The sustainability of the current account in the Czech Republic,Hungary and Slovenia

The aim of this paper is to investigate empirically the sustainability of the current account in three Central European countries, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia, since their move towards market economy about 15 years ago. The analysis is based on the intertemporal approach to the current account which states that if real exports and real imports are integrated of order one then cointegration between them is a necessary and sufficient condition for the economy to satisfy its intertemporal budget constraint. On the basis of various unit-root and cointegration tests on the shares of real exports and imports in real GDP, this study concludes that the Czech Republic and Slovenia are not in violation of their intertemporal budget constraint and their trade imbalances are sustainable. However, the real exports and imports of these countries, and also the export, import measures of Hungary, do not seem to behave as random walks, excluding the possibility of cointegration between them.      

Asset prices, exchange rates and the current account

This paper analyses the role of asset prices in comparison to other factors, in particular exchange rates, as a driver of the US trade balance. It employs a Bayesian structural VAR model that requires imposing only a minimum of economically meaningful sign restrictions. We find that equity market shocks and housing price shocks have been major determinants of the US current account in the past, accounting for up to 30% of the movements of the US trade balance at a horizon of 20 quarters. By contrast, shocks to the real exchange rate have been less relevant, explaining about 9% and exerting a more temporary effect on the US trade balance. Our findings suggest that large exchange rate movements may not necessarily be the key element of an adjustment of today's large current account imbalances, and that in particular relative global asset price changes could be a potent source of adjustment.     

Causality, real estate prices, and the current account

This paper explores the causal relations between real estate prices and the current account using recently developed econometric methods for recursive systems. Using a variety of high-quality real estate indices, we find little evidence that current account deficits (capital account surpluses) directly drove real estate prices in the United States, Spain, and Ireland. There is some evidence for this linkage in England; however it is transitory and not persistent. There is also strong evidence that current account surpluses have direct impacts on mortgage rates in the United States, providing an indirect channel for stimulating the real estate market mediated through the financial markets.     

Work Hours and CO2 Emissions: Evidence from U.S. Households

The degrowth movement proposes worktime reduction policies to help high-income countries meet their climate goals while supporting full employment. However, the work hours elasticity of carbon emissions remains uncertain despite a growing number of empirical analyses. This paper estimates the impact of work hours on emissions using household data from the United States. We calculate the carbon intensity of goods using input-output tables from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which we combine with spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to estimate carbon footprints for a representative sample of U.S. households. There is strong evidence that households with longer work hours emit more CO₂, but our household-level estimate of the work hours elasticity of carbon emissions is lower than most country-level estimates. Our results suggest that differences in work hours account for a small fraction of differences in per capita carbon footprints across high-income countries.

Highlights

• Households with longer work hours have significantly larger carbon footprints.

• Our estimated household-level work hours elasticity is smaller than most country-level estimates.

• Work hour reduction policies likely generate modest reductions in carbon emissions.

     

Sustainability of current account deficits in India: an intertemporal perspective

This study examines the sustainability of current account deficits (CADs) and the validity of intertemporal budget constraint (IBC) in India. The long-run model is estimated on annual data for the period 1950–1951 to 2009–2010. The optimal single-equation and maximum-likelihood (ML) system estimates of the model provide a consistent support for the long-run relationship between imports and exports. The OLSGH estimates provide no support and that ML system estimates a consistent support for cointegration in both the models estimated with one and two structural breaks in level. The new cointegration breakdown tests generally suggest that the cointegration prevails from 1951 to 2010. The evidence supporting the cointegration between imports and exports overwhelms the evidence providing a mixed or no support for cointegration. The estimates of slope parameter above zero and the dominant support for cointegration between imports and exports vindicate the validity of IBC and the sustainability of CADs. The short-term management strategies need to be accompanied by long-term improvements in productivity to reduce inflation, lever up the competitiveness of exports and ensure the sustainability of the external value of domestic currency.     

Smooth transition,non-linearity and current account sustainability: Evidence from the European countries

In this paper we examine three types of nonlinearities, i.e., nonlinearity stemming from structural breaks, sign nonlinearity and size nonlinearity, for ten European countries and their importance to current account sustainability. For this purpose, we apply a battery of linear and nonlinear unit root tests. Our results show that the structural break nonlinearity and size nonlinearity are vital to the current account-GDP ratios of European countries in testing for the null hypothesis of a unit root. Nevertheless, the current account-GDP ratios of these countries do not exhibit the sign nonlinearity. That is, by taking account of the nonlinear trend, the threshold autoregressive and momentum threshold autoregressive models do not detect any asymmetry in the response of the current account imbalance to deviations from its long-run nonlinear trend.     

金融发展、资本账户开放与金融不稳定——来自中国的证据

文章建立一个由金融发展程度、资本账户开放与金融不稳定指标组成的向量自回归(VAR)模型,利用中国1982~2005年的年度数据对这些变量的长期协整关系和短期的调整动力学进行相关的时间序列分析。模型的估计结果显示,对于中国来说,金融发展程度、资本账户开放和金融不稳定之间存在着长期的协整关系,但三者之间的影响程度和方向各不相同。所有结果均显示,无论从短期和长期看,金融发展程度对一国的金融稳定具有显著影响,对资本账户开放的进程也具有重要的影响。     

Current account dynamics and capital mobility in the newly industrialized countries

This paper examines the current account dynamics in a group of ten newly industrialized countries (NICs) during the period 1980–2012 using a panel error-correction model. The model is also used to empirically test whether the degree of capital mobility is positively related to financial openness. The Chin-Ito (2006, 2008) financial openness index is used to classify the countries into different groups, and we place the countries in one group that are similar to each other in terms of their financial openness. Furthermore, to evaluate the extent of capital mobility over the different period from 1980 to 2012, the total period under study is divided into three sub-periods. The estimation results indicate that there exist long-run equilibrium relationships between domestic saving, investment, and current account in all groups regardless of their degree of financial openness. We find that more openness in terms of the capital account is associated with a higher degree of capital mobility in the case of NICs. The empirical result also indicates that the degree of capital mobility is higher in the first and third sub-period.     

Trend shocks and the countercyclical U.S. current account

From 1960 to 2009, the U.S. current account balance has tended to decline during expansions and improve in recessions. We argue that shocks to the trend growth rate of productivity can help explain the countercyclical U.S. current account. Our framework is a two‐country, two‐good business cycle model in which international asset trade is limited to a single, non‐contingent bond. We identify trend and transitory shocks to U.S. productivity using generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation. The specification that best matches the data assigns a large role to trend shocks. The estimated model also captures key facts regarding international co‐movement.     

A reassessment of the Feldstein-Horioka hypothesis of perfect capital mobility: evidence from historical data

This short paper explores the relationship between investment and saving rates in a sample of 13 OECD countries over the period 1885–1992. To this end, I employ panel cointegration tests based on the maximum likelihood approach developed by Johansen (J Economic Dynamics Control 12:231–254, 1988) instead of conventional panel cointegration residual based tests, in order to draw sharper conclusions. Using estimation techniques appropriate for heterogeneous panels I find a low degree of capital mobility for the sub-periods 1921–1992 and 1950–1992. The findings overwhelmingly support the hypothesis of perfect capital mobility in the short run.

人力资本、财务资本与资本结构：理论和实证

当今社会已经从工业经济迈进知识经济时代，现有以财务资本为研究对象的资本结构理论在解释咨询、高新技术等人力资本较为密集的公司时难免会捉襟见肘。视企业为财务资本与人力资本共同的投资组合是现代资本结构理论研究刻不容缓的任务。本文以现有财务资本结构的研究为基础，通过引入人力资本变量拓宽现代资本结构的内涵，构造债务、股权和人力资本三者之间相互关系和作用的数理模型，结合对我国计算机应用服务业的实证分析，得出结论和启示。     

Macroeconomic Volatility and the Current Account: Evidence from a Panel of OECD Countries

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the relationship between macroeconomic volatility and the current account. Using quarterly data for a panel of OECD economies, time-varying relative volatility measures are constructed for GDP, net output, and government consumption. The empirical evidence suggests that current account balances are positively affected by all three volatility measures. Moreover, the current account balance is found to be related positively to output growth and negatively to the growth of government consumption. Evidence from saving and investment rates also suggests that the precautionary saving motive is part of (though perhaps not the entire) mechanism that relates output volatility and the current account. Broadly consistent with the predictions of the standard theoretical model, these estimates are sizable, statistically significant, and robust.     

Current account deficits and sustainability: Evidence from the OECD countries

Whether or not a current account deficit sustainable has important implications for policy. If the current account deficits of a nation is sustainable, then it implies that the government should have no incentive to default on its international debt. In this article we examine whether or not the current account deficits for the OECD countries can be characterized by a unit root process with regime switching. The econometric methodology allows us to distinguish periods that are associated with unsustainable outcomes from those in which the intertemporal national long-run budget constraint (LRBC) holds. Among the main results, it is found that it is very likely that the LRBC will not hold for the Australia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, New Zealand, Portugal or Spain, thus signifying a red signal that the current account deficits observed during the period were probably not on a sustainable path.     

Capital account flows,consumption ratios and the middle‐income trap

The existing literature suggests that it is important to understand the factors that may slow the transition of an economy from middle to high income. Many factors have been suggested as promoting or retarding economic growth, but little attention has been paid to the roles of the capital account and consumption ratio. Using panel regressions involving 48 countries over the 1950–2013 period as well as employing extreme bounds analysis, we find that foreign investment outflows are associated with a mature economy and that there is an optimal consumption ratio that must be surpassed to break out of middle‐income status. These findings are robust to an extreme bounds analysis incorporating a wide range of variables potentially related to growth performance.     

Capital account liberalization and dynamic price discovery: evidence from Chinese cross-listed stocks

We analyse the effects of a recent financial reform (Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect) that enables cross-market investment between Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges. Using a VECM, we find that the reform announcement considerably narrows the equilibrium level of price disparity and strengthens the price comovement of shares that are cross-listed in both markets. The estimated equilibrium relationship is in support of the relative law of one price. We find that both markets adjust in response to a disequilibrium in price disparity, leading to a sizeable error correction activity. The Shanghai market contributes to approximately two-thirds of the price discovery process. Competition and informativeness of trading affect the relative role of price discovery in each market. Finally, the reform implementation reinforces the long-run cointegration relationship and strengthens the short-run price comovements of cross-listed stocks despite the widening price disparity during the period.     

Dynamic lobbying: Evidence from foreign lobbying in the U.S. Congress

How do interest groups decide which member of Congress to target when decisions are made collectively? Do lobbying strategies change as legislation advances? Answering these questions is challenging due to a lack of systematic observations of lobbying contacts. I answer these questions using a novel data set constructed from reports submitted by lobbyists on behalf of South Korea regarding its free trade agreement with the United States for 10 years. I show that a diverse set of politicians are contacted but the timing, intensity, and strategy of lobbying contacts vary by politicians' institutional positions as well as their predisposed preferences for free trade.     

Comparative Study on Venture Capital among U.S.A., Japan and China

This essay, through comparing venture capital in China＇s modernization with U.S.A., Japan, summarizes the different characteristics of venture capital of the United States and Japan, and thinks that China＇s present modernization, as a flag of developing countries, has already entered middle period of industrialization, according to the experience of U.S.A., Japan and reality of China. The technological progress mode has already been changed from technology import to technological innovation stage at this time. In order to encourage innovations, we must develop venture capital in a more effective manner. The national conditions have determined the technology import of China, which must start with a high points, this is the most important condition of target to choose. The venture capital of China in system transitional period should use U.S.A.＇s experience for reference even more on the capital source to pay close attention to the capital sources of the government and bank. Once the government guides and starts the market, the folk capital will show the natural instinct of the capital automatically Risk investment is the embodiment capitalized personality spirit, in order to dispose such ambitious culture. We need the reform of the system as well as dispose risk investor＇s stratum at present.     

发展中国家的资本账户开放:问题和抉择

无论是对发达国家还是发展中国家资本账户的开放性研究,人们都倾注了大量的精力.但是回顾这争鸣的百家,对发展中国家资本账户开放后的经济效应,也莫衷一是.尽管如此,被经济学界广泛承认的事实是,资本账户开放后的效应是因各国情况不同而不同的,需要决策者审时度势,慎之又慎,尤其要避免伴随资本账户开放而可能带来的金融冲击甚至危机.     

我国人力资本与区域创新能力的非线性关系研究--基于面板门槛模型的经验证据

采用我国28个省（直辖市、自治区）1993～2012年的面板数据,以电信基础设施为门槛变量,运用门槛模型,探讨人力资本与区域创新能力之间的非线性关系。研究结果表明：我国人力资本与区域创新能力之间存在电信基础设施双门槛效应,电信基础设施门槛值分别为4．031和4．552。我国人力资本对区域创新能力的影响并不是线性的,人力资本仅仅在电信基础设施完善的地区对区域创新能力产生重要影响。     

The price relationship between organic and non-organic vegetables in the U.S.: evidence from Nielsen scanner data

This study investigates price relationships between organic and conventional carrots, tomatoes, and lettuce in the U.S. utilizing Nielsen scanner data from 2006–2015. We employ a threshold vector error correction model (TVECM), threshold vector autoregressive model (TVAR), and threshold cointegration test to test whether market integration exists between organic and conventional vegetables as well as the existence of asymmetric price transmission. The results find positive long-run relationships between organic and conventional prices of carrots and tomatoes and show the existence of asymmetric price transmission in price pairs of lettuce and tomatoes. Our findings suggest that the price relationship between organic and conventional vegetables varies by characteristics, such as shelf life, volatility in the price premium, and substitutability.