nep-ifn New Economics Papers
on International Finance
Issue of 2013‒06‒30
six papers chosen by
Vimal Balasubramaniam
University of Oxford

  1. Capital flows to emerging market economies: a brave new world? By Shaghil Ahmed; Andrei Zlate
  2. Large global volatility shocks, equity markets and globalisation: 1885-2011 By Arnaud Mehl
  3. International transmission of financial stress: evidence from a GVAR By Jonas Dovern; Björn van Roye
  4. Factorising equity returns in an emerging market through exogenous shocks and capital flows By Diane Wilcox; Tim Gebbie
  5. China’s financial linkages with Asia and the global financial crisis By Reuven Glick; Michael Hutchison
  6. Assessing and combining financial conditions indexes By Sirio Aramonte; Samuel Rosen; John W. Schindler

  1. By: Shaghil Ahmed; Andrei Zlate
    Abstract: We examine the determinants of net private capital inflows to emerging market economies. These inflows are computed from quarterly balance-of-payments data from 2002:Q1 to 2012:Q2. Our main findings are: First, growth and interest rate differentials between EMEs and advanced economies and global risk appetite are statistically and economically important determinants of net private capital inflows. Second, there have been significant changes in the behavior of net inflows from the period before the recent global financial crisis to the post-crisis period, especially for portfolio inflows, partly explained by the greater sensitivity of such flows to interest rate differentials and risk aversion. Third, capital control measures introduced in recent years do appear to have discouraged both total and portfolio inflows. Fourth, in the pre-crisis period, there is some evidence that greater foreign exchange intervention to curb currency appreciation pressures brought more capital inflows down the line, but we cannot identify such an effect in the post-crisis period. Finally, we do not find statistically significant positive effects of unconventional U.S. monetary expansion on total net EME inflows, although there does seem to be a change in composition toward portfolio flows. Even for portfolio flows, U.S. unconventional policy is only one among several important factors.
    Date: 2013
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedgif:1081&r=ifn
  2. By: Arnaud Mehl
    Abstract: I estimate the transmission of large global volatility shocks in international equity markets from the earlier (pre-1914) to the modern era of globalisation. To that end, I identify 43 such shocks over the period 1885-2011, defined as significant increases in unanticipated volatility in US equity markets, which I relate to well-known historical events. My estimates suggest that the response of global equity markets to these shocks in a panel of 16 countries is both statistically significant and large economically. On average, global equity market valuations correct by about 20% in the month when a shock occurs. There is substantial heterogeneity in responses both across countries and time, however, which can be partly explained by differences in global trade integration. I find no evidence that other potential theoretical determinants, such as output composition, country fundamentals or global policy responses matter, by contrast. These results shed light on a neglected aspect of globalisation, which creates opportunities but also heightens the exposure of economies to acute surges in global uncertainty and risk aversion.
    Keywords: Foreign exchange ; Financial markets
    Date: 2013
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:feddgw:148&r=ifn
  3. By: Jonas Dovern; Björn van Roye
    Abstract: We analyze the international transmission of financial stress and its effects on economic activity. We construct country specific monthly financial stress indexes (FSI) using dynamic factor models from 1970 until 2012 for 20 countries. We show that there is a strong co-movement of the FSI during financial crises and that the FSI of financially open countries are relatively more correlated to FSI in other countries. Subsequently, we investigate the international transmission of financial stress and its impact on economic activity in a Global VAR (GVAR) model. We show that i) financial stress is quickly transmitted internationally, ii) financial stress has a lagged but persistent negative effect on economic activity, and iii) that economic slowdowns induce only limited financial stress
    Keywords: Financial stress, Financial crises, Business Cycles, Dynamic Factor Model, Global VAR
    JEL: E32 E52 F36 F37 F41
    Date: 2013–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kie:kieliw:1844&r=ifn
  4. By: Diane Wilcox; Tim Gebbie
    Abstract: A technique from stochastic portfolio theory [Fernholz, 1998] is applied to analyse equity returns of Small, Mid and Large cap portfolios in an emerging market through periods of growth and regional crises, up to the onset of the global financial crisis. In particular, we factorize portfolios in the South African market in terms of distribution of capital, change of stock ranks in portfolios, and the effect due to dividends for the period Nov 1994 to May 2007. We discuss the results in the context of broader economic thinking to consider capital flows as risk factors, turning around more established approaches which use macroeconomic and socio-economic conditions to explain Foreign Direct Investment (into the economy) and Net Portfolio Investment (into equity and bond markets).
    Date: 2013–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1306.5302&r=ifn
  5. By: Reuven Glick; Michael Hutchison
    Abstract: This paper presents empirical evidence on asset market linkages between China and Asia and how these linkages have shifted during and after the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. We find only weak cross-country linkages in longer-term interest rates, but much stronger linkages in equity markets. This finding is consistent with the greater development and liberalization of equity markets relative to bond markets in China, as well as increasing business and trade linkages in the region. We also find that the strength of the correlation of equity prices changes between China and other Asia countries increased markedly during the crisis and has remained high in recent years. We attribute this development to greater “attentiveness” of international investors to China’s role as a source and destination of equity finance during the crisis rather than to any greater financial deepening and liberalization, as China did not implement any major policy measures during this period. By contrast, the transmission of U.S. equity returns to Asian countries decreased after the crisis.
    Keywords: Global Financial Crisis, 2008-2009 ; China
    Date: 2013
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedfwp:2013-12&r=ifn
  6. By: Sirio Aramonte; Samuel Rosen; John W. Schindler
    Abstract: We evaluate the short horizon predictive ability of financial conditions indexes for stock returns and macroeconomic variables. We find reliable predictability only when the sample includes the 2008 financial crisis, and we argue that this result is driven by tailoring the indexes to the crisis and by non-synchronous trading. Financial conditions indexes are based on a variety of constituent variables and aggregation methods, and we discuss a simple procedure for consolidating the growing number of different indexes into a single proxy for financial conditions.
    Date: 2013
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedgfe:2013-39&r=ifn

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