nep-ifn New Economics Papers
on International Finance
Issue of 2020‒08‒10
four papers chosen by
Vimal Balasubramaniam
University of Oxford

  1. Capital Flows: The Role of Bank and Nonbank Balance Sheets By Yuko Hashimoto; Signe Krogstrup
  2. One Shock, Many Policy Responses By Rui Mano; Silvia Sgherri
  3. Intervention Under Inflation Targeting--When Could It Make Sense? By David J Hofman; Marcos d Chamon; Pragyan Deb; Thomas Harjes; Umang Rawat; Itaru Yamamoto
  4. Global Market Inefficiencies By Bartram, Söhnke M; Grinblatt, Mark

  1. By: Yuko Hashimoto; Signe Krogstrup
    Abstract: This paper assesses the role of bank and nonbank financial institutions’ balance sheet foreign exposures and risk management practices in driving capital flow responses to global risk. Using a unique and previously unexplored dataset on domestic and cross border balance sheet positions of financial institutions collected by the IMF, we show that the response of overall capital flows to global risk shocks is associated with the on-balance sheet foreign exposures of nonbanks, but not with that of banks. A possible interpretation is that risk-averse and dynamically optimizing nonbanks reduce their foreign risk exposure when global risk perceptions increase, leading to capital flows, while banks tend to be hedged against these risks off balance sheet. In advanced countries, the findings suggest that nonbank portfolio adjustment to changing risk conditions may take place through derivatives transactions with banks, the hedging practices of which trigger bank related capital flows rather than portfolio flows.
    Keywords: Bank credit;Central banks;Private capital flows;Foreign currency exposure;International financial markets;foreign exposure,global factor, risk aversion, global financial crisis,forward contract,capital flow management measures,macro prudential policy,VIX,capital flow,risk condition,foreign asset,Tille
    Date: 2019–04–29
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2019/085&r=all
  2. By: Rui Mano; Silvia Sgherri
    Abstract: Policymakers have relied on a wide range of policy tools to cope with capital flow shocks. And yet, the effects and interaction of these policies remain under debate, as does the motivation for using them. In this paper, quantile local projections are used to estimate the entire distribution of future policy responses to portfolio flow shocks for 20 emerging markets and understand the variety of policy choices across the sample. To assuage endogeneity concerns, estimates rely on the fact that global capital flows are exogenous from the viewpoint of any one of these countries. The paper finds that: (i) policy responses to capital flow shocks are heterogeneous across countries, fat-tailed—“extreme” responses tend to be more elastic than “typical” responses—and asymmetric—“extreme” responses tend to be more elastic with respect to outflows than to inflows; (ii) country characteristics are linked to policy choices—with cross-country differences in forex intervention relating to the size of balance sheet vulnerabilities and the depth of the forex market; (iii) the use of targeted macroprudential policy and capital flows management measures can help “free the hands” of monetary policy by allowing it to focus more squarely on domestic cyclical developments.
    Keywords: Exchange rate policy;International investment position;Foreign exchange reserves;Foreign exchange intervention;Central banks;Capital flows,emerging markets,macroprudential policies,capital flows management.,WP,policy response,policy tool,flow pressure,forex,policy action
    Date: 2020–01–17
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2020/010&r=all
  3. By: David J Hofman; Marcos d Chamon; Pragyan Deb; Thomas Harjes; Umang Rawat; Itaru Yamamoto
    Abstract: We investigate the motives inflation-targeting central banks in emerging markets may have for intervening in foreign exchange markets and evaluate the case for such interventions based on the existing literature. Our findings suggest that the rationale for interventions depends on initial conditions and country-specific circumstances. The case is strongest in the presence of large currency mismatches or underdeveloped markets. While interventions can have benefits in the short-term, sustained over time they could entrench unfavorable initial conditions, though more work is needed to establish this empirically. A first effort to measure the cost of interventions to the credibility of policy frameworks suggests that the negative impact may be smaller than often assumed—at least for the set of more sophisticated inflation-targeting emerging-market central banks considered here.
    Keywords: Central banks;Exchange rate policy;Central bank policy;Exchange markets;Central banking and monetary issues;emerging markets,monetary and exchange rate policies,inflation targeting,foreign exchange intervention,capital flows,WP,EME,inflation target,policy instrument,exchange rate,targeter
    Date: 2020–01–17
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2020/009&r=all
  4. By: Bartram, Söhnke M; Grinblatt, Mark
    Abstract: Using point-in-time accounting data, we estimate monthly fair values of 25,000+ stocks from 36 countries. A trading strategy based on deviations from fair value earns significant risk-adjusted returns ("alpha") in most regions, especially the Asia Pacific, that are unrelated to known anomalies. The strategy's 40â??70 basis point per month alpha difference between emerging and developed markets contrast with prior research findings. A country's pre-transaction-cost alpha is positively related to its trading costs, but exceeds country-specific institutional trading costs. Thus, global equity markets are inefficient, particularly in countries with quantifiable market frictions, like trading costs, that deter arbitrageurs.
    Keywords: Asset Pricing; fundamental analysis; instrumented principal components analy-sis (IPCA); international finance; Market Efficiency; Point-in-Time (PIT); principal components; transaction costs; Valuation
    JEL: G11 G14 G15
    Date: 2019–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:14232&r=all

This nep-ifn issue is ©2020 by Vimal Balasubramaniam. It is provided as is without any express or implied warranty. It may be freely redistributed in whole or in part for any purpose. If distributed in part, please include this notice.
General information on the NEP project can be found at http://nep.repec.org. For comments please write to the director of NEP, Marco Novarese at <director@nep.repec.org>. Put “NEP” in the subject, otherwise your mail may be rejected.
NEP’s infrastructure is sponsored by the School of Economics and Finance of Massey University in New Zealand.