What causes exchange rate volatility? Evidence from selected EMU members and candidates for EMU membership countries

We allow for monetary, real, and financial variables to assess the relevant importance of each of the variables to exchange rate volatility in the case of selected EMU members and candidate countries. Ex-ante analysis shows that volatility in the Polish zloty/euro and the Hungarian forint/euro forex markets can be influenced by the monetary side of the economy. On the other hand, ex-post analysis shows that forex markets in France, Italy and Spain had been influenced, during the pre-EMU era, by monetary and real shocks. However, the Irish pound exchange rate per ECU had been affected by only real shocks.Exchange Rate Volatility; Bivariate GARCH; Volatility Spillover.

Testing for Efficiency in Selected Developing Foreign Exchange Markets: An Equilibrium-based Approach.

This paper proposes an alternative way of testing FOREX efficiency for developing countries. The FOREX market will be efficient if fully reflects all available information. If this holds, the actual exchange rate will not deviate significantly from its equilibrium rate. Moreover, the spot rate should deviate from its equilibrium rate by only transitory components (i.e. it should follow a white noise process). This test is applied to three Central & Eastern European Countries – members of the EU. Considering an LSTAR model we find no evidence of nonlinear adjustment in the misalignment series. So, linear unit root tests imply that the Poland/Euro FOREX market is efficient, the Czech/Euro FOREX market is not, while the Slovak/Euro FOREX market is quasi-efficient.FOREX efficiency; BEER; Linearity test; Unit Root.

Estimating the Equilibrium Effective Exchange Rate for Potential EMU members

In this study, we attempt to examine the possibility of emergence of significant fluctuations of the exchange rates in the future for the candidate EMU countries. In doing so, we estimate the equilibrium rate of the nominal effective exchange rate for Poland, Hungary, Slovak Republic and Malta through the BEER and PEER approaches. While the PEER-based estimation implies a large misalignment rate for the Hungarian forint, the BEER-based analysis shows that the present exchange rates of the countries considered do not deviate significantly from their equilibrium rates. As a consequence, based on BEER analysis, we do not expect large fluctuations in the effective exchange rates among the currencies considered. Hence, the relevant effective exchange rates are expected to be relatively stable. As a matter of fact, the entry of those countries into EMU is not expected to weaken the stability of Euro.Exchange rate - cointegration - BEER - PEER

Purchasing Power Parity among developing countries and their trade-partners. Evidence from selected CEECs and Implications for their membership of EU.

The purpose of the paper is twofold. Firstly, we test the validity of the PPP hypothesis for selected CEEC (Czech Republic; Hungary; Poland and Slovak Republic). Secondly, we attempt to define those countries’ trade linkages between Euro Area; US and the rest of the world. By applying univariate unit root tests as well as a multivariate cointegration test, we find stronger evidence of PPP from the latter test. Moreover, any failure to accept PPP cannot be attributed to structural breaks, apart from one case (between Czech Republic and EU). In overall, there is evidence of strong-form PPP in 6 out of the 8 cases, while for the rest two, weak-form PPP is accepted. Thus, we confirm PPP as a long run equilibrium baseline for these exchange rates per EURO. Furthermore, the fact that PPP holds between these countries and Euro Area indicates absence of trade frictions and other barriers. The implied well-developed trade relations are consistent with those countries’ entry into EMU.PPP, Unit Root, Structural Breaks, Cointegration, Developing Countries

Behavioural Equilibrium Exchange Rate and Total Misalignment: Evidence from the Euro Exchange Rate

This paper investigates whether the nominal euro exchange rate against the currencies of China, Japan, the UK and the USA converges or not to its equilibrium level. Applying cointegration and common trend techniques in the presence of structural breaks in the data, we found a valid long-run relationship between the euro/yuan, euro/yen, euro/UK pound and euro/US dollar nominal exchange rates and the fundamentals defined by the monetary model. Our modified Behavioural Equilibrium Exchange Rate model suggests that at the end of the estimated period, the euro/Chinese yuan and the euro/UK pound exchange rates follow an equilibrium process. On the other hand, the euro is considered as overvalued against the US dollar and as undervalued against the Japanese yen.Euro, BEER, Misalignment Rate, Cointegration, Structural Shifts

Nonlinear Exchange Rate Adjustment in the Enlarged Euro zone. Evidence and Implications for Candidate Countries.

This paper sheds light on the importance of the validity of PPP hypothesis for the accessing process of the candidate countries towards EMU. The evidence of nonlinear adjustment in real exchange rates insists the estimation of a nonlinear SETAR model. While linear half-life estimates are biased upward (5 years on average), SETAR half-life estimates imply a faster reverting process (1.5 years on average). As a consequence, the evidence in favor of PPP hypothesis and the fast equilibrium adjustment of real exchange rates (setting Euro as the numeraire currency) imply that candidate countries follow a normal integration process towards EMU.EMU enlargement; PPP; Half-life; Nonlinearity; SETAR.

Purchasing Power Parity among developing countries and their trade-partners. Evidence from selected CEECs and Implications for their membership of EU.

The purpose of the paper is twofold. Firstly, we test the validity of the PPP hypothesis for selected CEEC (Czech Republic; Hungary; Poland and Slovak Republic). Secondly, we attempt to define those countries’ trade linkages between Euro Area; US and the rest of the world. By applying both univariate unit root and a multivariate cointegration test, we find stronger evidence of PPP from the latter test. Moreover, any failure to accept PPP cannot be attributed to structural breaks, apart from one case (between Czech Republic and EU). In overall, there is evidence of strong-form PPP in 6 out of the 8 cases, while for the rest two, weak-form PPP is accepted. Thus, we confirm PPP as a long run equilibrium baseline for these exchange rates per EURO. Furthermore, the fact that PPP holds between these countries and Euro Area indicates absence of trade frictions and other barriers. The implied well-developed trade relations are consistent with those countries’ entry into EMU.PPP, Unit Root, Structural Breaks, Cointegration, Developing Countries

Nonlinearity and Inflation Rate Differential Persistence: Evidence from the Eurozone.

We employ a linear unit root test as well as a nonlinear two-regime Threshold Autoregressive (TAR) unit root test to determine whether inflation differentials in the Eurozone during the period 1970-2009 were persistent or transitory. The results imply that inflation rate differentials in the Eurozone are characterized by threshold nonlinearity. After modeling the nonlinear characteristics of the series with the appropriate unit root test, our test's results reveal that inflation rate differentials in the Eurozone are mainly persistent. Our findings imply that the higher the increase of the inflation rate differential, the more persistent the inflation rate differential is likely to be.EMU; Inflation Rate Differential; Unit Root; Nonlinearity; Threshold

Asymmetric Volatility Spillovers between Stock Market and Real Activity: Evidence from the UK and the US

This paper examines the short-run dynamic relationships between stock market and real activity, within a country, for the UK and the US. The Cross Correlation Function testing procedure is applied to test for causality in mean and in variance between the stock market and the real economic sector. Besides variance causation, volatility spillover effects are examined through the multivariate specification form of the Exponential GARCH model. There is evidence of significant reciprocal volatility spillovers between the two sectors within a country, implying stronger interdependencies in the UK rather than in the US and asymmetric behavior only in the case of the UK.Stock market, Real activity, Volatility spillovers, UK, US

Estimating the Equilibrium Effective Exchange Rate for Potential EMU Members

In this study, we attempt to examine the possibility of emergence of significant fluctuations of the exchange rates in the future for the candidate EMU countries. In doing so, we estimate the equilibrium rate of the nominal effective exchange rate for Poland, Hungary, Slovak Republic and Malta through the BEER and PEER approaches. While the PEER-based estimation implies a large misalignment rate for the Hungarian forint, the BEER-based analysis shows that the present exchange rates of the countries considered do not deviate significantly from their equilibrium rates. As a consequence, based on BEER analysis, we do not expect large fluctuations in the effective exchange rates among the currencies considered. Hence, the relevant effective exchange rates are expected to be relatively stable. As a matter of fact, the entry of those countries into EMU is not expected to weaken the stability of Euro. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007Exchange rate, Cointegration, BEER, PEER, C32, C51, C52, E52, F31,