At 31 March 2003, the two contracts had a net value of £nil, consisting of a futures purchase contract with a fair value of £68 million and a futures sales contract with a fair value of £68 million.

Unused committed lines of credit for short-term financing available at 31 March 2003 totalled approximately £575 million (2002 – £2,100 million), which was in support of a commercial paper programme or other borrowings. These lines of credit are available for up to one year.

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