Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER)

It is the unweighted average rate at which one nation's currency is traded when comparing the value of one currency against a group of other currencies. 

Author: Matthew Retzloff
Matthew Retzloff
Matthew Retzloff
Investment Banking | Corporate Development

Matthew started his finance career working as an investment banking analyst for Falcon Capital Partners, a healthcare IT boutique, before moving on to work for Raymond James Financial, Inc in their specialty finance coverage group in Atlanta. Matthew then started in a role in corporate development at Babcock & Wilcox before moving to a corporate development associate role with Caesars Entertainment Corporation where he currently is. Matthew provides support to Caesars' M&A processes including evaluating inbound teasers/CIMs to identify possible acquisition targets, due diligence, constructing financial models, corporate valuation, and interacting with potential acquisition targets.

Matthew has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in German from University of North Carolina.

Reviewed By: Patrick Curtis
Patrick Curtis
Patrick Curtis
Private Equity | Investment Banking

Prior to becoming our CEO & Founder at Wall Street Oasis, Patrick spent three years as a Private Equity Associate for Tailwind Capital in New York and two years as an Investment Banking Analyst at Rothschild.

Patrick has an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School and a BA in Economics from Williams College.

Last Updated:December 5, 2023

What is the Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER)?

The "nominal effective exchange rate" (NEER) is the unweighted average rate at which one nation's currency is traded when comparing the value of one currency against a group of other currencies. 

The amount of local currency required to acquire an equivalent quantity of "foreign currency" is the "nominal exchange rate."

It reflects the relative value of the domestic currency compared to other foreign currencies. The inflation differential impacts NEER between the country and its trading partners. It is a trade-weighted index.

REER is also calculated based on NEER. It measures the purchasing power of one country's currency relative to the world's other main trading currencies after adjusting for inflation.

However, it ignores the relative inflation of different currencies and instead focuses on the relative value of their exchange rates; it is a trade-weighted effective exchange rate index.

NEER is calculated against a basket of currencies and can differ in providing accurate measurements due to inflation differential.

The term "currency basket" refers to a group of currencies that are valued differently relative to one another. Commonly known as a currency peg, it is used to stabilize the value of another currency. 

Forex traders may place "basket orders" to trade many currency pairs once as an additional trading option.

In the event of a currency pegged to another, the monetary authority of a country, such as the country's central bank, may utilize a basket of currencies as a reference to fix the value of the country's currency exchange rate. 

The monetary authority can reduce the movement in the exchange rate by employing a basket of several currencies from around the world rather than pegging it to only one currency.

Key Takeways

  • The "nominal effective exchange rate" (NEER) is the unweighted average rate at which one nation's currency is traded for.
  • Used for comparing the value of one currency against a group of other currencies. 
  • A currency basket is a group of currencies valued differently relative to one another.
  • The amount of local currency required to acquire an equivalent quantity of "foreign currency" is the "nominal exchange rate."
  • It reflects the relative value of the domestic currency compared to other foreign currencies. 
  • NEER is impacted by the inflation differential between the country and its trading partners and is a trade-weighted index
  • The real effective exchange rate is also calculated based on NEER. 
  • NEER is calculated against a basket of currencies” and can differ in providing accurate measurements due to inflation differential.

What is a Currency Basket?

A "currency basket" is used in contracts to eliminate (or significantly reduce) the impact of currency fluctuations over the contract's duration. 

Events like the demise of the "European cash unit" (and its replacement by the euro) and the rise of the Asian cash unit (and its replacement by the yen) are recorded in cash wicker containers.

"The U.S. dollar" list is the most well-recognized component of such a money basket (USDX). The United States dollar record is now made up of a combination of six monetary standards, and its calculation was initially scheduled to commence in 1973.

The currencies involved are European Union currency, Japanese yen, British pound, Canadian dollar, and Swiss franc. But, by a wide margin, the value of the record is determined by the euro, which makes up around 58% (really 57.6%) of the wicker basket. 

Following these proportions are the other currencies on the list: JPY (13.6%), GBP (11.9%), CAD (9.1%), SEK (4.2%), and CHF (3.6%). 

The all-time high for the index was 121 during the dot-com boom of the early 2000s, and the all-time low was 71 just before the Great Recession hit. These two focal points occurred in the twenty-first century.

The Basket of Foreign Currencies And NEER

For each NEER, one currency is measured against a group of other currencies. Currencies in this basket include those of the country's most significant trade partners and other key currencies. 

The “U.S. dollar,” “Euro,” “British pound,” “Japanese yen,” “Australian dollar,” “Swiss franc,” and “Canadian dollar” are the world's most widely used currencies.

Each foreign currency's weight in a basket is determined by its value relative to the local currency based on the value of commerce between the two countries. 

That might be the value of exports, imports, or some other metric entirely. In addition, assets and debts in various nations are often used as weights.

When the NEER coefficient is more than 1, the domestic currency is often more valuable than the imported currency, and vice versa when the coefficient is less than 1. Choosing a currency basket is not subject to universally accepted criteria. 

There are differences in the baskets used by the IMF, the Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan, and the "Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development" (OECD). 

However, the "International Financial Statistics" (IFS) released by the IMF are used by various organizations.

Usage of Currency Baskets

Value traders having access to a broad range of countries will use a Currency basket for risk management. 

Their primary "venture philosophies" are centered on the stock market; nevertheless, they are hesitant to incur significant losses by investing in the insights that enable other countries due to differences in the relative worth of their respective monetary systems. 

Those who possess bonds fall within this umbrella. On the other hand, money changers with a holistic perspective on particular cash will choose to hold that cash relative to several other "monetary standards" in the display. 

For example, if a trader is bullish on the "U.S. dollar," they may use the USDX to signal this to customers. 

Traders and financial experts can construct their own unique money wicker basket with variable weightings by their trading or contributing strategy.

The amount of each currency included in a basket transaction might be determined by the trader, a trading system, or a computer program. 

For example, a trader who wants to accumulate U.S. dollars would sell the euro/dollar, the pound/dollar, and the Australian dollar/dollar exchange rates to buy the U.S. dollar against the yen, the Canadian dollar, and the Swiss franc. 

Twenty percent of the funds were put into the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar and the pound and the dollar. The remaining 60% of the funds are split between the other "four currency" pairs at 15% each.

Calculating Currencies conversion in Bilateral Trade

Many different methods exist for determining the value of one currency in terms of another. A "relative trade rate" is the industry standard for measuring comparisons. Currency exchange rates measure the "value" of one currency in terms of another. 

When quoting bilateral trade rates, the "U.S. dollar (USD)" is the currency most often used since it is the most widely "exchanged cash" in the world. 

The "AUD/USD trading rate" tells you how many U.S. dollars you can buy with one Australian dollar at the current exchange rate, which is useful information if you're interested in the value of the "Australian dollar" (AUD). 

For example, if the exchange rate between the "Australian dollar" and the "U.S. dollar" is 0.75, one may expect to get 0.75 USD for every 1 AUD. 

The public is constantly exposed to and informed by media coverage of bilateral exchange rates. People who travel internationally or buy things online from other nations are exposed to them. 

A company's risk increases when it imports raw materials from abroad or signs a contract to sell its wares in another country.

The impact of bilateral exchange rates may be seen in our everyday lives and is often covered in the media. When customers go to other countries or place orders for products and services from other nations, they risk being affected by these practices. 

Likewise, when companies buy components of production from other nations or sign contracts to sell their products and services to other regions. Again, they place themselves in a position where they might be subject to these risks.

Calculation of Cross rates and Trade-Weighted Index (TWI)

It's possible to get cross rates from two exchange rates. A monetary exchange rate implied by a third currency is called the "cross rate." 

For example, given the "Euro/U.S. Dollar" trade rate (EUR/USD) and the Australian/U.S. Dollar trade rate (AUD/USD), one may get the "Euro/Australian Dollar trade" rate (EUR/AUD) by multiplying by the latter.

Although "relative trade rates" are the most often quoted trade rates (and are the most likely to be referenced within the news), a "trade-weighted list" (TWI) gives a more thorough evaluation of overall trends in a currency. 

One possible explanation for this is that TWIs use a weighted average of a collection or "bucket" of other currencies as a rate by which they determine the value of one national currency relative to all others (instead of single outside money). 

When determining the relative value of each currency in the economy, it is common practice to look at the rate at which a country's total exchange volume is conducted with each exchange partner.

As a consequence, a TWI can determine whether a currency is, on average, appreciating or depreciating in relation to its trade partners. 

Because shifts inside the bilateral exchange rates that generate a TWI will often partially balance each other, the TWI will typically experience less volatility than "bilateral exchange rates" in general.

Floating Exchange Rate Regime

Since 1983, Australia has operated under a system that allows its currency's value to fluctuate freely. This exchange rate regime is frequent since it helps maintain the macroeconomy's stability. 

It does this by protecting economies from shocks and enabling monetary policy to be directed inwards toward the circumstances of the local economy. 

The "market forces of supply" and demand for foreign exchange often determine currency exchange rates under a system referred to as a floating regime. 

The main currencies of the world, including the U.S. dollar, the euro used in the euro region, the Japanese yen, and the British pound sterling, have all employed a system in which exchange rates are allowed to float for a significant portion of the last century.

The concept of obtaining control equality asserts that over time, "drifting two-sided" "trade rates" ought to "settle" at a level that would result in products and services costing the same amount in both nations. However, this is difficult to identify within the verifiable data. 

Medium-term fluctuations in a trade rate reflect several factors, including shifts in intrigue rate fluctuations, global competitiveness, and the relative economic outlook in each country. 

Daily fluctuations in exchange rates may result from speculation, news, and events that impact certain economies.

Compared with “fixed regimes,” a "floating exchange rate" may result in currency movements that are greater in magnitude and more frequent in occurrence. 

In a system known as free-floating, the monetary authority will only step in to influence the level of the currency rate on infrequent occasions and only if the market circumstances are chaotic. 

On the other hand, some floating exchange rate regimes are more managed than others, and the "monetary authority intervenes" more often to control the exchange rate volatility.

Pegged Exchange Rate

A “pegged regime,” also known as a “fixed regime,” is one in which the monetary authority of a country fixes the official exchange rate of its currency to a rate set in relation to another country's currency. 

Most often, this will be expressed as a dollar- or euro-based "bucket of monetary forms" based on a cash goal or target rate. Although the aim may change over time, it is a consistent landmark that helps sustain budgetary stability. 

Financial professionals keep an eye on the exchange rate by "mediating" (buying and selling money inside the offshore trading market). As a result, the currency's value is kept relatively close to its desired value, and wild fluctuations are reduced (or inside its target band). 

A system with a fixed trade rate stifles the flexibility of financial arrangements by limiting the use of trading rates as a tool for financial strategy.

And requires maintaining a money system to maintain large distant cash reserves in preparation for intervening when necessary.   

The Danish krone's "illustrative trade" rate is a "pegged trade" rate. The exchange rate for the Danish krone against the euro is fixed at 7.46 euro cents per euro but may fluctuate between 7.29 and 7.62 kroner per euro. 

Researched and Authored by Antra Sharma | LinkedIn

Reviewed and edited by Parul Gupta | LinkedIn

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