A prototype model of the foreign exchange market of Canada: Forecasting capital flows and exchange rates

A balance-of-payments structural model of the foreign exchange market of Canada, endogenizing capital flows, the spot and forward exchange rates and the entities of the monetary sector, is developed using quarterly data for 1971–81. The capital flows have been disaggregated into ten categories and the exchange rates of the Canadian dollar have been analysed against five major currencies. While the model does not adhere strictly to purchasing power or interest rate parity, it does recognize them and it also incorporates other economic fundamentals, expectations and risk. Government interventions, although generated endogenously, are quantified implicitly and globally. The model tracks the post-Bretton Woods in-sample experience and generates ex post predictions reasonably well.     

Multilateral bargaining: conditional and unconditional offers

Summary. We present a game in which n persons split a cake, where a distinction between conditional and unconditional offers is made. This distinction sheds light on the contrasting results obtained in the previous literature of multilateral bargaining. By allowing the proposer to make both conditional and unconditional offers, we show that the game has a unique subgame perfect Nash equilibrium outcome. Received: March 14, 2000; revised version: March 13, 2001     

A test of the household income process using consumption and wealth data

The evolution of household income can be explained almost equally well by rival models. However, rival models have very different implications for other household behaviours, such as consumption. I therefore test between two prominent models in the UK using panel data on consumption and wealth, as well as income, over 1991–2006. To operate the test, I show that long-lived income shocks transmit far less than one-for-one through to consumption, and particularly so for younger households. I then compare these estimates of transmission with estimates of households’ ability to smooth shocks, captured by the data on wealth. Conditional on the suitability of the consumption model, my estimates provide evidence against the restricted income process (RIP) and in favour of an alternative heterogeneous income process (HIP). This finding also explains why cross-sectional consumption inequality grew slowly over the period even though the variance of long-lived shocks was high. Finally, I conclude that it is important to consider mean reversion of shocks when constructing life-cycle consumption models.     

Capital inflows, fiscal discretion, and exchange rate policy

Many writers have argued for the benefits of a credible fixed exchange rate (a hard peg) as a commitment device in an open economy. But historically, fixed exchange rates have often been associated with large current account deficits and episodes of ‘over-borrowing’. This paper develops a model of capital inflows that are linked to the exchange rate regime because of endogenous fiscal policy. The key message of the paper is that a hard peg is undesirable in the absence of commitment in fiscal policy. In face of a credible fixed exchange rate, the fiscal authority subsidizes capital inflows. The economy will engage in inefficiently high international borrowing, and in welfare terms may end up worse off than under capital market autarky. To eliminate the incentive to subsidize borrowing, the monetary authority must follow a flexible exchange rate rule in which capital inflows lead to exchange rate appreciation. If fiscal policy must be financed by money creation rather than direct taxation, then a fixed exchange rate rule may cause both over-borrowing and a subsequent exchange rate crisis.     

The demise of commodity price agreements: the role of exchange rates and special interests

We derive the equilibrium joint distribution of exchange rate and commodity price in a two-country rational expectations model. The correlation between commodity price and exchange rate appears crucial for the stability of commodity markets. This result arises from the common practice to quote commodity prices in consuming countries' currency, which subjects producing countries to the currency risk. Welfare results of commodity price stabilization are obtained and facilitate the interpretation of the position taken by industrialized countries long opposed to international commodity agreements. We apply our model to the Philippines and investigate the potential effects of the International Sugar Agreement (ISA) on the various conditional volatilities of the model. We conclude on the relative ineffectiveness of these agreements in limiting fluctuations of sugar prices.     

Balance of payments accounting and exchange rate dynamics

The balance of payments is an accounting identity. Many wonder how the current and capital accounts, which add up to zero, can influence exchange rates. This paper shows how payment flows arising from balance of payments imbalances affect the demands for different currencies in the foreign exchange market over time. Based on a dynamical system approach, the paper demonstrates how international payments evolve depending on the joint dynamic behaviour of different balance of payments components. It finds that international payments and exchange rates interact in fundamentally different ways depending on whether a country restricts its capital inflows and outflows, whether capital flows are accommodating or autonomous and whether the exchange rate is fixed, flexible or, say, governed by a crawling peg. Empirical evidence from major industrial countries as well as from countries hit by currency crises support the paper's theoretical predictions.     

Consumption and disposable income in the EU countries: the role of wealth effects

We investigate the long run relationship between private consumption and disposable income for a sample of EU countries using recently developed panel cointegration techniques. For the ordinary consumption-income model the evidence on cointegration is ambiguous. In addition, the cointegration vector obtained by efficient estimation methods is not consistent with theoretical reasoning, as it reflects a decline in the savings rate over time. Extending the analysis by financial wealth improves the model fit markedly. In particular, the income elasticity is not different from 1 and therefore in line with the life cycle permanent income hypothesis. The marginal propensity to consume out of financial wealth is in a range of 3–5%, thereby confirming recent time series results.     

The legacy of the past: ancient economic thought on wealth and development

Ancient economic thought was in general hostile to enrichment and saw wealth as inner wealth. This attitude was coherent with an economy mainly closed and static, based on agriculture and on slave work. But also it greatly contributed to restrain economic development in ancient societies. Ancient economic thought had an enormous influence on early modern thought. The latter borrowed its hostility from enrichment, which contradicted the real tendency of the new society. Thus, from the beginning, modern economy could not enjoy the support of a high economic theory. It could not legitimate enrichment and the increase in consumption.     

汇率与股价关系研究最新进展述评

有关汇率与股价关系的最新研究,归纳起来主要有四个发展方向:一是传统宏观经济一般均衡分析方法的拓展,在以往的开放宏观经济均衡模型中将汇率与股价作为宏观经济中重要的解释变量,强化对客观经济运行的考察;二是具有微观基础的均衡分析,包括资产组合平衡与新开放宏观经济两个分析框架下的汇率与股价关系研究;三是从市场的微观结构理论对汇率与股价这两种资产价格进行模型化;四是影响汇率与股价关系的相关因素的分析。本文按照这四个方面进行文献梳理,并进行简要评述。     

Orderly exits from adjustable pegs and exchange rate bands

This paper examines the exit process from adjustable pegs and exchange rate bands, and the role of capital flows in these exits. It dwells on the experience of various countries, including Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, India, Poland, and Yemen. It begins by identifying conditions under which exits are sought. Next, it discusses the prerequisites for a successful exit, factors affecting the pace of exit, and the nature of the post‐exit regime. It then examines the behavior of private capital flows, interest rates, and official reserves before and after three successful exits (Chile, India, and Poland), and draws broad policy lessons.     

Stabilizations, crises and the “exit” problem – A theoretical model

Exchange-rate-based stabilizations, even if successful, usually lack credibility initially. This is reflected in high (ex post) real interest rates and some degree of real exchange rate appreciation. Empirical observation suggests that wage inflation declines smoothly over time whilst interest rates are volatile. Our model captures these features and provides insights into: the eruption of exchange rate crises after a long period of apparently successful stabilization; the potential advantages of a heterodox approach; when to delay a stabilization attempt; and the optimal date for “exit” to a floating exchange rate.     

Skilled–unskilled wage inequality: A general equilibrium analysis

The paper develops a static three sector competitive general equilibrium model of a small open economy in which skilled labour is mobile between a traded good sector and a non-traded good sector and unskilled labour is specific to another traded good sector. The capital is perfectly mobile among all these three sectors. We examine the effects of change in different factor endowments and of globalization on skilled–unskilled wage inequality. We find that the effect of a change of a factor endowment on wage inequality depends on the factor intensity ranking between two skilled labours using sectors and on the relative strength of the marginal effects on demand for and supply of non-tradable good. We also find that a decrease in the price of the product produced by skilled (unskilled) labour using traded good sector lowers (raises) the skilled–unskilled wage inequality.     

State-dependent risk and M&A

During economic contractions, the asset and capital structures of firms are more likely to deviate from their optimal levels. Target firms, in particular, are more susceptible to such deviations. I study how such deviations affect the bidding firms’ acquisition decision. I find that bidders abstain from taking over targets when the debts and growth options of the targets are over their optimal levels. Further, I show that bidders are more likely to pay a low premium for such targets. Both results are pronounced when the aggregate economy has had a bad shock; these results are associated with higher risks because of the excessive levels of debts and growth options. Overall, these results uncover the impact of the targets’ abnormal debts and growth options on the bidders’ acquisitions, contingent on the state of the economy.     

The Polish exchange rate system: A unit root and cointegration analysis

In October 1991 Poland has established a crawling peg regime in which the zloty is tied to a currency basket and devalued with a monthly rate of crawl. If the monetary authorities are successful in defending the crawling peg the basket rate measured in Polish zloty is supposed to be stationary. Furthermore, a stable long-run relationship between the zloty-U.S. dollar rate and the basket's value expressed in U.S. dollar is expected to exist. The results of the unit root and cointegration analysis indicate that the monetary authorities have been able to defend the crawling peg for the sample periods under study, although it seems that not all requirements of the exchange rate regime have been met. The foreign exchange markets, however, have not supported the relationships derived from the crawling peg system after the introduction of the free floating system in April 2000.The final version of this paper has been prepared while I was a Jean Monnet Fellow at the European University Institute. I would like to thank the EUI for the award of the Fellowship and its hospitality. Moreover, I am grateful to Helmut Lütkepohl, Anja Schulz, Ralf Brüggemann, and two anonymous referees for many helpful comments and suggestions. I also thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 373, for financial support.     

The Exchange Rate and Inflation in Argentina: A Classical Critique of Orthodox and Heterodox Policy Prescriptions

In this paper we present an alternative framework to neoclassical theory of international trade and exchange rate determination. Our model, inspired in the classical tradition, provides support for the assertion that an exchange rate policy aiming to improve national competitiveness and to bring about a sustained trade surplus is a viable option. In fact, the success of this strategy does not depend on the effectiveness of monetary sterilization —as many argentinean heterodox authors claim— but on the ability to overcome the boundaries imposed by the evolution of the domestic wage rate and the potential emergence of competitive devaluations. In the particular case of Argentina, the introduction of export taxes on land-intensive commodities, in which the economy has absolute advantages, brings an additional policy tool that can make both the exchange rate target and the workers claims consistent.     

Commodity prices and the AUD-Yen exchange rate: a real-time forecasting analysis

I study the impact of the GSCI commodity price indices on the Australian dollar-Japanese yen nominal exchange rate using a modified version of the classic monetary approach of exchange rate determination. I use a broad range of model-selection and model-averaging criteria. I find some evidence for a short-lived relationship as far as inclusions in the optimal forecasting models are concerned. In general, though, results of the Diebold-Mariano and Clark-West test show that results are not stable over the whole sample.     

实际外部财富、劳动生产率与人民币实际汇率——基于跨期一般均衡理论的实证研究

本文首先构建关于实际外部财富、劳动生产率、贸易条件与实际汇率关系的跨时一般均衡理论模型,然后利用1981-2009年相关时间序列数据,检验中国实际外部财富、贸易条件以及国内外两部门劳动生产率对人民币实际汇率的影响。结果表明,从长期看,中国实际外部财富的急剧攀升会引发人民币实际汇率快速升值;中国贸易部门相对非贸易部门劳动生产率上升会促使人民币实际汇率升值,而国外贸易部门相对非贸易部门的劳动生产率提高则会降低人民币实际汇率,净效应表现为劳动生产率并不能解释20世纪80年代以来人民币实际汇率的长期波动;中国贸易条件对人民币实际汇率的影响不明显。短期内,中国实际外部财富对人民币实际汇率的作用关系与长期一致。根据上述结论,本文提出了保持人民币实际汇率相对稳定的政策建议。     

Professional forecasts of interest rates and exchange rates: Evidence from the Wall Street Journal’s panel of economists

We analyze economists’ forecasts of interest rates and exchange rates from the Wall Street Journal. We find that a majority of economists produced unbiased forecasts but that none predicted directions of changes more accurately than chance. Most economists’ forecast accuracy is statistically indistinguishable from a random walk model in forecasting the Treasury bill rate, but many are significantly worse in forecasting the Treasury bond rate and the exchange rate. We also find systematic forecast heterogeneity, support for strategic models predicting the industry employing the economist matters, and evidence that economists deviate less from the consensus as they age.     

一个基于金融稳定的外汇储备分析框架——兼论中国外汇储备的适度规模

本文构建一个包含外汇储备、金融不稳定、资本流动以及实体经济变量的系统分析框架,探讨影响新兴市场经济体外汇储备的相关因素,继而模拟出中国合意的外汇储备规模。研究结果表明,若国内金融稳定受到冲击或者跨境资本流动日益频繁,外汇储备在广义货币量中的占比就会增加;金融不稳定和实体经济状况对外汇储备占比的边际影响都呈现递减的态势,说明外汇储备的作用是有限度的。另外,模拟结果显示,在确保国内金融稳定的前提下,目前中国的外汇储备总量并不过度,正处于合意的区间范围之内。