International Financial Contagion: Why are Eastern Europe's banks not failing when everybody else's are?

While the Asian financial crisis spread to Russia and Brazil, the transition economies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs) are largely unaffected by international financial contagion. This is the more surprising considering that most economies have experienced severe banking sector problems in the past, that large bad loan ratios are still prevalent, that banking regulation and supervision are only slowly improving, and that stabilizing policies have slowly been eliminated. What insulated the CEECs from the recent wave of financial instability? To consider the counterfactual, we first provide a framework that links banking crises to financial deregulation. We then focus on a number of macro- and microeconomic factors, using data compiled from the IMF's International Financial Statistics, from the World Bank's World Debt Tables, and from the BIS's Consolidated International Banking Statistics. We first compare past experiences in CEECs with those in other emerging economies as a cross-sectional reference point. We then consider whether the situation in CEECs has changed since the last banking sector problems, in order to establish a reference point across time. Our results indicate that the factors leading up to past banking crises are generally different in CEECs from those in other emerging economies. However, in recent years, the characteristics of CEECs have become more similar to those of other emerging economies.     

Effects of the US monetary policy shocks during financial crises – a threshold vector autoregression approach

This article analyzes the impact of monetary policy during periods of low and high financial stress in the US economy using a threshold vector autoregression model. There is evidence that expansionary monetary policy is effective during periods of high financial stress with larger responses having a higher proportionate effect on output. The existence of a cost channel effect during periods of high financial stress implies the existence of a short run output-inflation trade off during financial crises. Large expansionary monetary shocks also increase the likelihood of moving the economy out of a high financial stress regime.     

Financial Development and Economic Activity in Advanced and Developing Open Economies: Evidence from Panel Cointegration

This study considers the effects of financial development on output in a panel cointegration framework, focusing on the implications of trade and financial openness. Our analysis indicates that after controlling for cross‐sectional dependence, the typical relationship between finance and output does not hold in the long run. This relationship, however, is re‐established once we account for economic openness. While trade openness emerges as more important for developing countries, financial openness is more important for advanced economies. In the long run, causality runs from financial development to output in the advanced economies, while in developing economies causality is bidirectional. There is no short‐run causality between financial development and output, however.     

Sudden stops, banking crises and investment collapses in emerging markets

We evaluate whether financial openness leaves emerging market economies vulnerable to the adverse effects of capital reversals (“sudden stops”) on domestic investment. We investigate this claim in a broad sample of emerging markets during the period 1976–2002. If the banking sector does not experience a systemic crisis, sudden stop events fail to have a significant impact on investment. Bank crises, on the other hand, have a significant negative effect on investment even in the absence of a contemporaneous sudden stop crisis. We also find that openness to capital flows worsens the adverse impact of banking crises on investment. Our results provide statistical support for the policy view that a strong banking sector which can withstand the negative fallout of capital flight is essential for countries that open their economies to international financial flows.     

Fiscal deficits,banking crises and policy reversal in a semi-open economy

We study the effect of domestic policies and external shocks in a semi-open economy characterized by incomplete liberalization of the financial sector. We argue that in such transition economies stabilization programs can have a negative impact on the fiscal imbalances, offsetting to some extent the very achievement of the stabilization program. We develop a simple general equilibrium model which allows propagation of shocks in the presence of government guarantees and imperfect capital mobility. We also empirically test the impact of positive foreign interest shock on the Indian economy using a reduced form VAR approach. The econometric evidence, though broadly consistent with the main predictions of the model, suggests no significant impact of foreign interest rate shock on output and credit. We conclude that incomplete liberalization of the financial sector in transition economies has two effects. It reduces i) exposure to external financial shocks (like the current credit crisis) and ii) ability to deal with real sector shocks (which may arise from global recession in the medium term) due to endogenous policy reversals and presence of government guarantees.     

Asset Prices and the Financial Crisis of 2007–09: An Overview of Theories and Policies

The financial crisis of 2007–09 has led to a rethinking of the role of monetary and financial regulatory policy. It has also called into question the benefits of financial innovation and monetary policy that focuses solely on inflation and the output gap. This paper discusses financial instabilities in general, the recent financial crisis as well as the appropriate role of monetary and financial regulatory policy in dealing with asset bubbles. The paper concludes by evaluating appropriate policies to reduce the economic impact of future financial crises.     

Asset Prices and the Financial Crisis of 2007–09: An Overview of Theories and Policies

The financial crisis of 2007–09 has led to a rethinking of the role of monetary and financial regulatory policy. It has also called into question the benefits of financial innovation and monetary policy that focuses solely on inflation and the output gap. This paper discusses financial instabilities in general, the recent financial crisis as well as the appropriate role of monetary and financial regulatory policy in dealing with asset bubbles. The paper concludes by evaluating appropriate policies to reduce the economic impact of future financial crises.     

Global Integration of Central and Eastern European Financial Markets—The Role of Economic Sentiments

This paper examines the importance of different economic sentiments for the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) during the transition process. We first analyze the importance of economic confidence with respect to the CEECs' financial markets. Since the integration of formerly strongly‐regulated markets into global markets can also lead to an increase in the dependence of the CEECs' economies on global sentiments, we also investigate the relationship between global economic sentiments, domestic income, and share prices. Applying a restricted cointegrating VAR (CVAR) framework, which allows us to distinguish between the long‐run and the short‐run dynamics, our results for the short run suggest that economic sentiments are influenced by share prices but also offer some predictive power with respect to the latter. What is more, European sentiments play an important role in particular for the CEECs' income and sentiments.     

The dynamics of financial development,globalisation, economic growth and life expectancy in sub‐Saharan Africa

The importance of life expectancy is recognised in the development economics literature because of its increasing effects on labour productivity and economic growth in long‐run. However, no published study to date empirically examines the nonlinear relationships between globalisation, financial development, economic growth and life expectancy in sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries. Therefore, our study intends to fill this gap by using non‐parametric cointegration test and multivariate Granger causality test towards a non‐linear empirical understanding of the factors affecting the life expectancy. We consider the case of 16 sub‐Saharan African economies using annual data over the period 1970–2012. The empirical analysis indicates that financial development, globalisation and economic growth appear to have a positive impact upon life expectancy in sub‐Saharan African economies, except for Gabon and Togo. Our empirical findings may provide insightful policy implications towards improving population health conditions which are vital for promoting the productivity of labour force and long‐run economic growth in sub‐Saharan African countries. In light of these policy implications, governments should incorporate globalisation, financial development and economic growth as key economic instruments in formulating sustainable developmental policy to promote life expectancy for the people in sub‐Saharan African countries.     

Is the crisis problem growing more severe?

The crisis problem is one of the dominant macroeconomic features of our age. Its prominence suggests questions like the following: Are crises growing more frequent? Are they becoming more disruptive? Are economies taking longer to recover? These are fundamentally historical questions, which can be answered only by comparing the present with the past. To this end, this paper develops and analyses a data base spanning 120 years of financial history. We find that crisis frequency since 1973 has been double that of the Bretton Woods and classical gold standard periods and is rivalled only by the crisis-ridden 1920s and 1930s. History thus confirms that there is something different and disturbing about our age. However, there is little evidence that crises have grown longer or output losses have become larger. Crises may have grown more frequent, in other words, but they have not obviously grown more severe. Our explanation for the growing frequency and chronic costs of crises focuses on the combination of capital mobility and the financial safety net, including the implicit insurance against exchange risk provided by an ex ante credible policy of pegging the exchange rate, which encourages banks and corporations to accumulate excessive foreign currency exposures. We also provide policy recommendations for restoring stability and growth.
— Michael Bordo, Barry Eichengreen, Daniela Klingebiel and Maria Soledad Martinez-Peria     

The transmission of business cycles: Lessons from the 2004 enlargement of the EU and the adoption of the euro

This paper evaluates the macroeconomic interdependencies of seven Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) with the Euro Area (EA) through trade relationship. We estimate a near‐VAR model and simulate the responses of activity in those CEECs to output shocks for 12 former members of the EA before and after the 2004 enlargement of the European Union. During both periods, empirical results show that spillover effects come through the main economies of the EA: Germany, France and Italy. Furthermore, CEECs were more responsive to output shocks in the EA after 2004 than before (3.3 times more on average). Increases in spillover effects are larger for the three CEECs that adopted the Euro early (Slovenia, Slovakia and Estonia) than the other CEECs but without higher trade intensity with the EA. Our results show that trade effects are positive inside the same currency area but negative for the CEECs without the euro.     

短贷长投对企业创新可持续性支持的实证研究

基于我国特殊的制度环境,研究短贷长投对我国企业创新活动的影响。研究表明,短贷长投作为一种替代性融资方式,对企业创新能力产生了显著的抑制效应,并且对不同产权性质和规模的企业而言,这种抑制效应具有差异性。进一步的影响机制研究表明,短贷长投会阻碍人力资本投入和R&D投入,影响企业创新能力积累。另外,就短贷长投对创新与企业成长两者关系影响进行研究,发现短贷长投弱化了创新与企业成长之间的敏感性,进一步证明了短贷长投负面效应的存在。最后,考察了外部金融环境的影响,发现货币政策、地区金融发展水平等因素均能显著影响短贷长投对企业创新能力的抑制效应。     

Should ASEAN-5 monetary policy-makers act pre-emptively against stock market bubbles?

Stock market rises and asset price inflation in ASEAN economies have raised the question of whether monetary authorities in these economies should act pre-emptively against these rising trends to prevent impending financial crises. Using structural vector error correction models (SVECMs) which incorporate mixed data characteristics, we examine the effects and interactions between monetary policy and stock market shocks for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The results suggest that monetary policy focused on the stock market detracts from price stability objectives, in particular because containing a stock market bubble may inadvertently depress output and inflation.     

美国货币政策对中国股票市场溢出效应的实证研究

本文认为:美国货币政策对我国股票市场真实回报具有显著的溢出效应,即扩张性的货币政策使我国股票市场真实回报下降;在短期,美国货币政策冲击对我国股票市场真实回报波动贡献大,而在中长期美国的通胀、产出冲击贡献大;美国货币政策溢出效应经由美国股票市场价格示范效应传递的机制不显著。     

Product mix,transactions and cost behaviour: a study of South African bank branches

This paper utilizes microeconomic theory and a panel data set to assess the impact of product mix and transactions on cost behaviour of bank branches in South Africa over the short and long‐term. Estimates of properties of concavity and monotonocity indicate that the cost functions of typical bank branches in South Africa are neither consistent with short‐term nor long‐term cost‐minimizing behaviour. This corroborates earlier findings which indicate that South African banks have low production efficiency and high market power. In addition the cost functions and two production‐output type indices indicate that overall, the intermediation‐output type mix (foreign exchange and custodial services) has a more significant effect on cost behaviour than the production‐output type mix (cheque and deposit accounts). The variety of production‐output type services provided by a branch appears to have limited effect on costs. However the financial value of production‐output type transactions has an impact on costs while the financial value of intermediation type products does not. Branches that provide intermediation‐output type products tend to have higher variable costs – the key determinant of costs is the number of transactions.     

Sustainable and Excessive Current Account Deficits

Both the Mexican crisis of 1994–95 and the Asian financial crisis of 1997–98 have been preceded by large current account deficits run by the affected economies. External deficits are often assumed to play an important role in the propagation of financial crises in emerging markets. Policymakers are faced with a new challenge: that of resisting or accepting the large current account deficits that may result from heavy private capital inflows. This paper aims at providing some guidance:First, the Lawson Doctrine – according to which current account deficits that result from a shift in private-sector behaviour should not be a public policy concern – has been discredited by recent currency crises in Latin America and Asia. Second, define the size of current account deficits that should be sustainable in the long run. Third, the intertemporal approach to the current account does not provide a reliable benchmark to define when deficits become excessive. Fourth, large external deficits should be resisted if unsustainable currency appreciation, excessive risk-taking in the banking system and a sharp private spending boom are seen to coincide.     

Sudden stops and the Mexican wave: Currency crises,capital flow reversals and output loss in emerging markets

Sudden stops are the simultaneous occurrence of a currency/balance of payments crisis with a reversal in capital flows. We investigate whether sudden-stop crises are a unique phenomenon and whether they entail an especially large and abrupt pattern of output collapse (a “Mexican wave”). Using a panel data set over 1975–1997 and covering 24 emerging-market economies, we distinguish between the output effects of currency crises, capital inflow reversals, and sudden-stop crises. Sudden-stop crises have a large negative, but short-lived, impact on output growth over and above that found with currency crises. A currency crisis typically reduces output by about 2–3%, while a sudden stop reduces output by an additional 6–8% in the year of the crisis. The cumulative output loss of a sudden stop is even larger, around 13–15% over a 3-year period. Our model estimates correspond closely to the output dynamics of the ‘Mexican wave’ (such as seen in Mexico in 1995, Turkey in 1994 and elsewhere), and out-of-sample predictions of the model explain well the sudden (and seemingly unexpected) collapse in output associated with the 1997–1998 Asian Crisis.     

人工智能的财富分配效应研究*

人工智能对经济不平等的影响引起学术界的广泛重视，但是现有研究以分析其对劳动收入不平等的影响为主，关于人工智能对财富分配从而对财产性收入不平等影响的相关研究尚有欠缺。本文通过构建一个连续时间异质性个体动态一般均衡模型，将人工智能对生产技术的影响看作一揽子偏向性技术进步，研究人工智能技术对财富分配的影响。分析发现，人工智能对财富不平等的影响在短期和长期表现有所不同，短期中人工智能技术的应用会提高经济中财富分配不平等程度，而长期中其财富分配效应则取决于人工智能对不同类型技术进步的促进程度。核心机制在于，人工智能技术进步的多样性在短期和长期中对资本回报率产生不同影响，短期中各类技术进步总是会提高资本回报率，而在长期，不同类型的技术进步对资本回报率的影响出现差异。基于以上结论，本文就我国如何在应用人工智能促进增长的同时预防不平等程度扩大提出了政策建议。     

加入金融创新的IS-LM模型

金融创新与衍生工具的大发展是自 2 0世纪 70年代以来全球经济 (特别是发达经济体 )最显著变化之一 ,但这一变化在传统的IS LM模型中却得不到反映。本文通过金融创新对于交易效率、实际投资的利率弹性、金融投资的利率弹性这三条渠道的影响 ,将金融创新纳入IS LM模型。这一方面是弥补传统IS LM模型对现实经济变动反映的不足 ,另一方面也是对金融全球化时代符号经济与实体经济关联“形式化”的一种努力。新模型的分析结果表明 :长期而言 ,金融创新对产出有促进作用 ;但短期来说 ,金融创新的作用不确定 ,可能对产出产生负面影响。从而一味鼓吹金融创新会有误导作用     

外汇冲销式干预对中国货币政策独立性的影响研究

冲销干预对中国货币政策独立性的影响表现出长短期不一致的特征,在短期内有助于保持货币政策的独立性;但在长期内,冲销干预不仅会制约货币政策的操作空间,削弱其独立性,累积金融风险,导致恶性后果。对此,应优化央行票据的期限结构,完善以国债市场为核心的公开市场操作,发展外汇掉期交易,建立外汇平准基金制度,增强货币政策独立性。