Cointegration Tests of Purchasing Power Parity: the Case of the Thai Baht*

This paper will examine the validity of the purchasing power parity (PPP) hypothesis for the Thai baht vis-à-vis the currencies of Thailand's key trading partners under the new exchange rate regime using the cointegration technique. The major conclusions obtained from this empirical analysis may be broadly summarized as follows. First, the empirical evidence, based on the DF and ADF statistics, seems to suggest that the nominal exchange rates and relative prices are well characterized as non-stationary I(1) processes. Second, the cointegration analysis provides no evidence in support of a long-run equilibrium relationship between bilateral nominal exchange rates for the Thai baht vis-à-vis the currencies of Thailand's major trading partners and the corresponding relative price ratios. This implies rejection of PPP for these countries. If this is the case, considerable care should be taken in assessing the long-run implications for the real exchange rate, and thus competitiveness against Thailand's key trading partners, of shocks to the nominal exchange rate.     

Assessing convergence to purchasing power parity: A panel study for ten OECD countries

Assessing Convergence to Purchasing Power Parity: A Panel Study for 10 OECD Countries. — The paper analyzes whether post-Bretton Woods real exchange rates of ten OECD countries are nonstationary so that long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) can be considered to hold. A test procedure is proposed which treats the various real exchange rates as a panel but still allows to assess the rate of convergence to PPP for each pair of currencies separately. It is shown that long-run (tradables-) PPP holds between all countries analyzed. Rates of convergence to PPP, however, are found to be quite different across countries. For most of the OECD countries convergence takes place faster than previously indicated.     

Deviation from Purchasing Power Parity: Evidence from Malaysia, 1973–1997

This paper presents an empirical test of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) applied to the Malaysia ringgit for the period from 1973 (CPI) and 1984 (WPI) to 1997. Consistent with other research findings, it is detected that real exchange rate follows a random walk. Using multivariate cointegration methodology for the long-run relationship between real exchange rate and certain macro-economic variables, the study provides evidence supporting a long-run relationship between the real exchange rate and the current account balance and government spending, the last two variables have been not included in previous studies of this economy. The causality test between real exchange rate with the current account balance and government spending, however, does not receive support from the error-correction model. This suggests that both government spending and current account balance are not adequate to explain the changes in ringgit real exchange rate. The puzzle still remains unsolved.     

Purchasing Power Parity in South East Asian Countries Economies: A Cointegration Approach

This paper presents findings from a study of the long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) conditions in five Asian economies. The cointegration tests using exchange rates and price indices from end-of-quarter observations over the last twenty years reject the PPP proposition for all countries. The absolute version of the PPP hypothesis is tested next by using lower frequency, that is, semi-annual and annual, data. In general these tests also failed to support the long-run PPP hypothesis. Further analysis using the Johansen-Juselius (1990) multivariate approach also failed to support the hypothesis.     

Maximum likelihood cointegration tests of purchasing power parity: Evidence from seventeen OECD countries

Maximum Likelihood Cointegration Tests of Purchasing Power Parity: Evidence from Seventeen OECD Countries. — This paper examines the relevance of long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) during the recent floating exchange rate period, using Johansen’s maximum likelihood method for estimating and testing steady-state relations in multivariate vector autoregressive models. Thirty-two bilateral intercountry relations are considered and it is found that in many cases there exists a long-run relationship between exchange rates and international price differentials, which, however, significantly deviates from PPP in most instances.     

Nonstationarity of Real Exchange Rates in the G7 Countries: Are They Cointegrated with Real Variables?

Using monthly data for the G7 countries in the post-Bretton Woods floating rate period, this paper demonstrates that almost all bilateral real exchange rates have unit roots and, hence, are nonstationary. Consequently, it rejects simple PPP as a long-run relationship. The paper also shows that many of these real exchange rates are cointegrated with other real economic variables such as relative labor productivity, terms-of-trade ratios, real trade balance ratios, and long-term real interest rate differentials. In particular, relative labor productivity is statistically significant with the correct sign for more than half of the country pairs for which cointegration is confirmed. This finding lends support to the Balassa–Samuelson productivity-bias hypothesis. These results imply that nonstationarity of real exchange rates and the consequent rejection of simple PPP can be consistent with the notion that real exchange rates revert to an equilibrium in the long run without deviating arbitrarily far from this equilibrium position.J. Japan. Int. Econ.,December 1997, pp. 523–547. Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan, and Faculty of Business and Commerce, Meiji University, 1-1 Kanda, Surugadai, Chiyada-ku, Tokyo 101, Japan.     

Pitfalls in panel tests of purchasing power parity

Pitfalls in Panel Tests of Purchasing Power Parity. —The results of panel unit root tests applied to real exchange rates as a test of long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) diverge much. In particular, due to misspecifications there is little evidence of the convergence of real exchange rates for the German mark. This paper provides evidence of this issue by analyzing large panels of real exchange rates vis-à-vis the German mark and the dollar. In particular, the impact of the base country and various aspects of the dynamic specifications are analyzed. Overall, the results provide strong evidence in favour of PPP as a long-run relationship.     

Currency Misalignments in the BRIICS Countries: Fixed Vs. Floating Exchange Rates

In the present paper we attempt to investigate whether the real effective exchange rates of the BRIICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa, converge or not to their equilibrium levels. Our analysis is based on the use of an external balance model as well as the implementation of recent panel cointegration techniques. Our evidence indicates the existence of a valid long-run relationship between the real effective exchange rate, the net foreign assets, the GDP differential and the real interest rate differential for each of the six countries of our sample. Furthermore, our empirical results imply that after the adoption of a free floating exchange rate regime by Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia and South Africa and the liberalisation of the Chinese exchange rate policy that took place during the last decade, currency misalignments have been gradually reduced, leading the real effective exchange rates of the respective currencies very close to their equilibrium levels.     

PURCHASING POWER PARITY IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES: EVIDENCE FROM PANEL SURADF TEST

This study reexamines the validity of long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) hypothesis using a battery of panel unit root tests for 11 developing countries in Africa over the period 1980-2007. Based on the conventional panel unit root tests, we found evidence that the monthly real exchange rates in these countries were mean reverting. By contrast, the series-specific unit root test proposed by Breuer et al. (SURADF) reveals that only six of the 11 RERs series were stationary using the US dollar as reference currency. Additionally, our results reveal that there is stronger evidence of the parity condition with the Rand-based rates than in the other currency-based rates like the US dollar or Euro. We conclude that PPP holds in some, but not all, of the African countries according to the SURADF tests.     

Does purchasing power parity survive political shocks in South Africa?

Does Purchasing Power Parity Survive Political Shocks in South Africa? — The objectives of the paper are to examine the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) hypothesis for the South African economy during the period 1975–1994 using high-frequency data. The analysis is conducted both for the entire period and also for different subperiods in order to take into account possible structural changes. For the rand/ dollar exchange rate, the authors find on the basis of a unique long-run cointegrating relationship that there is significant evidence supporting the PPP hypothesis for the entire period. The use of nonlinear least squares and Johansen-Juselius procedures is made to reach the above conclusion.     

Asset Market and Balance of Payments Characteristics: An Eclectic Exchange Rate Model for the Dollar,Mark and Yen

In this paper we use an exchange rate model, which combines asset market characteristics with balance of payments interactions, to examine the nominal effective exchange rates of the German mark, Japanese yen and US dollar for the recent experience with floating exchange rates. Our approach may be interpreted as one which attempts to flesh out the missing links that arise in conditioning an exchange rate solely on relative prices, as occurs in a standard PPP analysis. Amongst the results reported in this paper are: significant, and sensible, long-run relationships for the currencies studied; complex short-run dynamics; a variance decomposition analysis which apportions nominal exchange rate error variances into real and nominal elements.     

Nonlinear Purchasing Power Parity under the Gold Standard

Hegwood and Papell (2002) conclude on the basis of analysis in a linear framework that long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) does not hold for 16 real exchange rate series, which were analyzed in Diebold. I lusted, and Rush (1991) for the period 1792-1913 under the Gold Standard. Rather, PPP deviations are mean-reverting to a changing equilibrium—a quasi PPP (QPPP) theory. We analyze the real exchange rate adjustment mechanism for their data set assuming a nonlinear adjustment process allowing for both a constant and a mean shifting equilibrium. Our results confirm that real exchange rates at that time were stationary, symmetric, nonlinear processes that revert to a nonconstant equilibrium rate. Speeds of adjustment were much quicker when breaks were allowed.     

PPP: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Delusion</Emphasis> or <Emphasis Type="Italic">Reality</Emphasis>? Evidence from a Nonlinear Analysis

In this paper we analyze the validity of the purchasing power parity (PPP) in a nonlinear framework using data for 18 bilateral US dollar exchange rates. Following Enders and Ludlow (2002), we use unit root and cointegration tests that do not assume a specific nonlinear adjustment. We find evidence of non-linear mean reversion in deviations from the PPP equilibrium in 11 out of 18 currencies. Additionally, to disentangle the respective contribution of exchange rate and prices to the adjustment toward the long run equilibrium, we estimate a Vector Error Correction Model. According to our empirical analysis, there exists a nonlinear mechanism to correct for deviation from the PPP equilibrium that comes mainly from the exchange rates. This is consistent with theoretical arguments on international goods markets under transaction costs as well as with an emerging strand of empirical literature. These results highlight the importance of neglecting the possibility of nonlinearity in the debate about the PPP and provide empirical evidence that supports the scenario of the PPP hypothesis as a reality.     

Real Exchange Rate Stationarity in Latin America and Relative Purchasing Power Parity: A Regime Switching Approach

This paper tests for long-run purchasing power (PPP) among a sample of six Latin American economies. The key contribution of this paper is in terms of the econometric methodology where non-stationarity of the real exchange rate is tested within a Markov regime-switching framework. In contrast to existing studies, this paper defines two new concepts of PPP where one allows for the possibility that real exchange behaviour either switches between stationary and non-stationary regimes (partial PPP), or switches between stationary regimes characterised by differing degrees of persistence (varied PPP). Whereas standard univariate unit root testing suggests that Latin American real exchange rates are generally non-stationary, employment of the regime-switching methodology indicates that most of the sample is characterised by the existence of two distinct stationary regimes. Further analysis indicates that the high rates of inflation and exchange rate volatility experienced in Latin American have given some impetus towards facilitating long-run PPP.

Fulfilment of purchasing power parity conditions in Africa: the differential role of CFA and non-CFA membership

The paper reports empirical evidence on the fulfilment or otherwiseof purchasing power parity (PPP) conditions in African countries,based on the popular augmented Dickey-Fuller test methodologythat is used to identify whether the nominal exchange rate andprice levels are co-integrated. The empirical analysis is basedon quarterly data for the 1980(I)-1991(IV) period for 35 Africancountries and our finding is that the PPP conditions are metin 17 countries that are almost exclusively non-CFA zone membersbut are not met in the remaining 18 countries comprising ninenon-CFA and nine CFA zone members. Given this lopsidedness inthe distribution of countries where the conditions are met ornot met between the two zones, it is inferred that certain macroeconomicfeatures common to the CFA zone members but which are generallyless pronounced in other countries might have been responsiblefor this finding. A number of such features relating to theextent of monetary growth, inflation rates, rate of depreciationof real and nominal exchange rates, domestic price variability,nominal exchange rate variability and the type of exchange ratesystem being operated were related to the tendency for PPP tobe fulfilled across countries. But, while the direction of theirobserved effects are generally as expected, the effects do notexhibit statistical significance.     

Evidence of long-run purchasing power parity: analysis of real asian exchange rates in terms of the Japanese yen

In this paper we find strong new evidence in favour of the long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) hypothesis in the bilateral real exchange rates between the Japanese yen and the currencies of the most important southeast Asian economies only when the presence of several possible structural breaks of the series is taken into account. Such evidence for PPP is weaker for these southeast Asian exchange rates with the US dollar, the German mark and the Australian dollar.     

Purchasing Power Parity: Error Correction Models and Structural Breaks

This paper examines purchasing power parity (PPP) behavior using error correction models (ECM) and allowing for structural breaks. We distinguish four different objectives: first, this paper examines which variable or variables (the exchange rate and/or international relative prices) exhibit a significant error correction mechanism. Second, this paper presents empirical evidence about the adjustment velocity to the long-run equilibrium. Third, it examines the evidence regarding cointegration and the adjustment coefficients parameter instability, and finally, it analyzes whether traded and non-traded sectors exhibit different behavior. The most important results are: (1) the predominant adjustment is in the exchange rate with a larger velocity adjustment than in relative prices; (2) the evidence suggests that when there are strong depreciations or appreciations in the exchange rate, the international relative prices adjust (i.e., there is evidence of pass-through); (3) the dynamic adjustment to equilibrium is, in general, stable.     

A fractional cointegration approach to empirical tests of PPP: New evidence and methodological implications from an application to the Taiwan/US dollar relationship

A Fractional Cointegration Approach to Empirical Tests of PPP: New Evidence and Methodological Implications from an Application to the Taiwan/ US Dollar Relationship. —This paper applies a relatively new concept of fractional cointegration to shed some light on the validity of purchasing power parity as a long-run equilibrium condition, using the Taiwan/US dollar exchange rate. Findings suggest that, while standard tests of cointegration fail to support cointegration between nominal exchange rates, domestic and foreign prices, the fractional cointegration analysis permits deviations from equilibrium to follow a fractionally integrated process and hence captures a much wider class of parity or mean-reversion behaviour. The paper concludes by indicating areas in which fractional cointegration will be a particularly appropriate technique to unearth previously unfounded temporal characteristics.     

TESTING FOR PURCHASING POWER PARITY AND UNCOVERED INTEREST PARITY IN THE PRESENCE OF MONETARY AND EXCHANGE RATE REGIME SHIFTS

Testing for purchasing power parity (PPP) and uncovered interest parity (UIP) has been the focus of many empirically oriented studies. While these simple economic theories of exchange rate and interest rate determination are theoretically attractive, the empirical support for these equilibrium conditions is at best mixed. Many potential reasons have been cited in the literature for the failure of such studies, ranging from market imperfections to inappropriate modelling strategies. The current state‐of‐the‐art procedure involves testing for two cointegrating vectors in a multivariate error correction model which may be economically identified as the PPP and UIP relations. However, such a procedure does not account for policy regime shifts which distort the underlying PPP and UIP relations. In this paper, a Markov‐switching vector error correction model (VECM) is considered for time series data in which monetary and exchange rate regime shifts are known to be present. Weak evidence in favour of PPP and UIP is established in a standard linear VECM, although the residuals of this model indicate that it is inappropriate in terms of functional form. The Markov‐switching VECM, however, provides convincing evidence in favour of both the PPP and UIP relations and a marked improvement in the residual distributions.     

Real Exchange Rates and Fundamentals: Evidence from 15 OECD Countries

In an extended Balassa–Samuelson model, long-run real exchange rates are determined by relative productivity and terms of trade. We present evidence of systematic long-run relationships between these fundamental variables and real exchange rates in a data set covering 15 OECD countries from 1960 to 1996. High relative productivity is associated with real exchange rate appreciations in most cases. There is less support for the hypothesis that the terms of trade affect equilibrium real exchange rates.