Non-linear convergence in Asian interest rates and inflation rates

We examine the dynamics of convergence of the ASEAN5 plus the big three for nominal interest rates, inflation rates, and real interest rates. We test for convergence relative to the U.S and Japan, using monthly data over the period January 1990 - December 2010, using non-linear unit root tests. The results show strong evidence of stationary inflation and real interest rate differentials in all but China’s inflation differential relative to the U.S., and stationary nominal interest differentials in most of the cases. We interpret these results as convergence in inflation rates and real interest rates in all cases, and as nominal interest convergence in most of the cases. Moreover, examining the impact of the Asian crisis shows less number of convergences before the crisis and more convergences after the crisis. This suggests that convergence has increased after the 1997/98 Asian crisis, and that the crisis has pulled the economies together.interest rates convergence; inflation convergence; nonlinear unit root tests

Non-linearities in the dynamics of oil prices

We utilize non-linear models to examine the stationarity of oil prices (Brent, Dubai, WIT and World) over the period 1973:2-2011:2. Real oil prices are calculated and expressed in the domestic currencies of seven Asian countries (Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) and in the U.S dollar. Applying linear unit root tests with and without structural breaks shows very limited evidence of stationarity. However, applying non-linear models shows evidence of non-linearity in all the cases. In most cases, we find significant evidence of exponential smooth transition autoregression (ESTAR) type non-linearity. Notably, the results for Japan suggest logistic (LSTAR) type non-linearity for the four oil prices. Applying unit root tests, which account for two types of non-linearities (smooth transition and nonlinear deterministic trends), reveals evidence of stationarity in all the cases.oil prices; nonlinear unit root tests; nonlinear deterministic trends; smooth transition autoregression

The effects of oil price shocks on Asian exchange rates: Evidence from quantile regression analysis

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. This paper investigates the effects of oil price shocks on Asian exchange rates. We employ quantile regression analysis and allow for structural breaks and asymmetry. Our results indicate that positive and negative oil price shocks have asymmetrical effects on exchange rate returns that vary in significance, size, and sign throughout the distribution of exchange rate returns. The impact of oil price shocks is also affected by market conditions (bearish and bullish currency markets). During bullish markets in domestic currencies, (at lower quantiles of currency movements in terms of U.S. dollar exchange rates), rising oil prices cause further appreciation for Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand currencies. During bearish markets in the domestic currencies (at higher quantiles of exchange rate movements in terms of U.S. dollar exchange rates), rising (falling) oil price causes further currency depreciation for Indonesia (Malaysia). Thus, currencies respond differently to oil price shocks under extreme bullish or bearish currency market conditions and the impact of rising or falling oil prices on foreign exchange markets can vary by country and market conditions

Dynamic relationship between exchange rates and stock prices for the G7 countries: A nonlinear ARDL approach

This paper employs linear and nonlinear ARDL models to examine the short-run and long-run relationship between stock prices and exchange rates in the G7 countries. Both the flow-oriented approach that exchange rates affect stock prices and the portfolio balance approach that stock prices affect exchange rates are supported in the short-run. Neither model is supported in the long-run using linear ARDL models, but the nonlinear ARDL model shows evidence supporting the portfolio balance approach in four of the countries. In these four countries we find that rising and falling stock prices have significant long-run effects on their exchange rates. Furthermore, Granger causality tests confirm that causality runs from stock prices to exchange rates in six of the countries. Thus, the use of a longer and more recent data set provides stronger long-run support for the portfolio balance approach than found in most of the recent literature, while we confirm results of recent research showing no long-run evidence of causation running from exchange rates to stock prices

Asymmetric oil price and Asian economies: A nonlinear ARDL approach

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd We study the asymmetric effects of oil price changes on the domestic output of the ASEAN-5 countries (Indonesia, Malaysia. Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand) plus Japan and Korea. Asymmetries are introduced by accumulating oil price increases separately from decreases using partial sum processes in a nonlinear ARDL framework. Utilizing annual data for the period 1973–2018, the results from the linear ARDL model suggest that oil price changes do not affect the domestic output of Indonesia, Korea, Singapore, and Thailand. However, the nonlinear ARDL model reveals that oil price changes asymmetrically affect the domestic output of all seven Asian countries in both the short-run and in the long-run. We observe an asymmetrically larger effect on output from rising oil prices than from falling prices, but effects vary across countries. Moreover, nonlinear causality tests confirm causality from oil price to output in all the countries

Non-linear convergence in Asian interest rates and inflation rates

We examine the dynamics of convergence of the ASEAN5 plus the big three for nominal interest rates, inflation rates, and real interest rates. We test for convergence relative to the U.S and Japan, using monthly data over the period January 1990 - December 2010, using non-linear unit root tests. The results show strong evidence of stationary inflation and real interest rate differentials in all but China’s inflation differential relative to the U.S., and stationary nominal interest differentials in most of the cases. We interpret these results as convergence in inflation rates and real interest rates in all cases, and as nominal interest convergence in most of the cases. Moreover, examining the impact of the Asian crisis shows less number of convergences before the crisis and more convergences after the crisis. This suggests that convergence has increased after the 1997/98 Asian crisis, and that the crisis has pulled the economies together

Non-linearities in the dynamics of oil prices

We utilize non-linear models to examine the stationarity of oil prices (Brent, Dubai, WIT and World) over the period 1973:2-2011:2. Real oil prices are calculated and expressed in the domestic currencies of seven Asian countries (Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) and in the U.S dollar. Applying linear unit root tests with and without structural breaks shows very limited evidence of stationarity. However, applying non-linear models shows evidence of non-linearity in all the cases. In most cases, we find significant evidence of exponential smooth transition autoregression (ESTAR) type non-linearity. Notably, the results for Japan suggest logistic (LSTAR) type non-linearity for the four oil prices. Applying unit root tests, which account for two types of non-linearities (smooth transition and nonlinear deterministic trends), reveals evidence of stationarity in all the cases

Non-linear convergence in Asian interest rates and inflation rates

We examine the dynamics of convergence of the ASEAN5 plus the big three for nominal interest rates, inflation rates, and real interest rates. We test for convergence relative to the U.S and Japan, using monthly data over the period January 1990 - December 2010, using non-linear unit root tests. The results show strong evidence of stationary inflation and real interest rate differentials in all but China’s inflation differential relative to the U.S., and stationary nominal interest differentials in most of the cases. We interpret these results as convergence in inflation rates and real interest rates in all cases, and as nominal interest convergence in most of the cases. Moreover, examining the impact of the Asian crisis shows less number of convergences before the crisis and more convergences after the crisis. This suggests that convergence has increased after the 1997/98 Asian crisis, and that the crisis has pulled the economies together

Are Devaluations Expansionary or Contractionary in Transition Economies?

This paper examines the effects of changes in the real effective exchange rate on output for sixteen transition economies using cointegration tests with quarterly data. In addition, impulse response and variance decomposition analyses are also used to identify the significance of the real effective exchange rate, money supply, fiscal policy, and foreign income on output. The results suggest that devaluation is expansionary in the long-run in Estonia, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Slovakia; contractionary in Latvia, Lithuania, Armenia, Moldova, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia; and has no long-run effect on output in Bulgaria. In addition, monetary and fiscal policies and foreign income seem to be important determinants of the long-run level of output in most of the cases. JEL Classification: F31, F3

Real Interest Rate Parity: Evidence from Industrialized Countries

This paper tests real interest parity (RIP) for a group of industrialized countries using quarterly data on long-term and short-term interest rates from 1957:1 to 2003:1. The paper looks at such issues as the lack of power in the standard unit root tests, spans of data, the base country, and the high volatility of exchange rates under the current float as possible reasons for the weak support for RIP. Overall, the standard ADF unit root test provides more supporting evidence in favor of RIP than the more powerful ADF-GLS test and the KPSS stationarity test, and the results do not seem to be sensitive to the choice of the base country. Lack of power seems to be an issue in short samples for the standard ADF test and the ADF-GLS test. The paper also investigates the behavior of real interest differentials (RIDs) across the Bretton Woods era and the current float. The results are consistent with the ¡®neutrality proposition¡¯, and indicate smaller RIDs post-Bretton Woods; thus, the claim that the current float caused RIDs to widen is not supported. Estimated speeds of convergence to RIP are between two to three quarters for both long-term and short-term RIDs and regardless of the base country.Real interest rate parity, Real interest differentials, Financial integration, Unit root tests