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Financial instruments | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018
Financial Instruments [Abstract] |
Financial instruments | Financial instruments:
(a) | Fair value:
The Corporation’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, trade and other receivables, investments, and trade and other payables. The fair values of cash and cash equivalents, trade and other receivables, and trade and other payables approximate their carrying values because of the short-term nature of these instruments. Fair value measurements recognized in the statement of financial position must be categorized in accordance with the following levels:
(i) | Level 1: Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
(ii) | Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices);
(iii) | Level 3: Inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).
(b) | Financial risk management:
The Corporation primarily has exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk, commodity risk, interest rate risk, and credit risk. Foreign currency exchange rate risk Foreign currency exchange rate risk is the risk that the fair value of deferred cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in foreign exchange rates. The Corporation is exposed to currency risks primarily due to its holdings of Canadian dollar denominated cash equivalents and its Canadian dollar denominated purchases and accounts payable. Substantially all receivables are denominated in U.S. dollars. The Corporation limits its exposure to foreign currency risk by holding Canadian denominated cash and cash equivalents in amounts up to 100% of forecasted twelve month Canadian dollar net expenditures and up to 50% of the following twelve months of forecasted Canadian dollar net expenditures, thereby creating an economic hedge. Periodically, the Corporation also enters into forward foreign exchange contracts to further limit its exposure. At December 31, 2018, the Corporation held Canadian dollar denominated cash and cash equivalents of CDN $18,490,000 and outstanding forward foreign exchange contracts to sell a total of CDN $17,400,000 in 2018 at an average rate of CDN $1.30 to US $1.00. The following exchange rates applied during the year ended December 31, 2018:
| $U.S. to $1.00 CDN |  | $CDN to $1.00 U.S.
January 1, 2018 Opening rate | $0.798 |  | $1.254
December 31, 2018 Closing rate | $0.734 |  | $1.363
Fiscal 2018 Average rate | $0.772 |  | $1.296
Based on cash and cash equivalents and forward foreign exchange contracts held at December 31, 2018, a 10% increase in the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar, with all other variables held constant, would result in an increase in foreign exchange gains of approximately $2,633,000 recorded against net income. If the Canadian dollar weakened 10% against the U.S. dollar, there would be an equal, and opposite impact, on net income. This sensitivity analysis includes foreign currency denominated monetary items, and adjusts their translation at year-end, for a 10% change in foreign currency rates.
33. | Financial instruments (cont'd):
(b) | Financial risk management (cont'd):
Commodity risk Commodity risk is the risk of financial loss due to fluctuations in commodity prices, in particular, for the price of platinum and palladium, which are key components of the Corporation’s fuel cell products. Platinum and palladium are scarce natural resources and therefore the Corporation is dependent upon a sufficient supply of these commodities. To manage its exposure to commodity price fluctuations, the Corporation may include platinum and or palladium pricing adjustments directly into certain significant customer contracts, and may also periodically enter into platinum and or palladium forward contracts. At December 31, 2018, there were no outstanding forward platinum contracts under the Forward Contract Facility. Interest rate risk Interest rate risk is the risk that the fair value of deferred cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in market interest rates. The Corporation is exposed to interest rate risk arising primarily from fluctuations in interest rates on its cash and cash equivalents. The Corporation limits its exposure to interest rate risk by continually monitoring and adjusting portfolio duration to align to forecasted cash requirements and anticipated changes in interest rates. Based on cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2018, a 0.25% decline in interest rates, with all other variables held constant, would result in a decrease in investment income of $481,000. If interest rates had been 0.25% higher, there would be an equal and opposite impact on net income. Credit risk Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Corporation if a counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its contractual obligations and arises principally from the Corporation’s accounts receivable. The Corporation manages its exposure to credit risk on accounts receivable by assessing the ability of counterparties to fulfill their obligations under the related contracts prior to entering into such contracts, and continuously monitors these exposures.

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