Financial engineering to optimize risk management in banks based on Interest Rate Swaps to better hedge the exposure to interest rate fluctuations the case of banks in Syria

Abstract

The banking system is affected by uncertainties related to the evolution of pandemic. One of the identified risks is that of a fluctuation of rates. Volatility of Interest rates is one of the major risks for the banking system. Therefore, financial engineering can be used as a very important hedging practice for banks against such a risk. The aim of this study is to develop a risk hedging mechanism to better overcome market volatility by hedging position against the exposure to interest rate risk based on credit derivatives. Therefore, this study uses Interest Rate Swaps (IRS)s to better hedge the exposure of banks to interest rate fluctuations in stress conditions giving consideration to the case study of banks in Syria in optimizing hedging practices based on Interest Rate Swaps. The aim is to use financial engineering to provide banks with a hedging technique to better absorb shocks in times of stress conditions. This has been discussed and illustrated with visual model diagrams. The case study of banks in Syria is not just the story of individual banks but a window into how to hedge the exposure of banks in stress conditions. In the end, most banking crises are quite similar. The recommendations set out in this study provide banks with an optimized hedging practice which is not part of current financial engineering at banks in Syria.