Hedging myths IV - "Hedging is only for large companies."

Prometheus was a Titan who defied Zeus. When the gods tried to keep fire for themselves on Olympus, Prometheus stole it and carried it down to humans. Fire symbolized knowledge, civilization, and progress, and its gift enabled ordinary people to develop arts, crafts, and technology. Prometheus handed the tools of the gods to mortals.

Zeus's punishment was brutal. Prometheus was chained to a rock where an eagle ate his liver every day, and every night it grew back so his torment could begin again. His name lives on in the word "promethean" meaning daringly original or defiant of limits, as well as in promethium, chemical element 61.

For decades, hedging was fire on Olympus. Sophisticated instruments, dedicated dealing desks, and expensive systems — reserved for corporate giants with treasury departments the size of small companies.

That world is gone; the fire has come down from the mountain.

A mid-market manufacturer purchasing copper has the same exposure as a giant — often more, relative to its margins. But while a large company can usually absorb a bad year on commodities; the smaller one gets the eagle.

Hedging is no longer a privilege of scale, it’s a requirement for financial survival and it has never been more accessible than it is today. From numerous liquidity providers to easy-to-use, AI enabled hedging systems like Forge aHedge, best practise financial risk management can be performed by all.

Next myth: "We've hedged everything — we're fully covered." Any ideas who this corresponds to - read here to find out or check your answer.