Regional or global shock? A global VAR analysis of Asian economic and financial integration

This study employs a global vector autoregressive (GVAR) model to empirically investigate the viability of regional monetary arrangements in Asia. In marked contrast to the previous studies, we analyzed whether recent regional economic and financial integration in Asia were driven by global (U.S.) shock or regional (Japanese and Chinese) shock, using the GVAR model that allows global inter-linkages between domestic and foreign variables. By estimating generalized impulse responses of Asian economies’ real outputs and interest rates to global and regional shocks, we found that the Chinese shock exerted more real and financial influences on Asian economies than the U.S. shock. Another regional shock, i.e., the Japanese shock, had a far smaller influence on Asian economies. The relative importance of regional shocks originating from China needs to be considered when establishing regional monetary arrangements in Asia.     

Financial Markets' Views about the Euro–Swiss Franc Floor

Exchange rates and option prices incorporate market participants' views about the credibility and the effects of exchange rate targets. I present a model to determine exchange rates under policy targets that can be used to price options. The model is estimated with Euro–Swiss Franc exchange rate and options price data. In the first few months of the minimum exchange rate policy, the implied survival probability of the policy for a 3‐month horizon was typically less than 75%. Over time, the credibility increased and this probability reached 95% in August 2014.     

Real Sector Shocks and Monetary Policy Responses in a Financially Vulnerable Emerging Economy

When analyzing the appropriate response for monetary policy during a currency crisis, it is important to keep in mind two distinct channels: the effect of raising interest rates on exchange rates and the direct effect of exchange rate changes on output. The first pertains to the monetary side of the economy as given by the interest parity condition. The second pertains to the real side of the economy. The interaction between these two parts of the economy derives the equilibrium output and exchange rate in the economy. This paper expands on the Aghion et al. (2000) monetary model with nominal rigidities and foreign currency debt, to examine the interaction between the real and monetary sides of the economy and to analyze the effect of monetary policy on the real economy. We find that the effect of monetary policy on exchange rate and output is theoretically ambiguous. This in turn suggests that the appropriate monetary policy response could vary among countries at any point in time, or for a particular country between two different periods.