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 Euro: Reflections on the first three years

In the first three years of its (virtual) existence, the euro has seen a general decline in its value (notably against the dollar). In this paper we look at this issue and reflect on the implications of the decline for the future of the euro.The paper begins by briefly reviewing some of the explanations that have been put forward for the weakness of the euro, which might be seen as temporary factors or factors that do not arise from the creation of the eurozone per se. These explanations include the decline in the value of the euro as being a reaction to previous rises, interest rate differentials as favouring the dollar and the decline in the euro as being the obverse of a rise in the value of the dollar reflecting the strength of the US economy. These explanations are found to be unconvincing, and the view is advanced that there are serious weaknesses within the eurozone itself and in the construction of the eurosystem, along with its operation, that could be undermining the value of the euro. The divergent euro area may be one of the more significant factors contributing to the euro decline.     

Gaussian Estimation of a Two-factor Continuous Time Model of the Short-term Interest Rate

This paper considers the econometric estimation of a two-factor model of the short-term interest rate. We develop a procedure for the time series estimation of its parameters, based on recently developed Gaussian estimation methods which are extended to handle unobservable state variables. The main methodological contribution is the derivation of an exact discrete model and the exact Gaussian likelihood function in terms of the discrete observations and structural parameters of the two-factor model. The model is estimated on one month euro-currency interest rate data for seven currencies – the Belgium franc, Canadian dollar, Dutch guilder, French franc, German mark, Italian lira, and the US dollar over the period February 1981 to December 1995 – and our results indicate that the method works well in practice. The empirical estimates reported in this study can be used to compare estimates from the calibration of an arbitrage-free analogue of the model to market prices of interest rate caps and swaptions for use in the financial markets. (J.E.L.: C13, E43).     

Tobin Tax and Volatility: A Threshold Quantile Autoregressive Regression Framework

From an original data set on the euro–dollar and on the won–dollar currency pairs (2008–2010), we conduct a threshold quantile autoregressive model to explain the role of a Tobin tax (TT) on the exchange rate volatility, taking into account two types of nonlinearity (regimes and quantiles). We find evidence that the impact of a TT would not be monotonic. A TT may be a good instrument to stabilize foreign exchange volatility only in normal times and/or in efficient markets. In contrast, a TT could be counterproductive in turbulent periods by increasing the volatility. In addition, by comparing a major currency pair (euro/dollar) and a minor currency pair (won/dollar), it appears that the potential stabilizing effect of a TT would be more clear‐cut in the low volatility regime of a major currency pair, similar to the euro/dollar. Our results do not corroborate the previous studies that derived a monotonic and positive impact of a TT on volatility.     

Measuring exchange rate misalignment in Turkey

Turkey has embarked an extensive dis-inflation and stabilization program in December 1999. The programme exclusively relied on a nominally pegged (anchored) exchange rate system for dis-inflation and on fiscal austerity. In February 2001, however, Turkey experienced a severe financial crisis which necessiated the dismantling of the exchange rate anchor and a switch to a regime of free float.

This article proposes a new methodology to measure exchange rate misalignment for Turkey over the period January 1992 to December 2001. In a single equation framework, the model estimates the real exchange rate within a time varying parameter model, where a return-to-normality assumption about the parameters is assumed. Contrary to common belief, it is found that, except the initial four months of the stabilization programme, the Turkish lira remained undervalued for most of 2000. Also, one observes a pattern where the lira has been overvalued after the financial crisis of 1994 until 1998, and has displayed a tendency of undervaluation after then.     

人民币国际化与国际货币体系改革

从美国债务上限调整的议案及美国信贷主权评级的下调,可见现行由美元和欧元所组成的二元国际货币体系并不稳定。为测度出人民币的引入能否增加国际货币体系的稳定性,本文先建立面板回归模型分析影响一国货币国际化的基础条件因素,并在模型的基础上,测度出人民币在可自由兑换后将成为一个能与欧元相互抗衡的国际货币。通过方差比较,本文论证了由美元、欧元和人民币三种货币所组成的外汇储备组合较二元体系下的稳定,说明人民币国际化有助于改革现行的二元体系,使国际货币体系发展成为更稳定的三元体系,从而促进全球经济的健康发展。     

Modelling the Long–run Real Effective Exchange Rate of the New Zealand Dollar

In this paper we use the behavioural and permanent equilibrium exchange rate approaches to produce long–run equilibrium exchange rates for the effective real exchange rates of the New Zealand dollar. We demonstrate that a well founded measure of the equilibrium value of the dollar may be recovered from a relatively small set of fundamental variables and that this can be used to produce an assessment of the dollar in terms of periods of misalignment.     

Macroeconomic News and the Euro/Dollar Exchange Rate

This paper investigates to what extent daily movements in the euro/dollar rate were driven by news about the macroeconomic situation in the USA and the euro area during the first two years of EMU. We examine whether market participants reacted to news in different ways depending on whether the news came from the USA or from the euro area, and whether the news was good or bad. Furthermore, we investigate whether traders' reaction to news has changed over time. We find that macroeconomic news has a statistically significant correlation with daily movements of the euro against the dollar. However, this relationship exhibits considerable time variation. There are indications of asymmetric response, but to different extents at different times. Our results also provide evidence that the market seemed to ignore good news and remain fixated on bad news from the euro area, as often claimed in market commentaries, but only for some time. Finally, we find evidence that the impact of macroeconomic news on the euro/dollar rate was stronger when news switches from good to bad or vice versa.
(J.E.L.: F31).     

Trend shifts in the forward premium and the predictability of excess returns in currency markets

This article provides evidence that the forward premium involves structural changes in the trend function, which might affect the predictability of currency excess returns to be dependent on the choice of the sample period. Accounting for the shifts in trend for the forward premium reveals that currency excess returns for the Canadian dollar, Swiss franc, euro and pound against the US dollar are significantly predictable irrespective of the sample period selected. Another advantage of detrending the forward premium is that we can obtain more consistent slope coefficient estimates in the predictive regression, which enables us to make more consistent, dependable inferences about the excess return predictability.     

Nonlinear adjustment in the real dollar–euro exchange rate: The role of the productivity differential as a fundamental

In this paper we analyze the influence of productivity differentials in the dynamics of the real dollar–euro exchange rate. Using nonlinear procedures for the estimation and testing of ESTAR models during the period 1970–2009 we find that the dollar–euro real exchange rate shows nonlinear mean reversion towards the fundamentals represented by the productivity differential. In addition, we provide evidence about the ability of this variable to capture the overvaluation and undervaluation of the dollar against the euro.     

What Do We Know About Long–run Equilibrium Real Exchange Rates? PPPs vs Macroeconomic Approaches

Despite the fact that the presence of non tradable goods is one of the most frequently advanced reasons for the failure of PPP, the empirical analysis conducted in this paper shows that it explains only a very small portion of the long run behaviour of real exchange rates (RERs) in developed countries: in most cases, there appears to be a very strong long run relationship between RERs calculated on price indexes for tradables and non tradables. As a consequence, deviations from PPP usually appear to be as large for both kinds of goods. To a certain extent, this stylised fact is also verified in the case of the yen/dollar RER, yet formerly known as a typical illustration of the so–called Balassa–Samuelson effect. In this context, so–called macroeconomic approaches of ERERs may be viewed as an alternative to all versions of PPP. We develop a model which combines the contributions of the most fruitful dynamic approaches, namely the NATREX and the BEER. An estimate of this model shows that the main long run determinants of the dollar/euro RER are the rate of consumption and the level of technical progress of the euro area relative to the US.     

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 impact of foreign macroeconomic news on financial markets in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland

In this paper, we investigate the effects of euro area and US macroeconomic news on financial markets in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland (CEEC-3) from 1999 to 2006. Using a GARCH model, we examine the impact of news on daily returns of 3-month interest rates, stock market indices, exchange rates versus the euro, and the US dollar. First, both US and European macroeconomic news has a significant impact on CEEC-3 financial markets. Second, the process of European integration is accompanied by an increasing importance of euro area news relative to US news. Third, there are country-specific differences: for example, the Czech stock market is relatively more affected by foreign news since the Copenhagen Summit in December 2002. In general, our results support the hypothesis of a deepening euro area influence on the CEEC-3 over time and a corresponding reduction in the relative importance of US shocks.     

Forecasting recessions using financial variables: the French case

In this article, we focus on the ability of two financial variables—the yield curve spread and the euro–US dollar exchange rate—to predict French recessions over the period 1979–2010. First, we propose a turning point chronology for the French business cycle based on a classical conception of economic cycles and a non-parametric dating algorithm applied to the real GDP series. Second, static and dynamic probit models are developed and estimated to produce the recession probabilities. In-sample results show that the dynamic specification performs better than the static one and, above all, that the exchange rate has a stronger predictive power than the yield curve. Out-of-sample results finally confirm the predominant role assigned to the exchange rate in predicting the latest recession occurred in 2008.     

Do China and oil exporters influence major currency configurations?

This paper analyses the impact of the shift away from a US dollar focus of systemically important emerging market economies (EMEs) on configurations between the US dollar, the euro and the yen. Given the difficulty that fixed or managed US dollar exchange rate regimes remain pervasive and reserve compositions mostly kept secret, the identification strategy of the paper is to analyse the market impact on major currency pairs of official statements made by EME policy-makers about their exchange rate regime and reserve composition. Developing a novel database for 18 EMEs, we find that such statements not only have a statistically but also an economically significant impact on the euro, and to a lesser extent the yen against the US dollar. The findings suggest that communication hinting at a weakening of EMEs’ US dollar focus contributed substantially to the appreciation of the euro against the US dollar in recent years. Interestingly, EME policy-makers appear to have become more cautious in their communication more recently. Overall, the results underscore the growing systemic importance of EMEs for global exchange rate configurations.     

Testing exchange rate efficiency: the case of euro–dollar

This paper tests the semi‐strong efficiency of the euro–dollar currency market by introducing a simple heuristic test, based on the ‘general‐to‐specific’ methodology and meant to include as two specific sub‐cases the ‘efficient market hypothesis’ (EMH) in the currency market as well as alternative theories implying a time dependent process of propagation of information. According to the results of our nested test, the ‘efficient market hypothesis’ in the euro–dollar currency market is rejected.     

Unconventional monetary policy and the dollar–euro exchange rate: further evidence from event studies

New evidence is presented on the impact on the US dollar–euro (USD–EUR) exchange rate of the unconventional monetary policy conducted by the US Federal Reserve (FED) and the European Central Bank (ECB). To that end, we employ an event study approach using daily the USD–EUR exchange rate for the period from 2 January 2007 to 31 January 2015. Our results indicate that the announcement and subsequent implementation of such measures by the ECB would have caused in general an appreciation of the dollar, while those by the FED would have caused a depreciation of the dollar.     

欧元问世后国际储备货币竞争格局与欧元危机

欧元问世以来,国际储备货币竞争格局由美元垄断已经演化成美元与欧元的双头竞争。研究显示,造成欧元危机的真正原因是全球欧元储备份额的持续上升,它严重削弱了美元的全球霸权和美国的国家利益,欧元危机不是由债务国违约引发,而是由美国的评级机构调降这些国家的主权债务评级引发。本文认为,只要现存的国际储备货币体系仍然得以维持,欧元危机就不会导致欧元崩溃和欧元终结。     

Tail Estimates and the Ems Target Zone*

Characteristically, distributions of exchange-rate returns are fat-tailed. We use a nonparametric tail-index estimator based on extreme value theory for seven EMS currencies between April 1979 and October 1991. We find that the behavior of the Belgian franc, the Danish Krone, the French franc, and the Italian lira has become significantly less fat-tailed over time. We attribute this to the decline in the exchange-rate variance as observed in the EMS, which according to the target-zone literature should lead to a convergence of fixed exchange-rate behavior to that of floating rates. A comparison of tail estimates for the Deutsche mark and dollar exchange rates supports this notion.     

Time-Varying Fundamentals of the Euro–Dollar Exchange Rate

Abstract

This study examines changes in the impact of the economic fundamentals on the euro–dollar exchange rate. First, the monetary model is augmented with the equity markets and the model is estimated in its structural form. Second, the time-varying impacts of the long-run fundamentals representing equilibrium in different markets on the euro–dollar exchange rate are examined using Kalman filtering. The time-varying structural model indicated that the relative importance of the different fundamentals was not equal and the impact of the fundamentals was time-dependent.