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Recent Developments, Benjamin W. Pardue

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In 1967 the British government devalued the pound as against the dollar. The year 1969 witnessed the floating of the German mark. More recently the dollar has fluctuated widely in international money markets. Under presently accepted accounting principles United States multinational corporations are required to convert their foreign assets and liabilities into dollars at the year's end rate of exchange. When a foreign currency is devalued against the dollar, the value of that foreign subsidiary's assets also declines. In a corporation's consolidated financial statement such a drop in value may distract investors from the corporation's operating successes, with a corresponding …