China’s equilibrium exchange rate dynamics 1994–2004: A cointegration analysis

Motivated by the global debate on the possible revaluation of the Chinese currency, the RMB, in recent years, the objective of this paper is to measure the equilibrium value of the RMB exchange rate through the macroeconomic balance approach in order to produce an assessment of the RMB in terms of periods of misalignment. The empirical evidence indicates that although there turns out to be an increasing degree of the RMB undervaluation in these measures from 2003 to 2004, the RMB is not substantially undervalued in both measures of real effective exchange rates and nominal bilateral exchange rates against the US dollar over the full period 1994–2004.     

Financial Instability under a Flexible Exchange Rate*

Many governments in developing countries contemplate the possibility of increasing the flexibility of their exchange rates despite having accumulated substantial dollar‐denominated debt. Using a model of corporate dollar debt in which the future exchange rate is uncertain, this paper studies the financial risks that might arise as a consequence of increased exchange rate flexibility. Since a firm may default on its debt either because its dollar income is too low or because investors refuse to roll over its debt, the measure of the overall risk of default should take into account both factors, as well as their interaction. Solving the model for the no‐default rational expectations equilibrium, we find that a small risk of insolvency may bring about a substantial risk of illiquidity.     

Behavioural equilibrium exchange rate and total misalignment: evidence from the euro exchange rate

In the present paper we attempt to investigate whether the nominal exchange rate of the euro against the currencies of the four major trading partners of the eurozone, namely China, Japan, the UK and the USA, converges or not to its equilibrium level. Applying recent unit root and system cointegration techniques in the presence of structural shifts in the data, our results indicate that there exist an equilibrium relationship between each of the euro/yuan, euro/yen, euro/UK pound and euro/US dollar nominal exchange rates and the fundamentals defined by the monetary model. Following these results, our modified Behavioural Equilibrium Exchange Rate model suggests that at the end of the estimated period, the euro/Chinese yuan and the euro/UK pound nominal exchange rates follow an equilibrium process. Our empirical results also imply that the single European currency is considered as overvalued against the US dollar, while it is considered as undervalued against the Japanese currency.     

The Social Opportunity Cost of Foreign Exchange: A Partial Defence of Harberger et al.*

This paper clarifies the literature on shadow pricing foreign exchange by distinguishing between two different concepts of ‘the social opportunity cost’ of foreign exchange: (a) the increase in utility (divided by the marginal utility of income) due to the availability of an extra dollar of foreign aid receipts; and (b) the maximum amount of some numeraire good which can be used up by the public sector to produce an extra dollar of foreign exchange, without reducing welfare. Both these concepts can be measured by appropriate, but different, versions of the traditional ‘Harberger’ formula The difference disappears entirely under the assumptions which justify partial equilibrium analysis. All these points can be clarified using a single diagram     

Autoregressive conditional durations: An application to the Surinamese dollar versus the US dollar exchange rate

The parallel market nominal exchange rate of the United States dollar vis-à-vis the Surinamese dollar (USD/SRD) exhibited periods of severe volatility which were often followed by episodes of stability, usually at a cost of sharp depreciations. This study seeks to model this exchange rate using autoregressive conditional duration models. These models are suitable for modelling events occurring with irregular intervals. Exchange rates in developing countries have distinct features compared to exchange rates in countries with well-established and accessible financial markets. A key feature is that for these developing countries, exchange rates only occasionally experience jumps. Our findings suggest that past exchange rate changes appear to be a significant driver of future exchange rate jumps. Furthermore, our results show that money, international reserves, and commodity prices can explain jumps in the market USD/SRD exchange rate.     

Stock markets and the exchange rate: A multi-country approach

A general model of optimal choice over risky assets is used to derive an estimable exchange rate equation which is then applied to the German mark-U.S. dollar and Japanese yen-U.S. dollar exchange rates. Previous models which exclude equities find that government bond and/or money stocks have a weak effect on exchange rates, a result that is also found here. By contrast, equity values are shown to have a significant effect on the value of the German mark-U.S. dollar and Japanese yen U.S. dollar exchange rates over the period 1974 to 1988.     

The Real Exchange Rate and the Structural Transformation(s) of China and the U.S.

From 1989 to 2010, the RMB–dollar real exchange rate depreciated, despite China's rapid income growth relative to the US. We develop a macroeconomic-trade model of the very long-run equilibrium RMB-dollar real exchange rate. We show that this long-run depreciation of the RMB-dollar real exchange rate can be justified by our model, if we note that Chinese agriculture has relatively low productivity and that agriculture is tradeable. Relative to our equilibrium benchmark, the current real RMB-dollar rate is, if anything, over appreciated.     

Nonlinearities in Exchange-Rate Dynamics: Evidence from Five Currencies, 1973–94

Although exchange rates appear to follow a random walk when tested against linear alternatives, the null hypothesis of a random walk is rejected against a cubic alternative which embodies the intuition that the rate of mean-reversion increases with distance from equilibrium. A possible theoretical foundation for such a model is suggested. The model is tested on bilateral real exchange rates between four major currencies, and on the real effective exchange rate of these four plus the Australian dollar. The cubic model consistently outperforms its linear counterpart and the results imply that real exchange rates are in fact stationary.     

Excess comovements between the euro/US dollar and pound sterling/US dollar exchange rates

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to discuss excess comovements of the euro/US dollar and pound sterling/US dollar exchange rates, i.e. we look for comovements of exchange rates which are stronger than implied by the fundamentals. The results of the empirical analysis provide evidence that excess comovements exist for the two exchange rates. A long-run analysis of correlations can verify that a link exists between the correlation dynamics of exchange rates, relative inflation rates, long-term interest rates, economic sentiments and money supply. We find that common movements of money supply, prices and economic sentiments each play a major role in comovements of the exchange rates. From the investigation of the two exchange rates, we conclude that macroeconomic fundamentals can account for the comovement but that common non-fundamental factors also have major significance for the exchange rates.     

Structural Breaks and the Equilibrium Chinese Yuan/US Dollar Real Exchange Rate: A FEER Approach

This paper examines the equilibrium Chinese yuan/US dollar (CNY/USD) real exchange rate within the framework of the fundamental equilibrium exchange rate (FEER) model. Endogenous structural breaks are allowed for in all cointegration relationships. Macroeconomic fundamentals that affect medium‐term savings and investment and hence, the sustainable current account, are also highlighted. A unique set of quarterly data for the post‐reform period (1982–2009) is constructed. This paper finds structural breaks in all trade and the sustainable current account equations. The misalignment rates show that the real exchange rate was overvalued in most years until 2003, followed by undervaluation during 2004–09. However, the average misalignment rates and revaluation required to correct this undervaluation are not as large as suggested by previous studies, with the undervaluation rate declining sharply in 2009. Further, misalignment rates are computed using a sustainable current account of 3%. The findings suggest such exogenous input leads to results biased towards larger undervaluation.     

An Intertemporal Currency Board

The paper shows that the traditional wisdom of raising interest rates to defend a currency enriches rather than punishes the speculators. Furthermore, using high interest rates as a currency defense tool often produces the opposite effect in times of crisis. A new approach is proposed of using Hong Kong dollar "put" options as an explicit commitment by the government. The put option itself acts like an intertemporal currency board in keeping the linked exchange rate over time. This costly signaling produces a separating equilibrium that distinguishes the strength of the Hong Kong dollar from the other Asian currencies that were under pressure in 1997.     

Cointegration,structural breaks and monetary fundamentals of the Dollar/Yen Exchange

This paper reexamines the empirical performance of monetary exchange rate models for the dollar/yen exchange rate. We focus on the character of a potential long-run relationship between exchange rates and fundamentals. Using monthly data from 1976:01 to 2007:12 this paper applies a novel time-varying coefficient approach which allows a distinction between breaks in the cointegration vector and instabilities in the adjustment coefficients. We are able to show that most of the observed breakpoints can be traced back to major policy changes or specific economic developments. Our findings also show that macroeconomic fundamentals do matter for the U.S. dollar/Japanese yen exchange rate, but in different ways over different periods of time.     

Foreign exchange market interventions and the $–¥ exchange rate in the long run

This article examines whether foreign exchange market interventions conducted by the Bank of Japan are important for the dollar–yen exchange rate in the long run. We rely on a re-examination of the empirical performance of a monetary exchange rate model. This is basically not a new topic; however, we focus on two new questions. First, does the consideration of periods of massive interventions in the foreign exchange market uncover a potential long-run relationship between the exchange rate and its fundamentals? Second, do Forex interventions support the adjustment towards a long-run equilibrium value? Our results suggest that taking periods of interventions into account within a monetary model does improve the goodness of fit of an identified long-run relationship to a significant degree. Furthermore, Forex interventions increase the speed of adjustment towards long-run equilibrium in some periods, particularly in periods of coordinated forex interventions. Our results indicate that only coordinated interventions seem to stabilize the dollar–yen exchange rate in a long-run perspective.     

Collective Perception and Exchange Rates

The authors' research suggests that people search online for information on currency exchange rates and that this information-seeking process can be translated into data on people's interest for a given currency. The authors utilize Google Trends data to capture the level of interest in 3 currency pairs: the euro, the pound sterling, and the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar and conduct a multivariate data analysis in the context of vector-autoregressive models. The findings suggest that there is a small but significant impact on collective perception on exchange rates. The authors show that Google Trends data could be an important source of information for investors looking into exchange rate trends.     

Fractional Integration of Nominal Exchange Rates: Evidence from CEECs in the Light of EMU Enlargement

This paper uses fractional integration models to describe the long‐run dependence of nominal exchange rates in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). The analysis is validated using nonparametric, semiparametric and parametric techniques. From comparing the results across the three approaches, it was clear that mean reversion takes places only for the euro exchange rates in Bulgaria, Estonia, and Slovenia. Other exchange rates based on the euro also display mean reversion with the parametric methods. For the US dollar rates, the unit‐root null hypothesis cannot be rejected in any single country, indicating that shocks affecting the exchange rates against the US dollar are of a permanent nature, while those directed against the euro are less persistent, and tend sometimes to disappear in the long run. Policy implications are derived.     

Estimating an equilibrium exchange rate for the dollar and other key currencies

In this paper, we adapt the concept of fundamental equilibrium exchange rates ‘FEER’ in a complete model approach. We use it to determine the likely paths of the Dollar and other key currencies. The FEER is the (real) exchange rate that is consistent with internal balance and sustainable external balances. Here we examine the composition of a Dollar adjustment and hence the extent to which a FEER (for the US) depends on factors or rigidities elsewhere in the world, as well as at home. We find, the US still needs to accept an adjustment in her real exchange rate if the increase in her foreign liabilities is to come to an end. However, counterpart adjustments also have to be made in Canada, Mexico, and some Asian economies if this policy is to be successful. We also show that productivity growth differentials may act as a substitute for depreciation, and this provides an explanation for the failure of the dollar to depreciate in the 1990s.     

Lost in intervention. The Harrod–Balassa–Samuelson effect on the peseta/dollar real exchange rate (1870–1998)

We have decomposed the peseta/dollar real exchange rate (1870–1998) into its trend and cyclical components and used the former to proxy its time-varying equilibrium. Then, we have compared changes in the equilibrium with changes in the Spanish and the USA productivity differentials to identify years that do not fit with the Harrod–Balassa–Samuelson (HBS) hypothesis. The greatest maladjustment is found in the 1940s and 1950s, decades of strong exchange rate intervention in Spain. Conversely, the link between equilibrium and differentials adjusts to the hypothesis when using the non-intervened peseta/dollar exchange rate on the Tangier black market. These contrasting results back up the idea that exchange rate intervention, so common in developing countries, might explain their scanter evidence in favour of the HBS effect.     

Monetary Shocks and Real Exchange Rate Hysteresis: Evidence from the G-7 Countries

Long-run monetary neutrality specifies that nominal disturbances do not affect long-run real exchange rates. However, the "over depreciation" of the US dollar in the late 1980s, after its strong appreciation earlier in the decade, suggested to a number of observers that nominal disturbances alter long-run real exchange rates; that is, money supply shocks entail real exchange rate hysteresis. Using data from the G-7 countries and the post-1973 float, the paper measures the long-run effects of relative money supply disturbances on real US dollar exchange rates. Little evidence of hysteretic monetary policy effects is found.     

中国均衡实际有效汇率:一个总量一般均衡分析

亚洲金融危机时期中国实行事实上的盯住美元制度 ,同时亚洲各国的汇率水平进行了重新调整。本文探讨在亚洲金融危机以前及危机期间中国实际有效汇率的“均衡”水平。假定一系列不同的贸易差额 ,我们运用扩展了的Devarajan Lewis Robinson三商品一般均衡模型估计均衡实际有效汇率的不同时间路径。模型的关键要素是要有进口品和出口品价格指数的时间序列资料。鉴于这些价格指数从其他渠道无法获得 ,作者利用贸易数字构造了这些指数。研究发现在亚洲金融危机之前的 4年内中国的实际有效汇率低于均衡汇率 ,这部分地缘于外汇储备的快速累积。与事实相反 ,如果假设在此期间 ,每年不超过 1 0 %的出口收入转化为外汇储备 ,则中国的实际有效汇率将会比现在高 5%到 1 2 %     

Possible Best Currency Basket Selection from the Perspective of Real Effective Exchange Rate

We calculated the real effective exchange rate indexes and measured their volatilities based on four currency baskets to find which currency basket is optimal for achieving China's policy target of keeping exchange rates stable. The volatility of the bilateral exchange rate between the RMB and the US dollar is also calculated to make a comparative analysis. Results showed that the bilateral exchange rate of the RMB and the US dollar is only stable in special time periods. In most time periods, pegging to the G3 currency basket is optimal to achieve the goal of stabilizing exchange rates while pegging to the AMU currency basket will result in the most volatile exchange rates.