Composition of International Capital Flows: A Survey Staff Working Paper 2010-33 Koralai Kirabaeva, Assaf Razin We survey several key mechanisms that explain the composition of international capital flows: foreign direct investment, foreign portfolio investment and debt flows (bank loans and bonds). In particular, we focus on the following market frictions: asymmetric information in capital markets and exposure to liquidity shocks. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): International topics JEL Code(s): D, D8, D82, F, F2, F21, F3, F34
The Role of Expenditure Switching in the Global Imbalance Adjustment Staff Working Paper 2010-16 Wei Dong In theory, nominal exchange rate movements can lead to “expenditure switching” when they generate changes in the relative prices of goods across countries. This paper explores whether the expenditure-switching role of exchange rates has changed in the current episode of significant global imbalances. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Exchange rates, International topics JEL Code(s): F, F3, F4
International Capital Flows and Bond Risk Premia Staff Working Paper 2010-14 Jesus Sierra This paper studies the impact of international capital flows on asset prices through risk premia. We investigate whether foreign purchases of U.S. Treasury securities significantly contributed to the decline in excess returns on long-term bonds between 1995 and 2008. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets JEL Code(s): C, C2, C22, F, F3, F31, F32, F34, G, G1, G11, G12, G15
Prospects for Global Current Account Rebalancing Staff Discussion Paper 2010-4 Kimberly Beaton, Carlos De Resende, René Lalonde, Stephen Snudden The authors use the Bank of Canada's version of the Global Economy Model, a multi-country, multi-sector dynamic stochastic general-equilibrium model with an active banking system (the BoC-GEM-FIN), to study the evolution of global current account balances following the recent global financial crisis. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Balance of payments and components, Business fluctuations and cycles, International topics, Recent economic and financial developments JEL Code(s): E, E2, E21, F, F0, F01, F3, F32
Alternative Optimized Monetary Policy Rules in Multi-Sector Small Open Economies: The Role of Real Rigidities Staff Working Paper 2010-9 Carlos De Resende, Ali Dib, Maral Kichian Inflation-targeting central banks around the world often state their inflation objectives with regard to the consumer price index (CPI). Yet the literature on optimal monetary policy based on models with nominal rigidities and more than one sector suggests that CPI inflation is not always the best choice from a social welfare perspective. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Inflation and prices, Inflation targets, Inflation: costs and benefits, Monetary policy framework, Monetary policy implementation JEL Code(s): E, E4, E5, E52, F, F3, F4
Exchange Rate Pass-through and Monetary Policy: How Strong is the Link? Staff Working Paper 2009-29 Stephen Murchison Several authors have presented reduced-form evidence suggesting that the degree of exchange rate pass-through to the consumer price index has declined in Canada since the early 1980s and is currently close to zero. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Exchange rates, Monetary policy transmission JEL Code(s): E, E5, E52, F, F3, F31, F4, F41
Short Changed? The Market's Reaction to the Short Sale Ban of 2008 Staff Working Paper 2009-23 Louis Gagnon, Jonathan Witmer Do short sales restrictions have an impact on security prices? We address this question in the context of a natural experiment surrounding the short sale ban of 2008 using a comprehensive sample of Canadian stocks cross-listed in the U.S. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets, International topics JEL Code(s): F, F3, F30, G, G0, G01, G1, G18, G2, G20
Productivity, the Terms of Trade, and the Real Exchange Rate: The Balassa-Samuelson Hypothesis Revisited Staff Working Paper 2009-22 Ehsan U. Choudhri, Lawrence L. Schembri The paper examines how the Balassa-Samuelson hypothesis is affected by a modern variation of the standard model that allows product differentiation (within the traded and nontraded goods sectors) with the number of firms determined exogenously or endogenously. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Exchange rates, Productivity JEL Code(s): F, F3, F31, F4, F41
Strengthening IMF Surveillance: An Assessment of Recent Reforms Staff Discussion Paper 2009-10 Robert Lavigne, Lawrence L. Schembri The authors assess the potential impact of recently approved reforms to International Monetary Fund (IMF) surveillance; namely, the "2007 Decision on Bilateral Surveillance Over Members' Policies" and the "Statement of Surveillance Priorities" (SSP). They conclude that these complementary reforms have the potential to create a comprehensive and coherent framework for IMF surveillance. If implemented properly, […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): International topics JEL Code(s): F, F3, F33
Assessing the Implementation of the IMF's 2007 Surveillance Decision Staff Discussion Paper 2009-6 Robert Lavigne, Garima Vasishtha The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently adopted the "2007 Decision on Bilateral Surveillance Over Members' Policies," a landmark reform that modernizes the general principles of IMF surveillance. However, support for the reform was not unanimous, and doubts have been expressed about how the Decision would be applied in practice. The authors assess the first year […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): International topics JEL Code(s): F, F3, F33