Revisiting the Interest Rate-Exchange Rate Nexus: A Markov Switching Approach

In this paper the interest rate-exchange rate nexus and the effectiveness of interest rate defence are investigated theoretically and empirically. We construct a simple theoretical model by incorporating Taylor rule in the model proposed by Jeanne and Rose (2002). Mixing the macroeconomic theory of exchange rate determination and the noise trading approach to asset price volatility, we present a model with multiple equilibria, which thereafter implies a possible switching between the regimes of high and low volatility of the exchange rates. The theoretical model motivates us to adopt a Markov-switching specification of the nominal exchange rate with time-varying transition probabilities. By investigating the data of Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, Hong Kong, and Turkey, it is shown that raising nominal interest rates leads to a higher probability of switching to a crisis regime. Thus, the empirical results presented here support the views that high interest rate policy is unable to defend the exchange rate. Unlike other studies which consider linear models only, our findings are robust and consistent over different countries and crisis episodes (Asian 1997 crises, Mexico 1994 crisis, and Turkey 1994, 2001 crises). In addition, this paper provides some evidences supporting the view of ``fear of floating''.Exchange rates, Interest rates, Markov switching model

Predicting swings in exchange rates with macro fundamentals

This paper investigates fundamentals-based exchange rate predictability from a different perspective. We focus on predicting currency swings (major trends in depreciation or appreciation) rather than on quantitative changes of exchange rates. Having used a nonparametric approach to identify swings in exchange rates, we examine the links between fundamentals and swings in exchange rates using both in-sample and out-of-sample forecasting tests. We use data from 12 developed countries, and our empirical evidence suggests that the uncovered interest parity fundamentals and Taylor rule model with interest rate smoothing are strong predictors of exchange rate swings.exchange rate swings, fundamentals

Bernanke Was Right: Currency Manipulation Policy in Emerging Foreign Exchange Markets

This paper examines the currency manipulation policy in the foreign exchange markets of thirteen emerging countries using a structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) framework to link the dynamics of real exchange rates and foreign reserves. It is found that for Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, exchange rate shocks are the main source of fluctuations in foreign reserves over all time horizons. Empirical evidence suggests that these countries intervene substantially in the foreign exchange markets in order to promote export competitiveness.Official Intervention, Foreign Reserves

Perspectives on teaching international macroeconomics and finance: is there more consensus in the 2000s?

This paper surveys the current state of teaching in international macroeconomics and finance. After collecting graduate international macroeconomics syllabi taught by international economists in the leading US economics departments between 2001 and 2005, I study whether there is consensus on selected topics and articles in this field. It is shown that there seems more agreement on which topics should be taught and which articles should be deemed most essential.International Finance

Does Monetary Policy Have Asymmetric Effects on Stock Returns?

This paper investigates whether monetary policy has asymmetric effects on stock returns using Markov-switching models. Different measures of the stance of monetary policy are adopted. Empirical evidence from monthly returns on the standard & Poor 500 (S&P 500) price index suggests that monetary policy has larger effects on stock returns in bear markets. Furthermore, it has been shown that contractionary monetary policy leads to a higher probability of switching to a recession in stock markets.Monetary Policy, Stock Returns, Markov-switching

Forecasting Crude Oil Price Movements with Oil-Sensitive Stocks

This paper uses monthly data from 1984:M10 to 2012:M8 to show that oil-sensitive stock price indices, particularly those in the energy sector, have strong power in predicting nominal and real crude oil prices at short horizons (one-month-ahead predictions), using both in- and out-of-sample tests. In particular, the forecasts based on oil-sensitive stock price indices are able to outperform significantly the no-change forecasts. For example, using the NYSE Arca (AMEX) oil index as a predictor, the one-month-ahead forecasts for nominal crude oil prices reduce the mean squared prediction error by between 22% (for the West Texas Intermediate oil price) and 28% (for the Dubai oil price). Moreover, we find that the directional forecast based the AMEX oil index is ignificantly better than a 50:50 coin toss. The novelty of this analysis is that it proposes a new and valuable predictor that both reflects timely market information and is readily available for forecasting the spot oil price

Predicting swings in exchange rates with macro fundamentals

This paper investigates fundamentals-based exchange rate predictability from a different perspective. We focus on predicting currency swings (major trends in depreciation or appreciation) rather than on quantitative changes of exchange rates. Having used a nonparametric approach to identify swings in exchange rates, we examine the links between fundamentals and swings in exchange rates using both in-sample and out-of-sample forecasting tests. We use data from 12 developed countries, and our empirical evidence suggests that the uncovered interest parity fundamentals and Taylor rule model with interest rate smoothing are strong predictors of exchange rate swings

Revisiting the empirical linkages between stock returns and trading volume

This paper investigates whether the empirical linkages between stock returns and trading volume differ over the fluctuations of stock markets, i.e., whether the return–volume relation is asymmetric in bull and bear stock markets. Using monthly data for the S&P 500 price index and trading volume from 1973M2 to 2008M10, strong evidence of asymmetry in contemporaneous correlation is found. As for a dynamic (causal) relation, it is found that the stock return is capable of predicting trading volume in both bear and bull markets. However, the evidence for trade volume predicting returns is weaker

Predicting swings in exchange rates with macro fundamentals

This paper investigates fundamentals-based exchange rate predictability from a different perspective. We focus on predicting currency swings (major trends in depreciation or appreciation) rather than on quantitative changes of exchange rates. Having used a nonparametric approach to identify swings in exchange rates, we examine the links between fundamentals and swings in exchange rates using both in-sample and out-of-sample forecasting tests. We use data from 12 developed countries, and our empirical evidence suggests that the uncovered interest parity fundamentals and Taylor rule model with interest rate smoothing are strong predictors of exchange rate swings