Currency wars will break out globally

Significance Since the start of 2015, 16 central banks have loosened monetary policy, partly because of the fallout from the oil price plunge, which is driving down inflation. This 'race to the bottom' is increasing the scope for 'currency wars', endangering financial stability in countries with macroeconomic imbalances. Impacts A wave of monetary easing will drive government bond yields to new lows, increasing the scope for currency wars. The race to the bottom is forcing many central banks to loosen policy to deter haven-seeking inflows of foreign capital. This race will fuel speculative attacks against currencies, with Denmark's central bank struggling to defend its krone-euro peg.

Significance The gains in global equities stem from the expanding universe of negative-yielding government bonds, which now account for nearly a third of the stock of global sovereign debt. This is pushing yield-hungry investors into riskier assets, despite concerns about the sustainability of a stock market rally with weak fundamental underpinnings and central banks' ultra-loose policies driving asset prices. Impacts Sterling will remain under pressure because of the BoE's aggressive monetary easing, both conventional and unconventional. The recent oil price rebound will support equity valuations and risk appetite. Fiscal stimulus will benefit stocks in the construction and defence sectors.


Subject Central bank digital currencies. Significance Central banks are investigating potential applications of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and this month the Financial Stability Board released its consultative paper on regulating and supervising stablecoins, which are pegged to a traditional asset. Issuance of CBDCs is growing closer. In emerging markets (EMs), they could provide governments with a tool to improve their monetary systems. Impacts Digital currencies can give central banks ‘precision monetary policy’ by bypassing intermediaries and targeting sectors or groups. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the health advantage that digital money has over 'dirty' banknotes. Digital currencies will lower the cost of remittances to emerging nations but over years rather than months as barriers need to be overcome.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Fedorova ◽  
Elena Meshkova

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relationship between monetary policy and market interest rates. This paper examines the efficiency of interest rate channel used in monetary regulation as well as implementation of monetary policy under low interest rates. This paper examines and reviews the scientific literature published over the past 30 years to determine primary research areas, to summarize their results and to identify appropriate measures of monetary policy to be used in practice in changing economic environment. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews 94 studies focused on the relationship between monetary policy and market interest rates in terms of meeting the goals of macroeconomic regulation. The articles are selected on the basis of Scopus citation and bibliometric analysis. A major feature of this paper is the use of text analysis (data preparation, frequency of terms and collocations use, examination of relationships between terms, use of principal component analysis to determine research thematic areas). Using the method of principal component analysis while studying abstracts this paper reveals thematic areas of the research. Thus, the conducted text analysis provides unbiased results. Findings First, this paper examines the whole complex of relationships between monetary policy of central banks and market interest rates. Second, this research reviews a wide range of literature including recent studies focused on specific features of monetary policy under low and negative rates. Third, this study identifies and summarizes the thematic areas of all the researches using text analysis (transmission mechanism of monetary policy, efficiency of zero interest rate policy, monetary policy and term structure of interest rates, monetary policy and interest rate risk of banks, monetary policy of central banks and financial stability). Finally, this paper presents the most important findings of the studied articles related to the current situation and trends on the financial market as well as further research opportunities. This paper finds the principal results of studies on significant issues of monetary policy in terms of its efficiency under low interest rates, influence of its instruments on term structure of interest rates and role of banking sector in implementation of transmission mechanism of monetary policy. Research limitations/implications The limitation of the review is examining articles for the study period of 30 years. Practical implications Central banks of emerging economies should apply the instruments and results of the countries' monetary policies reviewed in this paper. Using text analysis this paper reveals the main thematic areas and summarizes findings of the articles under study. The analysis allows presenting the main ideas related to current economic situation. Social implications The findings are of great value for adjusting the monetary policy of central banks. Also, these are important for people because these show the significant role of monetary policy for the economic growth. Originality/value Using text analysis this paper reveals the main thematic areas (transmission mechanism of monetary policy, efficiency of zero interest rate policy, monetary policy and term structure of interest rates, monetary policy and interest rate risk of banks, monetary policy of central banks and financial stability) and summarizes findings of the articles under study. The analysis allows defining the current ideas relevant to the monetary policy of developing countries. It is important for central banks because it examines the monetary policy problems and proposes optimal solutions.


Subject Factors keeping monetary policy loose, despite stronger growth. Significance The Hungarian National Bank (MNB), one of the most dovish emerging market (EM) central banks, has cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low and called an end to its three-year-long monetary easing cycle. Hungary's inflation rate has only just turned positive after a period of deflation. The Czech National Bank (CNB) has been forced to intervene in the currency markets for the first time since 2013 in order to stem appreciation of the koruna, which is being buoyed by a stronger-than-expected growth pick-up. However, the prospect of subdued inflation should allow central banks in Central Europe (CE) to keep interest rates at current levels for a considerable period of time. Impacts The renewed decline in oil prices will exert downward pressure on inflation rates in many advanced and emerging economies. Exceptionally low CE local government bond yields could spark a sell-off if fallout from higher US interest rates is sharper than expected. The ECB's sovereign QE programme, to run at least until September 2016, should help mitigate any Fed-driven deterioration in CE sentiment.


Subject The central bank's plans to lift its three-year cap on koruna/euro appreciation. Significance Mounting speculation that the Swiss-inspired currency floor might be scrapped early has led to upward pressure on the currency, buoying demand for shorter-dated Czech local bonds and forcing the Czech National Bank (CNB) to intervene more aggressively to weaken the koruna. While inflation rose to 0.6% in August, there are fears that removing the cap could lead to excessive appreciation of the koruna, putting downward pressure on growth and inflation. Impacts Concerns about ECB monetary policy efficacy, and possible early scaling-back of QE, are making Europe's bond markets increasingly jittery. Oil prices have risen past the psychologically important 50 dollars/barrel level, improving the outlook for inflation. Provided the oil price rise is sustained, this will ease pressure on central banks to loosen monetary policy further. The German economy's slowdown, due to a dearth of investment, is a drag on smaller CEE export-led economies such as Hungary and Slovakia.


Subject Political and policy risks in Emerging Europe. Significance Although the currencies and government bond yields of Central European economies remain stable, the region's equity markets are coming under increasing strain, partly because of political risk. However, strong demand for Turkish local debt suggests there is still appetite for higher-yielding emerging market (EM) bonds. Impacts The recovery in oil prices is helping underpin favourable sentiment towards EMs despite persistent vulnerabilities and risks. Waning confidence in the efficacy of monetary policy will increase investors' sensitivity to political risks in EMs. This is particularly the case if these risks undermine the credibility of countries' policy regimes. Many Latin American economies have been forced to hike interest rates to counter a surge in inflation. By contrast, historically low inflation lets Central-Eastern Europe's central banks keep monetary policy ultra-loose.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf Fendel ◽  
Frederik Neugebauer

AbstractThis paper employs event study methods to evaluate the effects of ECB’s non-standard monetary policy program announcements on 10-year government bond yields of 11 euro area member states. Measurable effects of announcements arise with a one-day delay meaning that government bond markets take some time to react to ECB announcements. The country-specific extent of yield reduction seems inversely related to the solvency rating of the corresponding countries. The spread between core and periphery countries reduces because of a stronger decrease in the latter. This result is confirmed by letting the announcement variable interact with the current spread level.


Significance The continuation of the modest manufacturing downturn follows the recent report of slower third-quarter GDP growth. Despite slower growth, bond markets are challenging an attempt by the Federal Reserve (Fed) to delink tapering from tightening by bringing forward their forecasts for rate increases: futures markets are pricing in two 25-basis-point rate hikes by end-2022. Impacts Equities are at a record high in the United States; providing ongoing support for this, real US bond yields remain in negative territory. The Brent crude oil price is near its highest since 2014; further upside will be limited but it is likely to stay high well into 2022. Germany’s ten-year bond yield, negative since April 2019, has risen by 40 basis points since end-August and will soon turn positive.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Ergys Misha

The Taylor’s Rule Central Banks is applying widely today from Central Banks for design the monetary policy and for determination of interest rates. The purpose of this paper is to assess monetary policy rule in Albania, in view of an inflation targeting regime. In the first version of the Model, the Taylor’s Rule assumes that base interest rate of the monetary policy varies depending on the change of (1) the inflation rate and (2) economic growth (Output Gap).Through this paper it is proposed changing the objective of the Bank of Albania by adding a new objective, that of "financial stability", along with the “price stability”. This means that it is necessary to reassess the Taylor’s Rule by modifying it with incorporation of indicators of financial stability. In the case of Albania, we consider that there is no regular market of financial assets in the absence of the Stock Exchange. For this reason, we will rely on the credit developmet - as a way to measure the financial cycle in the economy. In this case, the base rate of monetary policy will be changed throught: (1) Targeting Inflation Rate, (2) Nominal Targeting of Economic Growth, and (3) Targeting the Gap of the Ratio Credit/GDP (mitigating the boom cycle, if the gap is positive, and the contractiocycle if the gap is negative).The research data show that, it is necessary that the Bank of Albania should also include in its objective maintaining the financial stability. In this way, the contribution expected from the inclusion of credit gap indicators in Taylor’s Rule, will be higher and sustainable in time.


2019 ◽  
pp. 94-100
Author(s):  
T.S. Hudima ◽  
V.A. Ustymenko

The article is devoted to identifying the peculiarities of the central bank digital currency (CBDC), explaining their impact on the monetary policy of the state, and identifying the prospects for the transformation of domestic banking legislation in connection with the implementation of the CBDC. It is noted that the scope of competence of the Central Bank and the legal basis for the issuance of the CBDC will depend on the economic and legal features of the digital currency, the degree of its impact on the monetary policy, the financial stability of the country’s economy and so on. In the process of forming the appropriate legal field and defining the conceptual apparatus in the sphere of emission and circulation of the CBDC, the peculiarities of the use of the latter in economic transactions and the specific functions not inherent in ordinary means of payment should be taken. СBDC initiatives will help: 1) progressively narrow the banking system at the level of the Central Banks (such as the Chicago Plan) by allowing individuals and businesses to deposit directly into the accounts of the Central Banks; 2) increasing confidence of economic entities and individuals in the financial system; 3) strengthening the financial stability of the economy (both domestically and globally). Granting business entities or individuals the right to store digital money directly with the Central Bank can give rise to two main directions of influence on monetary policy: first, to strengthen its transmission mechanism; secondly, lead to banks being disrupted. This may lead to some legal issues regarding (1) the NBU’s area of competence; (2) the constitutional foundations of the legal economic order (Article 5 of the ECU). In particular, it cannot be ruled out that centralization of the production, servicing, and management of the СBDC turnover may violate the principles of competition in business activities, prevent abuse of monopoly position in the market, etc. Keywords: monetary policy, central bank digital currency, financial stability, competence, legal framework, economic operations, issue.


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