Abstract

ABSTRACT

How Does Hedging Affect Firm Value – Evidence from the U.S. Airline Industry

Mengdong He

This study examines the relation between jet fuel hedging and firm value using a sample of 36 publicly-traded U.S. airlines over the period 1992 to 2013. We find a positive hedging premium which suggests that jet fuel hedging adds value to airlines. We then focus our analyses on the specific ways in which jet fuel hedging by airlines can affect firm value. Specifically, we investigate the effect of jet fuel hedging on firm value based on different hedging levels, different levels of jet fuel exposures, different hedger types, different operating costs spent on jet fuel, and different levels of jet fuel price volatility. Our results suggest that airlines can maximize their firm value by increasing the hedged proportion of next year's jet fuel requirements hedged, particularly when they are at a medium level (between 11% and 36%). Next, we find evidence which suggests that selective hedging strategies can help increase an airline’s firm value. In addition, our results suggest that airlines can increase their firm value significantly by increasing the amount of jet fuel hedged if the amount of their operating costs spent on jet fuel is high (> 27%). Fourthly, our results show that investors appear to value jet fuel hedging more in periods of high jet fuel price volatility. For different levels of jet fuel exposures, we find no evidence that the effect of jet fuel hedging on firm value will show any significant differences based on different levels of jet fuel exposures.