Influence of oil prices on stock market indexes in Russia and Norway

The effects of oil price dynamics on share quotations are discussed in the paper for the 2000–2012 period for two oil exporting countries—Russia and Norway. It has been shown, using a vector autoregressive model, that, in spite of intuitive expectations, oil prices have not been a systematic risk factor for Russian and Norwegian stock market indices. In Norway, share quotations definitely responded to the dynamics of the US dollar exchange rate relative to the world’s main currencies and the S&P 500 stock index, as well as to fluctuations in the global and domestic interest rates, although to a lesser degree. In Russia, share quotations are practically exclusively affected by their own shocks (a factor that is explained by some specific features characterizing Russia’s major public companies).     

影响中国国际资本流动的因素分析

本文结合中国资本流动的特点,加入证券市场价格及房地产价格水平两个变量实证分析了1982～2004年对我国国际资本流动的影响。结果表明对中国资本流动影响最显著的因素依次为利率、汇率、房地产价格指数和证券市场价格。     

国际热钱流入的经济影响与对策

近年来,由于人民币升值预期、美元与人民币利率之差拉大及国内的房地产、股票市场价格高涨,大量国际热钱通过各种渠道进入我国,对我国经济的稳定发展造成了很大的冲击。对此,我国政府应给予高度关注,并积极应对。可考虑的措施是:设法削弱市场对人民币升值的预期,选择适当时机进一步完善人民币汇率形成机制;转变政策导向,实现国际收支的基本均衡;审慎开放资本账户等。     

Russia’s economic space: Currencies, oil, investment

An attempt is made to estimate the influence of the currency and oil factors on the volumes and distribution of investment flows to Russian regions. The emphasis is on a correlation analysis of the impact of changes in the values of nominal foreign exchange rates (the US dollar and the Euro) and the world prices of Urals crude oil on the dynamics of Russian and foreign investments in different regions and regional groups of Russia over a ten-year period (1995–2005). Significant intergroup differences in the degree of investment susceptibility to the currency and oil factors are brought to light, resulting from the country’s heterogeneous economic space, its mineral and labor resources, uneven development of its transport infrastructure, the energy spent by local authorities in attracting investments, etc.     

Global commodity prices and global stock market volatility shocks: Effects across countries

We investigate the time-varying dynamics of global stock market volatility, commodity prices, domestic output and consumer prices. We find (i) stock market volatility and commodity price shocks impact each other and the economy in a gradual and endogenous adjustment process, (ii) impact of commodity price shock on global stock market volatility is significant during global financial crises, (iii) effects of global stock market volatility on the US output are amplified by endogenous commodity price responses, (iv) effects of global stock market volatility shocks on the economy are heterogeneous across nations and relatively larger in twelve developed countries, (v) four developing/small economies are more vulnerable to commodity price shocks.     

US pressure on China: Silver flows, deflation, and the 1934 Shanghai credit crunch

US pressure for Chinese currency appreciation in the face of a weakening dollar was initially resisted in the post-2003 period. No such option was available in the 1930s, however, when dollar weakness was accompanied by silver purchases that automatically drove up the value of China's old silver-based currency. New empirical evidence suggests a significant link between the policy-induced driving up of US silver prices and Chinese exchange rate appreciation and price deflation. Moreover, the reversal of the silver flow into Shanghai as large-scale US purchases began in 1934 appears to have been met by a credit crunch in that city—as evidenced by bank failures, and real estate and stock market declines. The silver flow from the interior to Shanghai had previously insulated the financial center from the credit shortages faced elsewhere in China after deflation first emerged in 1932–1933.     

国际资本流动与房地产、上证市场联动性研究

去年底以来,我国出现了国外短期资本出逃的现象,这直接导致了人民币兑美元汇率的连续"跌停"。一方面,作为国外资本的主要投资场所,房地产市场和上证市场的发展状况直接影响了国外短期资本的投资热情;另一方面,国外短期资本的流动也影响着房地产市场和上证市场的发展。鉴于此,本文从外汇储备、房地产市场以及上证市场三个角度,结合相关的实证分析方法,来深刻揭示这三者之间的相互影响关系。分析过程用到的方法包括ADF检验、协整检验、格兰杰因果检验、脉冲响应函数分析、方差分析等。最后得出三者间存在较为明显的联动效应的结论。     

Pass-through Effects of Global Commodity Prices on China＇s Inflation： An Empirical Investigation

The present paper uses a two-step approach to estimate the pass-through effects of changes in international commodity prices and the RMB exchange rate on domestic consumer price inflation in China. We first estimate the pass-through effects of international commodity prices on producer prices and then estimate the pass-through effects of producer price inflation on consumer price inflation. We find that a l O-percent increase in international commodity prices would lead to China＇ s producer prices increasing by 1.2 percent 3 months later, which in turn would increase China＇ s domestic inflation by 0.24 percent over the same period. However, a 10-percent appreciation of the RMB exchange rate against the US dollar would help to reduce increases in producer prices by 4.4 percent over the following 3 months, which in turn would lead to a 0. 89-percent decline in consumer price inflation over the same period. Our findings suggest that appreciation of the RMB in an environment of rising global commodity prices and a weak US dollar could be an effective instrument to help contain inflation in China.     

大小非解禁和股价波动关系的实证分析

本文基于2007年1月至2011年3月的月度时间序列样本,构建了经典的多元回归模型,对"大小非"解禁与股价走势之间的关系进行了分阶段实证研究。计量结果表明,国内国际经济形势、货币政策以及预期等因素才是影响我国股价走势变化的最主要因素,而"大小非"解禁对股价走势的影响程度则要受到我国股市所处行情阶段的限制。     

Exchange rate exposure and risk management: The case of Japanese exporting firms

This paper investigates the relationship between Japanese firms’ exposure to the exchange rate risk and their risk management. Following Dominguez (1998) and others, we first estimate the firms’ exposure to the exchange rate risk by regressing their stock prices on the exchange rate and the market portfolio. We next investigate possible influences of various risk management measures on the firms’ foreign exchange exposure. Risk management variables include financial and operational hedging, the invoice currency choice, and the price revision strategy (pass-through) of 227 listed firms in 2009, which were collected from a questionnaire survey of Japanese firms listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Our main findings are as follows: First, firms with greater dependency on sales in foreign markets have greater foreign exchange exposure, judged by the market. Second, the higher the US dollar invoicing share, the greater the foreign exchange exposure is, which can be reduced by both financial and operational hedging. Third, yen invoicing reduces foreign exchange exposure. These findings indicate that Japanese firms use a combination of risk management tools to mitigate the degree of exchange rate risk.     

Responding to the global financial crisis: Vietnamese exchange rate policy, 2008–2009

The paper presents an analysis of exchange rate policy in Vietnam during 2008–2009. In early 2008, the country faced a sudden reversal of capital flows as signs of developing domestic vulnerabilities became evident. The downward pressure on the dong then intensified with the onset of the global financial crisis in the fall. In these environments, the Vietnamese authorities responded with various exchange rate policy measures. The paper documents a shift in Vietnam's de facto exchange rate regime, from a basket peg to a simple US dollar peg, when the domestic vulnerabilities became compounded by the evolving global crisis. The authorities utilized additional measures to relieve pressure on the parallel exchange rate. An event study methodology finds little evidence of systematic effectiveness for these policy actions; any effectiveness was short-lived. A close examination of individual actions suggests that the impact of foreign exchange market intervention appeared more consistent than any other type of measure and most effective when combined with other measures.     

Pricing to Market： Chinese Export Pricing to the USA after the Peg

In July 2005, the Chinese Government unpegged the RMB from the US dollar. As the RMB has followed a remarkably predictable appreciation over time, I examine the price of Chinese exports to the USA after unpegging the exchange rate. Results suggest that the Chinese industries with greater import market share were able to raise their prices after the removal of the pegged exchange rate regime; however, over time there is a significant deflationary trend. Chinese export prices tended to decrease under an unanticipated RMB appreciation; this effect was more pronounced for industries with more pricing flexibility. This suggests that Chinese exporters are consistently ＂pricing to market＂ and thus creating a significant foreign exchange policy implication. Specifically, a more flexible exchange rate regime will likely have little impact on the prices of Chinese exports to the USA but might increase the profit volatility of Chinese firms.     

Portfolio modelling and growth in open economies

The standard BRANSON model is modified in a way which allows one to focus on the short term dynamics of foreign bonds markets, the money market and the stock market—or alternatively the oil market. This allows us to explain the dynamics of the exchange rate and the oil price within a portfolio choice model; also we identify critical expectation dynamics in a more conventional pricing approach to the oil market—expectations determine whether or not the oil market equilibrium is compatible with a stationary price or with sustained oil price inflation. Moreover, a straightforward innovative way to combine a portfolio approach with a growth model is developed. New results are obtained—through multiplier analysis—about the long term effects of changes in the savings rate, the process innovation rate, the product innovation variable and the money supply on the exchange rate and the stock market price; this raises many empirical issues. Finally, the analysis presented sheds new light on the global asset price dynamics in the context of the banking crisis. To the memory of Edward Graham, Petersen Institute for International Economics, Washington D.C.     

中国持有美国资产的风险

中国持有约1.4万亿美元美国金融资产,近90%为政府担保债券。如果美国继续巨额财政赤字和宽松货币政策,汇率政策调整及储备货币地位丧失引发美元贬值的风险将上升。未来几年美元对外实际价值下降的可能性较低,利率风险与以往美国经济衰退期接近,股市波动影响较大。中国所持美元资产的风险短期内来自市场波动,长期依赖于美国财政及货币纪律。     

气冲斗牛的原油期货

2007年是国际原油走势气势如虹，颠覆历史的一年。从年初低点，一路飙升，几乎未作停息，快马加鞭，直逼100美元大关，途中在8到9月期间受次级债危机，有10美元幅度调整外，国际原油一直保持着非常强劲的走势。从NYMEX原油期货连续合约从年初低位50．4美元开始反弹，至2008年1月达到100美元，几近翻涨一倍。北海BRENT原油与WTI原油走势如出一辙，完成了阔步跃进，但涨势稍弱于WTI原油走势。     

Retrospect of the Chinese Exchange Rate Regime after Reform： Stylized Facts during the Period from 2005 to 2010

In the present paper, we estimate the de facto RMB exchange rate regime, the currency basket, the floating band and the foreign exchange market pressure before and after the reform of the Chinese exchange rate regime in 2005. We find the following stylized facts： the value of the RAIB became stable after the reform; the weight of the US dollar remained high in the basket, while other currencies remained statistically significant; and the floating band gradually increased to lO percent during 2005-2008, and then greatly narrowed from the late summer of 2008 under the assumption of a yearly resetting interval. We find that the foreign exchange market pressure increased from 2005 to 2008. A possible reason is that the weight of the US dollar in the basket was slightly lower than the share of the US dollar in total transactions on the Chinese foreign exchange market. Therefore, it is reasonable for China to adopt a dollar peg exchange rate regime.     

Models for Predicting Prices in the Moscow Residential Real Estate Market

The paper presents the results of modeling the pricing mechanism in the residential real estate market (by using Moscow as an example). The key factors that influence the monthly and annual dynamics of real estate prices are revealed; their quantitative impact is assessed using regression analysis methods. The close dependence of the real estate price on the change in the US dollar-ruble exchange rate in a monthly model with a distributed lag is revealed. In the annual model, the best explanatory force is possessed by factors such as the dynamics of the Urals oil prices and the change in the average cost of basic materials, parts, and structures purchased by construction companies in the current year. The study also proposes a new indicator, which, is believed by the authors to approximate the change in the propensity to save in high-income groups of the population.     

China＇s Exchange Rate and Financial Repression： The Conflicted Emergence of the RMB as an International Currency

Instability in the worm dollar standard, as most recently manifested in the US Federal Reserve＇s near-zero interest rate policy, has caused consternation in emerging markets with naturally higher interest rates. China has been provoked into speeding RMB ＂internationalization ＂; that is, opening up domestic financial markets to reduce its dependence on the US dollar for invoicing trade and making international payments. However, despite rapid percentage growth in offshore financial markets in RMB, the Chinese authorities are essentially trapped into maintaining exchange controls （reinforced by financial repression in domestic interest rates） to avoid an avalanche of foreign capital inflows that would threaten inflation and asset price bubbles by driving nominal interest rates on RMB assets down further. Because a floating （appreciating） exchange rate could attract even more hot money inflows, the People＇s Bank of China should focus on keeping the yuan/dollar rate stable so as to encourage naturally high wage increases to help balance China ＂s international competitiveness. However, further internationalization of the RMB, as with the proposed Shanghai pilot free trade zone, is best deferred until world interest rates rise to more normal levels.     

Oil and gold price dynamics in a multivariate cointegration framework

This study delivers further insights into oil and gold price dynamics and their relation to U.S. prices and the dollar exchange rate. Previous studies have frequently analyzed this issue regarding the price either of gold or of oil; however, the role of both quantities has not been analyzed simultaneously in a broader context. To tackle this caveat, we use monthly data for the nominal effective dollar exchange rate, oil, gold and U.S. prices from 1976:01 to 2011:11. We carefully analyze the long-run as well as the short-run dynamics and the long-run impact in terms of shocks, applying a cointegrated VAR model. The main conclusion we reach is that although gold and oil are both important commodities, their economic impact in terms of their shocks differs significantly. In the long-run, both quantities seem to be positively related and shocks to the gold price drive the system. In addition, the gold-oil spread is positively related to U.S. consumer prices, which implies a stronger relationship of consumer prices to the former.     

Hot Money Flows,Commodity Price Cycles and Financial Repression in the USA and China： The Consequences of Near-zero US Interest Rates

Under near-zero US interest rates, the international dollar standard malfunctions. Emerging markets with naturally higher interest rates are swamped with hot money inflows. Emerging market central banks intervene to prevent their currencies from rising precipitately. They lose monetary control and domestic prices begin inflating. Primary commodity prices rise worldwide unless interrupted by an international banking crisis＇. This cyclical inflation on the dollar＇s periphery only registers in the US core eonsumer price index with a long lag. The zero interest rate policy also fails to stimulate the US economy as domestic finaneial intermediation by banks and money market mutual funds is repressed. Because China is forced to keep its interest rates below market-clearing levels, it also suffers from finaneial repression, although in a form differing from that in the USA.