September 16, 2014
Posts
-
-
October 22, 2003
Bank of Canada releases Monetary Policy Report
Since the April Monetary Policy Report, the Canadian economy has been hit by a number of unusual shocks: SARS, BSE, the Ontario electricity blackout, and the severe forest fires in British Columbia. -
November 19, 2002
Purchasing-Power Parity: Definition, Measurement, and Interpretation
This article examines the concept of purchasing-power parity (PPP) and its implications for the equilibrium value of the Canadian exchange rate. PPP has two main applications, as a theory of exchange rate determination and as a means to compare living standards across countries. Concerning exchange rate determination, PPP is mainly useful as a reminder that monetary policy has no long-run impact on the real exchange rate, since the exchange rate can deviate persistently from its PPP value in response to real shocks. To compare living standards across countries, PPP exchange rates constructed by comparing the prices of national consumption baskets are used to translate per capita national incomes into a common currency. These rates are useful because they offset differences in national price levels to obtain comparable measures of purchasing power, but they are not an accurate measure of the equilibrium value of the exchange rate. The authors conclude that the current deviation of the Canadian exchange rate from the PPP rate does not imply that the exchange rate is undervalued, but that this deviation reflects the impact of persistent real factors, in particular, lower commodity prices. -
Using Speed and Credit Limits to Address the Procyclicality of Initial Margin at Central Counterparties
This paper proposes a practical approach to address the procyclicality of initial margin at central counterparties (CCPs) that can work even in periods of extreme stress. The approach allows CCPs to limit the speed of margin increases resulting from spikes in market volatility. -
February 21, 2019
Toward 2021: The Power—and Limitations—of Policy
Governor Poloz explains that monetary policy is a powerful tool to promote economic welfare, but it also has some important limits. -
Chinese Monetary Policy and Text Analytics: Connecting Words and Deeds
What are the main drivers behind the monetary policy reaction function of the People’s Bank of China? -
July 21, 2010
Fact sheet: Bank of Canada Celebrates 75 years
Born in the worst years of the Great Depression, and guiding Canada's economy ever since, the Bank of Canada celebrates its 75th year starting on 11 March 2010. The Bank of Canada was created by an Act of Parliament to foster the economic and financial well-being of all Canadians and is considered the country's pre-eminent […] -
Network Analysis and Canada's Large Value Transfer System
Analysis of the characteristics and structure of a network of financial institutions can provide insight into the complex relationships and interdependencies that exist in a payment, clearing, and settlement system (PCSS), and allow an intuitive understanding of the PCSS's efficiency, stability, and resiliency. -
Nowcasting BRIC+M in Real Time
Emerging-market economies have become increasingly important in driving global GDP growth over the past 10 to 15 years. This has made timely and accurate assessment of current and future economic activity in emerging markets important for policy-makers not only in these countries but also in advanced economies. -
May 16, 2016
Estimating Canada’s Effective Lower Bound
Recently, the Bank of Canada has estimated the effective lower bound (ELB) on its policy interest rate to be about -50 basis points. This article outlines the analysis that underpins that estimate by quantifying the costs of storing and using cash in Canada. It also explores how some international markets have adapted to negative interest rates, issues surrounding their implementation, as well as their transmission to other interest rates in the economy. Finally, it discusses theoretical ideas on how the ELB could be reduced further.