An exchange rate risk experiment with multiple currencies

In this article, the authors describe a classroom experiment on exchange rates appropriate for undergraduate courses in macroeconomics, international economics, and money and banking. Student teams compete by managing virtual portfolios of six foreign currencies over a period of several weeks. Trading requires a few minutes in class. Students gain an understanding of currency movements, financial risk, and portfolio management. The experiment allows for a test of the efficient markets hypothesis. A single class spreadsheet is used to record the history of trades and portfolio balances, assist in formulation of team strategy, and provide the raw data for students to analyze their performance in an end-of-semester reflection paper. Sample outcomes from classes in money and banking and international economics are discussed.