The principal financial instruments used by the voestalpine Group consist of bank loans and short-term demand notes, bonds, and trade payables. The primary aim of the financial instruments is to finance the business activities of the Group. The Group holds various financial assets, such as trade receivables, short-term deposits, and non-current investments, which result directly from the Group’s business activities.
The Group also uses derivative financial instruments. These instruments mainly include interest rate swaps and forward exchange transactions. These derivative financial instruments are used to hedge interest rate and currency risks and risks from fluctuations in raw materials prices, which result from the business activities of the Group and its sources of financing.