Endogenous Home Bias in Portfolio Diversification and Firms’ Entry

The home bias in portfolios is considered a main puzzle in international macroeconomics. This paper provides a new benchmark for its analysis in a tractable new open economy macroeconomic model, where the home‐biased position is an optimal allocation. An equilibrium model of perfect risk‐sharing is specified, with endogenous portfolios and firm entry. Unlike in previous work, the international portfolio diversification is driven by home bias in capital goods—independently of home bias in consumption when countries are of equal size. The model explains the recent patterns of portfolio allocations in developed economies. Most important, optimal portfolio shares are independent of market dynamics.     

Banks,Financial Markets and International Consumption Risk Sharing

In this article, we explore how characteristics of the domestic financial system influence the international allocation of consumption risk in a sample of OECD countries. Our results show that the extent of risk sharing achieved does not depend on the overall development of the domestic financial system per se. Rather, it depends on how the financial system is organized. Countries characterized by developed financial markets are less exposed to idiosyncratic risk, whereas the development of the banking sector contributes little to the international diversification of consumption risk.     

Do oil producing countries offer international diversification benefits? Evidence from GCC countries

This paper provides evidence of the existence of diversification benefits in international stock markets when oil producing countries are included in a global portfolio. Moreover, it examines whether recent oil shocks and financial events have significant impact on the conditional correlations and diversification benefits. Using stock returns from developed, emerging, GCC countries and a global portfolio, the empirical findings show that while developed and emerging stock markets have experienced increased correlations over relatively long periods of time, the correlation in GCC stock markets remained low and constant offering high diversification benefits. Interestingly, the paper also finds that, during 2012–2014, the rising conditional correlation levels have reversed trends in developed and emerging markets alike offering more potential for international diversification. Our results are robust to model selection, data frequency, and innovations distribution.     

Economic integration and stock market dynamic linkages: evidence in the context of Australia and Asia

Countries are becoming economically integrated and it is contended that this will also lead to their financial markets becoming integrated. This contention is important since international financial market integration diminishes portfolio diversification benefits and creates contagion risk. We test this contention in this article in the context of the Australasian region. Australia and Asia have experienced very significant economic integration through a rapid growth in their bilateral trade. We utilize a battery of econometric techniques – cointegration, asymmetric generalized dynamic conditional correlations and panel regression models. As expected, we find that trade intensity significantly drives the interdependence between their stock markets in both the short run and the long run. Thus, given the ever increasing economic integration in this region, this finding implies that their stock markets face the risk of contagion, and that investors in these markets would also be confronted with the prospect of lower diversification benefits.     

Securitization of mortgage debt,domestic lending,and international risk sharing

Abstract Securitization makes mortgage‐related risks internationally tradeable and thus contributes considerably to the international diversification of macroeconomic risk: in the years 2003–2008, the increase in international cross‐holdings of securitized mortgage debt has lowered industrialized countries’ conditional consumption volatility (relative to the United States) by about 10–15 percentage points. We turn to the role of domestic credit in explaining this result. Domestic credit leads to better international risk sharing only if debt is securitized and traded internationally. Conversely, the risk‐sharing benefits from securitization seem to evaporate if credit dries up – as it did in the recent financial crisis.     

Portfolio choice with internal habit formation: a life-cycle model with uninsurable labor income risk

Motivated by the success of internal habit formation preferences in explaining asset pricing puzzles, we introduce these preferences in a life-cycle model of consumption and portfolio choice with liquidity constraints, undiversifiable labor income risk and stock-market participation costs. In contrast to the initial motivation, we find that the model is not able to simultaneously match two very important stylized facts: a low stock market participation rate, and moderate equity holdings for those households that do invest in stocks. Habit formation increases wealth accumulation because the intertemporal consumption smoothing motive is stronger. As a result, households start participating in the stock market very early in life, and invest their portfolios almost fully in stocks. Therefore, we conclude that, with respect to its ability to match the empirical evidence on asset allocation behavior, the internal habit formation model is dominated by its time-separable utility counterpart.     

Financial Globalization,International Business Cycles and Consumption Risk Sharing*

In spite of two decades of financial globalization, consumption‐based indicators do not seem to signal more international risk sharing. We argue that the fraction of idiosyncratic consumption risk that gets shared among industrialized countries has actually increased considerably over the period 1980–2000 and, in particular, during the 1990s—from around 30 to more than 60 percent. However, standard consumption‐based measures of risk sharing—such as the volatility of consumption conditional on output or international consumption correlations—have been unable to detect this increase because consumption has also been affected by the concurrent decline in the volatility of output growth in most industrialized countries since the 1980s. First, the volatility of output at business‐cycle frequencies has declined by more than has the volatility of permanent fluctuations. Since consumption reacts mainly to permanent shocks, it appears more volatile in relation to current changes in output. This effect seems to have offset the tendency of financial globalization to lower the volatility of consumption conditional on output. Second, because the variability of permanent global shocks has also fallen, international consumption correlations have also generally not increased as financial markets have become more integrated.     

A re-examination of international portfolio diversification based on evidence from leveraged bootstrap methods

This article investigates the issue of international portfolio diversification with respect to the three largest financial markets in the world—namely the US, Japan and the UK. In addition to making use of traditional portfolio analysis, we also suggest a procedure to calculate bootstrap correlation coefficients that can take into account the dynamic structure between the markets as measured by bootstrapped causality tests. Weekly data is used. The results from the first approach are supporting international diversification. The bootstrapped causality tests provide additional empirical support for this conclusion since the size of the causal effects is negligible and the bootstrap correlations are similar as the standard ones.     

Does financial globalization promote risk sharing?

In theory, one of the main benefits of financial globalization is that it should allow for more efficient international risk sharing. In this paper, we provide an empirical evaluation of the patterns of risk sharing among different groups of countries and examine how international financial integration has affected the evolution of these patterns. Using a variety of empirical techniques, we conclude that there is at best a modest degree of international risk sharing, and certainly nowhere near the levels predicted by theory. In addition, only industrial countries have attained better risk sharing outcomes during the recent period of globalization. Developing countries have, by and large, been shut out of this benefit. Even emerging market economies, many of which have reduced capital controls and all of which have witnessed large increases in cross-border capital flows, have seen little change in their ability to share risk. We find that the composition of flows may help explain why emerging markets have not been able to realize this presumed benefit of financial globalization. In particular, our results suggest that portfolio debt, which had dominated the external liability stocks of most emerging markets until recently, is not conducive to risk sharing.     

内需扩大、消费习惯与贸易顺差

通过在消费习惯的基础上,建立最优消费的跨时贸易理论模型,然后运用GMM、2S-2SLS对中国在1978-2009年间的消费习惯和对外贸易进行实证分析,结论表明:消费者的消费习惯在国际贸易中起重要的作用,习惯降低了持久性收入对跨时贸易的影响,延长了对外贸易顺差持续时间。消费习惯的影响,东部最低、中部次之,西部最大。消费习惯在降低净产出与贸易顺差负相关关系的同时,又扩大了前期贸易余额与贸易顺差的正相关关系。影响贸易顺差的因素很多,在不考虑其它因素影响下,消费习惯也是中国贸易顺差快速增加的重要原因。     

习惯形成、收入阶层异质性与我国城镇居民消费行为研究

习惯形成是居民消费变化的一个基本特征，收入阶层异质性是居民禀赋差异的主要体现，本文旨在结合两者探究我国城镇居民的消费行为，以探寻扩大居民消费的方法。基于阶层消费函数理论，运用收入阶层面板SUR的结果显示，居民消费具有显著的习惯形成特征，消费行为呈现异质性，表现为低收入居民的消费习惯较弱、消费倾向较高，中等收入居民的习惯较强、消费较谨慎，高收入居民的习惯较强、地位性消费较活跃。当前“金字塔”形的收入分布、不断扩大但谨慎的中等收入居民、地位性消费的外流抑制了城镇居民消费的扩大，居民消费的相对不足主要是结构性问题。应依据各阶层消费的特点，从供给侧出发构建长效机制，促进低收入居民的收入平稳增长，多方面减弱中等收入居民的谨慎性，并提升国内消费品的质量和档次。     

国际分散化投资与本土偏好行为——基于QDⅡ对外投资基金的实证分析

本文运用2009年中国8家QDII基金境外组合的周收益历史数据,与基于全球29个股市指数的收益数据构建的国际投资分散化有效前沿进行比较,探讨QDII基金在境外投资过程中是否存在"本土偏好"。研究发现我国QDII基金与国际投资分散化有效边界都存在着不同程度的偏差,反映出较显著的本土偏好的投资行为。本土偏好减弱了国际分散化效果,降低了QDII基金的绩效。资本管制、交易成本和信息不对称是造成本土偏好的主要原因,因此放松资本管制,降低交易成本,降低信息获取成本,加快资本市场开放和合作能够使投资者更好地享受国际分散化投资带来的利益。     

国际分散化投资与本土偏好行为——基于QDII对外投资基金的实证分析

本文运用2009年中国8家QDII基金境外组合的周收益历史数据,与基于全球29个股市指数的收益数据构建的国际投资分散化有效前沿进行比较,探讨QDII基金在境外投资过程中是否存在“本土偏好”。研究发现我国QDII基金与国际投资分散化有效边界都存在着不同程度的偏差,反映出较显著的本土偏好的投资行为。本土偏好减弱了国际分散化效果,降低了QDII基金的绩效。资本管制、交易成本和信息不对称是造成本土偏好的主要原因,因此放松资本管制,降低交易成本,降低信息获取成本,加快资本市场开放和合作能够使投资者更好地享受国际分散化投资带来的利益。     

消费习惯、异质偏好与动态资产定价:纯交换经济情形

本文用Chan和Kogan、Bask和Cuoco等的方法考虑纯交换经济下的定价问题,我们引进了两个投资者:一个具有外在性消费习惯;一个不具有消费习惯。我们重点考察消费习惯对投资者的最优消费规则的影响以及对资产价格的确定。此外,我们还考虑了对数效用函数下,消费习惯以差的形式出现的情形下的消费规则和定价问题。我们发现当两个投资者中一个具有消费习惯而另一个不具有该习惯时,消费习惯同时改变两个投资者的最优消费规则、消费动态和财富动态。此时的动态资产定价受外在性消费习惯的影响,即时Sharpe比为常数,并等于同质量经济下的即时Sharpe比。同时,如果考虑对数效用函数下消费习惯以差的形式出现,则即时Sharpe比是时变的,反周期的。     

International risk‐sharing in the short run and in the long run

Abstract International risk‐sharing has far‐reaching implications both for economic policy and for basic research in economics. When countries do not share consumption risk, individuals experience consumption fluctuations that are undesirable and possibly unnecessary. We investigate bilateral risk‐sharing at short vs. long horizons. We find substantial cross‐country consumption correlations at trend and business‐cycle frequencies. Correlations are particularly high within Europe. Prior research focused on first‐difference correlations, which are typically quite low. We argue that this reflects measurement error. At all horizons, we find that consumption correlations are not significantly different from output correlations, implying a lack of deliberate consumption risk‐sharing.     

Rational inattention,long-run consumption risk,and portfolio choice

This paper explores how the introduction of rational inattention (RI) – that agents process information subject to finite channel capacity – affects optimal consumption and investment decisions in an otherwise standard intertemporal model of portfolio choice. We first explicitly derive optimal consumption and portfolio rules under RI and then show that introducing RI reduces the optimal share of savings invested in the risky asset because inattentive investors face greater long-run consumption risk. We also show that the investment horizon matters for portfolio allocation in the presence of RI, even if investment opportunities are constant and the utility function of investors is constant relative risk aversion. Second, after aggregating across investors, we show that introducing RI can better explain the observed joint dynamics of aggregate consumption and the equity return. Finally, we show that RI increases the implied equity premium because investors under RI face greater long-run consumption risk and thus require higher compensation in equilibrium.     

REFORMING PENSION FUNDS IN SRI LANKA: INTERNATIONAL DIVERSIFICATION AND THE EMPLOYEES' PROVIDENT FUND

The Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) of Sri Lanka is a defined‐contribution pension fund whose pooled asset holdings consist mainly of local government bonds. Regulations prohibit international diversification, and this paper aims to quantify the extent of the potential harms, if any, caused by this constraint. To improve the robustness of the findings, we use two distinct methodologies. These include traditional mean‐variance analysis from modern portfolio theory, and Monte Carlo simulations bootstrapped from the historical data that estimate the distribution of wealth accumulated at retirement from the contributions of a hypothetical worker. Both methods produce qualitatively and quantitatively similar results: workers with risk aversion varying from aggressive to conservative will be better served by allowing international diversification. The results are particularly persuasive for the second approach. The EPF fund managers will likely behave fairly conservatively toward risk, which suggests that around half of the fund assets should be invested abroad.     

Marriage, Divorce and Reciprocity-based Cooperation

This paper considers partnership formation, partnership dissolution and reciprocity‐based cooperation by couples in the form of voluntary transfers to smooth consumption. While risk sharing is one benefit of having a partner, it is also limited by the (endogenous) risk of separation. The equilibrium formation and dissolution of partnerships are determined simultaneously with cooperative behavior. Publicly provided earnings insurance is shown to increase the “turnover” rate in the marriage market as well as to reduce the steady‐state marriage rate and the implicit financial cooperation between partners.     

多维认知偏差投资风险能量密度模型探究

金融全球化下,金融活动的参与主体逐步多样化,投资者的认知偏差加剧了证券投资活动中风险度量的难度。现有的金融证券投资的理论研究与实践应用基本都是围绕着如何处理风险与收益的关系而展开的。但是,传统的理论方法与标准的金融风险度量方法在一定程度上忽略了人的心理认知行为等因素的影响,使得对现有的风险度量工具和方法的借鉴与应用增加了投资者额外的决策风险。鉴于此,本文引入心理行为因素的时间变量,在理论研究与投资者认知行为研究的基础上,借助物理学中能量密度相关理论与思想方法构建多认知偏差的时间风险度量模型,度量金融投资活动中基于多种偏差的投资组合风险,克服了传统风险度量方法在完全理性人条件下主要依赖于历史数据推导的缺陷,从而使得证券组合的风险度量更接近于实际的证券投资组合状况。最后文章根据模型分析提出相关政策建议。     

Are exchange rates interdependent? Evidence using wavelet analysis

We examine the co-movement in daily returns of USD–INR, EUR–INR, GBP–INR, and JPY–INR currency pair futures contracts traded on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) using the wavelet cohesion approach. This study contributes to the literature by examining the scantly studied area of co-movement in exchange rates and using the wavelet approach, which allows us to analyse time–frequency-wise co-movement of the time series. The empirical results indicate that the currency futures markets are nearly perfectly integrated in the long run (monthly, quarterly and biannual scales) offering little potential gains from international portfolio diversification. The discrepancies between currency futures markets are small and almost fade away within 3–6 months. Moreover, international currency diversification might offer relatively higher potential gains at intraweek, weekly, and fortnightly time horizons owing to lower correlations among the currencies under consideration. Finally, our multiple-wavelet correlation and cross-correlation analysis shows that GBP acts as a potential leader/follower across scales. The results of our analysis indicate the dynamic pattern of co-movement among the major currency futures contracts, which provides several implications for portfolio managers and international investors participating in the Indian market.