Revisiting the interest rate–exchange rate nexus: a Markov-switching approach

In this paper the interest rate–exchange rate nexus and the effectiveness of an interest rate defense are investigated empirically. I present a reduced form evidence which characterizes the empirical relationship between interest rates and exchange rates. I use a Markov-switching specification of the nominal exchange rate with time-varying transition probabilities. Empirical evidence from six developing countries: Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, and Turkey indicates that raising nominal interest rates leads to a higher probability of switching to a crisis regime. Thus, the empirical results presented here may support the view that a high interest rate policy is unable to defend the exchange rate. Unlike other studies which consider linear models only, my findings are robust and consistent over different countries and crisis episodes (Asian 1997 crises, Mexico 1994 crisis, and Turkey 1994, 2001 crises). In order to explain the empirical findings, I construct a simple theoretical model by incorporating an interest rate rule in the model proposed by Jeanne and Rose (2002) [Jeanne, O., Rose, A.K., 2002. Noise trading and exchange rate regimes, Quarterly Journal of Economics. 117 (2) 537–569]. The model has multiple equilibria, and under plausible conditions, higher exchange rate volatility is associated with higher interest rates.     

真实汇率与真实利率差异——基于人民币真实汇率的实证研究

本文详细考察了人民币对美元、日元、港币和欧元的双边真实汇率、真实利率差异与进出口之间的统计关系，结果发现：（1）人民币真实汇率与真实利率差异间不存在显著且稳定的统计关系；（2）人民币真实汇率具有较强的“自回归”性，并且存在比较明显的非线性动态调整特征。因此，研究人民币真实汇率自身的特定生成机制可能更具有重要意义。     

竞争力平价与人民币均衡汇率研究

传统的汇率决定理论认为，一国货币汇率的衡水平是由购买力平价、利率平价和货币相对供求等决定的。大多数实证研究表明，这些均衡汇率理论只是强调单一因素，同现实相距甚远。本文构建了多因素国际竞争力平价模型，认为均衡实际汇率随着国际竞争力的相对变化而变化，国际竞争力相对提高，该国货币升值，反之则反之。本文利用主成分分析法，从影响人民币汇率的多因素中构造国际竞争力这个指标，实证研究表明人民币实际有效汇率与国际竞争力之间存在协整关系，然后再基于这个协整关系式计算人民币的均衡实际有效汇率，并据以判断人民币汇率偏离均衡水平的程度。     

Foreign interest rate shocks and exchange rate regimes in East Asia

Using a theoretical dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model and an empirical panel vector autoregression, we assess the transmission of foreign real interest rate shocks on the volatility of various key macroeconomic variables in nine small open economies in East Asia taking into account the role of exchange rate regimes. Both the theoretical and empirical findings confirm the hypothesis that flexible exchange rate may work as a shock absorber when the economy is hit by foreign real interest rate shocks. The findings suggest a clear trade-off between the volatility of real exchange rate and real output to foreign interest rate shocks, both the US and G7 real interest rates, where the responses of real output are mitigated in countries that have more flexible exchange rate regime.     

Convenience yield and real exchange rate dynamics: A present-value interpretation

In this paper, we empirically investigate the relationship between the convenience yield of government bonds and the real exchange rates using monthly data from 1999 to 2018. We extend the conventional models, based on the present-value relationship between the real exchange rate and economic fundamentals, while explicitly considering the role of the convenience yield. Empirical results suggest that our present-value models can capture the dynamic properties of the real exchange rate documented in the literature, including high persistence, excess volatility and excess co-movement compared with real interest rate differentials. We also find that the sum of expected convenience yields significantly drives real exchange rate movements. Moreover, we find that foreign exchange swap market friction also plays a role in explaining real exchange rates. Finally, we find that monetary policy at the zero lower bound may be essential in real exchange rate modelling.     

Monetary shocks,exchange rates and trade balances: Evidence from inflation targeting countries

This paper investigates the relationship among monetary policy shocks, exchange rates and trade balances in five Inflation Targeting Countries (ITCs). The investigation is based on Structural Vector Error Correction Models (SVECMs) with long run and short run restrictions. The findings reveal that a contractionary monetary policy shock leads to a decrease in price level, a decrease in output, an appreciation in exchange rate, and an improvement in trade balance in the very short run. Our findings contradict the findings of price, output, exchange rate and trade puzzles that have been found in many empirical studies. Furthermore they are consistent with the theoretical expectations regarding the effect of a contractionary policy. The only long run restriction that we imposed on our models is that money does not affect real macroeconomic variables in the long run, which is consistent with both Keynesian and monetarist approaches.     

Government‐spending multipliers and the zero lower bound in an open economy

This paper assesses the size of the government‐spending multiplier in an open economy when the zero lower bound (ZLB) on the nominal interest rate is binding. In a theoretical framework, in a closed economy, other authors have shown that when the nominal interest rate is binding the government‐spending multiplier can be very large (close to four). Their theory helps illuminate the government‐spending multiplier in the ZLB, but it is difficult to match that theory with the data. We argue that, in an open economy, another channel exists for the crowding‐out effect via the real exchange rate. For an open economy, the government‐spending multiplier is not large owing to the appreciation of the real exchange rate, induced by the appreciation of aggregate demand that follows the increases in government spending. To test the robustness of our open economic model, we conduct the same analysis in a corresponding closed economy model. The result from our closed economy model confirms the result obtained in the other work. Our theoretical results are consistent with the results obtained in the empirical literature, which uses the vector autoregressive method and the structural vector autoregressive approach to measure the impact of government‐spending shock on the real gross domestic product and revealed that the government‐spending multiplier tends to be lower in open economy.     

Exchange rate movements and monetary policy in Brazil: Econometric and simulation evidence

The literature on monetary economy has aroused growing interest in macroeconomics. Due to computational advancements, models have become increasingly more complex and accurate, allowing for an in-depth analysis of the relationships between real economic variables and nominal variables. Therefore, using a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model, based on Gali and Monacelli (2005), we propose and estimate a model for the Brazilian economy by employing Bayesian methods so as to assess whether the Central Bank of Brazil takes exchange rate fluctuations into account in the conduct of monetary policy. The most striking result of the present study is that the Central Bank of Brazil does not directly change the interest rate path due to exchange rate movements. A simulation exercise is also used. Our conclusion is that the economy quickly accommodates shocks induced separately on the exchange rate, on the terms of trade, interest rate, and global inflation.     

Cross‐border mergers and acquisitions: does the exchange rate matter? Some evidence for Canada

Abstract.  Theoretical and empirical studies investigating the relationship between the exchange rate and FDI have generated mixed results. Using bilateral Canadian-U.S. industry level count data on cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and conditioning on industry tariff rates, value added share of industries, industry M&A trend activity, and the number of establishments, we find evidence that a real dollar depreciation of the home currency leads to an increase in the probability of foreign M&As but only in high R&D industries. These empirical results are consistent with Blonigen's asset acquisition hypothesis. Results on European M&As of Canadian firms also lean towards this result.     

The U.S. trade imbalance and real exchange rate: An application of the heterogeneous panel cointegration method

The United States economy suffers from persistent trade deficits, arising from the so-called ‘global external imbalance’. Can the depreciation of the US dollar improve this phenomenon? This study for the first time applies the heterogeneous panel cointegration method to examine the long-run relationship between the real exchange rate and bilateral trade balance of the U.S. and her 97 trading partners for the period 1973–2006. Using new annual data, the empirical results indicate that the devaluation of the US dollar deteriorates her bilateral trade balance with 13 trading partners, but improves it with 37 trading partners, especially for China. In the panel cointegrated framework, a long-run negative relationship between the real exchange rate and the bilateral trade balance exists for the U.S.     

基于SVAR的中国货币政策的房价传导机制

本文采用2005年7月到2009年9月宏观经济数据构建SVAR模型,分别从货币供给的利率传导机制,现金余额效应,汇率传导机制以及房地产价格对货币供给的反馈机制四个角度进行实证分析,发现:货币量的增加和汇率上升都会带来房价的大幅上涨,而利率提高所带来的房价下降程度很小,房价的上涨会引起物价和消费上涨。结论:当今房地产市场中,存在着货币政策的房价传导机制,其中利率机制对房价影响较小;在汇率机制传导过程中,中央银行为了稳定币值和升值预期引起的国际资本流入导致货币供应量被动增加,从而直接导致了房地产价格上涨。因此提出货币政策应当关注房地产价格,既要防止形成房地产价格泡沫,又要避免温水煮青蛙。     

Demand for money in Bangladesh: a cointegration analysis

The aim of this study is to estimate the demand for real broad (M2) money in Bangladesh using the most recently developed autoregressive distributed lag approach to cointegration analyses. The empirical results show that there is a unique cointegrated and stable long-run relationship among real per capita broad money demand, real per capita income, domestic interest rates and unofficial exchange rate (UM) premiums which act as a surrogate for foreign interest rates. With money as the dependent variable, the results show that the income and interest elasticities are positive while the UM premium elasticity is negative. These results suggest that distortions in the financial and foreign exchange markets should be reduced in order to increase financial saving or monetary accumulation. Our results also reveal that the demand for money in Bangladesh is stable despite the changes in financial and exchange rate policies between 1975 and 1995.     

The Volatility of Real Exchange Rates: The Australian Case

This paper presents an empirical investigation into factors underlying the real U.S.-Australian dollar exchange rate. We find that the random walk model of the real exchange rate can be improved by various GARCH specifications. In particular, we find that the estimated risk premium from a GARCH-M model is not robust to model specification. When the model is extended to include the $US/Yen real exchange rate and an index of commodity prices the GARCH-in-mean term is no longer significant. The additional variables seem to account for the increased volatility of the real exchange rate in the post-1983 period. Somewhat surprisingly, we find that changes in the Australian term spread and US-Australian interest rate differential have little or no explanatory power for the real exchange rate.     

关于加工贸易、实际汇率与经常账户的分析

考虑我国自然资源相对缺乏、加工贸易快速发展、实行固定汇率制度和强制结售汇制度等基本特征,建立了一个分析我国实际汇率和经常账户问题的计量模型,并对人民币实际汇率与经常账户的关系进行了实证研究。结果表明,我国经常账户持续顺差并非由汇率低估所致,人民币汇率调整难以根本解决经常账户持续顺差问题。资本管制放松、社会保障体系不健全和收入差距逐渐加大是我国1994年以来经常账户持续顺差的主要原因。在我国对外开放程度日益提高的情况下,妥善处理我国的经常账户持续顺差问题应从以下几个方面入手:稳定实际利率、名义汇率升值、加快社会保障体系建设和缩小居民收入差距。     

External debt sustainability and policy rules in a small globalized economy

The paper develops a Post Keynesian macroeconomic model which discusses the conditions that lead to an external debt crisis in a small developing economy fully integrated to global goods and financial markets. The focus is on how policy rules affect the stability of the economy. Two kinds of policy rules are discussed, namely inflation target and real exchange rate target, implemented through an interest rate operation procedure (IROP). It is argued that in both cases the evolution of the real exchange rate should be closely monitored to avoid external instability. It is also suggested that a real exchange rate target may be more effective to stabilize the economy if there is a strong tendency towards the equality of the foreign and domestic real interest rates.     

Household Saving and The Rate of Interest*

This paper examines the relationship between the post-tax real interest rate and the Australian household saving ratio at the empirical level. Using alternative models of the consumption-saving decision and different estimation periods, it is shown that the post-tax real interest rate exerts a significant negative influence on the saving ratio. The estimates, therefore, imply that the fall in post-tax real interest rates during the 1970s contributed to the rise in the Australian saving ratio.     

房地产价格变动中的汇率因素分析

在构建了适合中国国情的房地产价格与汇率关系模型的基础上,利用该模型并结合2000年第三季度至2008年第二季度的最新数据,对中国35个城市房地产价格与汇率的关系进行实证研究。研究结果显示,汇率对房地产价格有负影响,这与理论和当前实际情况都比较相符,说明人民币汇率已能发挥一定经济调节的功能。     

货币篮子最优权重:理论框架和实证检验

以Branson和Katseli(1981)建立的分析货币篮子最优权重的理论为框架,以曾经采用钉住货币篮子汇率制度的泰国和新加坡为实例考察货币篮子所涉及的国家之间实际汇率的长期均衡关系.实证分析主要包括建立泰国和新加坡货币篮子的向量自回归(VAR)模型以及在此基础上对两国的货币篮子进行协整检验从而验证篮子货币之间的长期均衡关系.通过对两国货币篮子长期均衡关系的分析判断出泰国货币篮子中的权重并非最优权重而新加坡货币篮子的权重接近于最优权重,新加坡的货币篮子的弹性优于泰国的货币篮子.这启示我们人民币所参考的货币篮子一定要控制其中美元的权重,增强弹性.     

基于VAR的中国货币形势指数实证分析

本文根据1996～2007年我国短期实际利率、实际有效汇率和真实国内生产总值季度数据构建了我国近年来的货币形势指数,并运用VAR模型实证分析了我国货币形势指数比率。结果表明,汇率对产出变动的影响较大,而利率没有发挥应有的作用。因此,在当前我国宏观经济内外失衡的环境下,应以货币形势指数作为货币政策操作的参考指标,加快利率市场化进程,增强人民币汇率制度的灵活性。     

The Political Economy of Real Exchange Rate Behavior: Theory and Empirical Evidence for Developed and Developing Countries, 1960–2010

Empirical results of testing the PPP hypothesis have constantly shown that relative prices do not converge to the same level, either in the short or the long run. Therefore, the PPP explanation of the real exchange rate does not provide a reasonable measure of competitiveness at the international level. This article puts forth a different approach based on the works of Ricardo, Marx, Harrod and Shaikh. It argues that the real relative unit labor cost is the main factor explaining the long-run behavior of the real exchange rate. The second section of the article explains the theoretical underpinnings of our approach. The third section analyzes the role of the real interest rate differential in explaining real exchange rate misalignments. In the fourth section, we present a graphical analysis of the interrelation among the real effective exchange rate, the real unit labor cost ratio, the short-run real interest rate differential and the trade balance for 16 OECD countries, Taiwan and three developing countries for the period 1960–2010. The fifth section investigates the long-run relationship between the latter three indexes through co-integrating and error correction models using the ARDL–ECM framework. The last section provides our conclusions.