Hedging and invoicing strategies to reduce exchange rate exposure - a euro-area perspective

Domestic-currency invoicing and hedging allow internationally active firms to reduce their exposure to exchange rate variations. This paper argues that domestic-currency invoicing and hedging with exchange rate derivatives allow a fairly straightforward management of transaction and translation risk. Broader economic risk (which takes into account the impact of the exchange rate on competitiveness) is by its very nature harder to manage, but the paper argues that natural hedging provides possibilities for doing so. A novelty of this paper is a survey of actual hedging strategies and techniques of large euro-area corporations. The paper finds that euro-area exporters make ample use of instruments to limit the adverse impact of euro appreciation.Exchange rate risk, invoicing, hedging, derivatives, Hedging and invoicing strategies to reduce exchange rate exposure - a euro-area perspective, Economic Paper, D�hring

What drives inflation perceptions? A dynamic panel data analysis

At the moment of the euro cash changeover, inflation perceptions in the euro area deviated from measured inflation, and in some euro-area Member States in a persistent way. In recent years, a growing body of literature has developed on the factors that might explain this deviation. This paper formally tests various explanations advanced in this literature. It adopts a cross-country perspective at the level of the euro area which is empirically implemented through a dynamic panel data model. Inflation perceptions are found to be highly persistent (the autoregressive term is large and statistically highly significant). In contrast to much of the - descriptive - literature, an index of "out-of-the-pocket expenditure" is found not to explain inflation perceptions better than does the all-items HICP index. As suggested by psychological experiments, inflation expectations seem to contribute to the formation of inflation perceptions, although to a limited extent. Prices of residential real estate contribute significantly to inflation perceptions, suggesting that households have a broader view of the cost of living when forming inflation perceptions. Our results have implications for policy, for the further research agenda and for the development of statistics. In particular, the persistence of inflation perceptions makes us think that communication efforts prior to euro introduction are essential to anchor perceptions. Once perceptions increase, it will be much harder to bring them back in line with measured inflation.inflation, perceived inflation, dynamic panel data model, euro cash changeover, D�hring, Mordonu

Implications of EMU for Global Macroeconomic and Financial Stability

The paper examines the implications of EMU for world macroeconomic and financial stability, distinguishing EMU effects from other global factors at work. It concludes that EMU is having on the whole stabilising effects on the world economy, particularly in neighbouring regions.EMU, macroeconomic volatility, euro, international monetary system, implications of EMU for world macroeconomic and financial stability, Economic Papers, D�hring,

The Evolution of Economic Governance in EMU

This paper examines the benefits of co-ordination in EMU in a stylised manner and how these benefits have shaped the co-ordination framework in EMU. It then discusses in detail the co-ordination experience in four areas that are particularly important for the functioning of EMU: (i) fiscal policy co-ordination under the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP); (ii) the co-ordination of structural policies under the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs; (iii) the representation and co-ordination of euro-area positions in international financial fora; and (iv) the co-ordination of macroeconomic statistics. The thrust of the findings is that EMU's system of economic governance has, overall, proven fit for purpose. The current policy assignment to the institutions and instruments that govern the conduct of economic policy in EMU is sound, even though further progress is necessary in several areas, particularly as regards external representation.Governance, EMU, euro area, co-ordination, van den Noord, D�hring, Langedijk, Nogueira-Martins,Pench, Temprano-Arroyo, Thiel