Argentine economic shifts will not bring rapid relief

Significance In his first month in office, President Mauricio Macri made substantial progress in removing controls implemented by the former administration. The new government liberalised the foreign exchange market, increasingly constrained over the last four years, and international trade, with the lifting of most export taxes and the removal of controversial non-automatic import licences. Impacts Policy changes will not bring rapid improvement, with little recovery this year or next. This will raise social conflict in the short term, putting governability at risk. Medium-term price stabilisation, in the framework of a managed float and an inflation target regime, may drive a rebound.

Significance After a month of fuel protests and a violent military crackdown, Mangudya on February 20 effectively acknowledged Zimbabwean bond notes and electronic RTGS bank balances as part of a new currency scheme. The authorities' latest attempt to stabilise the parallel foreign exchange market, the RTGS dollar, will trade on a new interbank foreign exchange market on a ‘willing-buyer, willing seller’ basis. Impacts The recent extension of US sanctions will likely delay the prospect of a new IMF funding programme over the short term. The government will struggle to improve its international reputation despite a heightened public relations drive. Recent public protests are likely to have delayed the introduction of a brand-new national currency for now.


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 781-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan

Purpose Offering an example of a small open developing economy, the purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons for relative stability in Armenia’s foreign exchange market. Relying on a single currency and derived cross-currency exchange rates, the paper models short-term effects between exchange market pressure and financial and macroeconomic factors. Design/methodology/approach Following a literature review, the paper sets the macroeconomic context with an initial variance comparison of standard currency pairs and derived cross-currency exchange rates. Then, the core analysis is carried out with a vector error correction model, focusing on short-term cross-dynamics in monthly data. The orthogonal impulse response function analyses help solidify and further inform relevant conclusions. Findings Three broad factors influence Armenia’s foreign exchange market: external push factors; domestic banking sector competition, and foreign currency risk perceptions; and domestic macroeconomic and dual, cross-pair, exchange rate target priorities. The central bank’s implicit management of the foreign exchange market’s expectations, pull factor, is consistent with trader market power’s contribution to lower volatility. Yet, the risk of financial and real-sector decoupling remains. Originality/value The results are relevant for emerging markets attempting to leverage the global liquidity and low interest rates, while being exposed to external pressures in the post-crisis environment, in which international reserves may be scarce while currency stability is an implied priority. This study can be further adapted to a more comprehensive structural short-term analysis of currency determination or similar dynamics in other small open economies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-266
Author(s):  
Sahar Shawky Sallam

Purpose This paper aims to study the determinants of private investment in Egypt while accounting for uncertainty associated with financing decisions of the firm using time series analysis over the period 1982-2015. The analysis is based on Tobin’s (1969) Q-theory of investment. The variables used in the empirical model are investment rate, average q index, prices of capital goods, internal finance and external finance. Design/methodology/approach This research is concerned with the model specification of a dynamic Average Q model. In that respect, the current research describes the data, presents the empirical methodology and estimates the Average Q model of investment and obtains the results. The empirical procedures and results of studying the average Q model. It includes testing for the unit root in the time series, vector error correction model (VECM) and cointegration long run analysis, and finally estimations of the model under uncertainty and empirical results. Findings Stochastic shocks to the determinants of private investment in Egypt have their impact on investment rate. The representation of impulse response in VECM shows that a one standard deviation shock to the value of the firm has a positive impact on investment rate. Stochastic shocks to both internal finance and external finance have slightly positive response from investment rate. Also, a stochastic shock to investment rate has a positive yet declining response from itself. However, a stochastic shock to prices of capital goods has a negative impact on investment rate. The representation of variance decomposition in VECM shows that investment rate is positively affected yet at a declining rate by a one standard deviation shock in both internal and external finance during the period 1982-2015. Also, a stochastic shock in the value of the firm or in the prices of capital goods has a slightly positive impact on investment rate. Originality/value Investment and capital accumulation are the main vehicles for economic growth and development. There have been fluctuations in Egypt’s investment rates since mid-1970s due to variations in saving rates. Thus, it is important to present some policy implications that could potentially assist the enhancement of the Egyptian economy. In that respect, the estimated results of the empirical model show that changes in the prices of capital goods in Egypt are significant factors that have negative impact on investment rate. Prices of imported capital goods in Egypt are affected by foreign exchange market conditions in the form of significant changes in the pound exchange rate. Thus, foreign exchange market reforms, as adopted recently in the Egyptian economy and improvements in trade balance, are important steps to alleviate obstacles that hinder investment. Regarding the source of finance, the estimated results showed that changes in both internal and external finance have a positive impact on investment rate. In this case, it is the firm’s decision to choose the method of financing its investment depending on factors such as its market value, institutional size and capacity and the opportunity cost of the funds used in financing the required investment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-17
Author(s):  
Guogang Wang ◽  
Nan Lin

PurposeThe development of China's foreign exchange market and the reform of Chinese yuan (hereinafter “CNY”) exchange rate are closely linked with each other. Their respective journey through the past 70 years can both be divided into three historical periods; as follows: China's foreign exchange market underwent a difficult exploration period, a formation and development period and an innovative development period; in the meanwhile, the formation mechanism of CNY exchange rate also witnessed three periods marked successively by a single exchange rate system with administrative pricing, an explorative formation mechanism of CNY exchange rate and a reformed, marketized CNY exchange rate mechanism.Design/methodology/approachIn the present world, the development of almost every country is closely linked to the international community, which is the result of the heterogeneity in system, market, humanity and history, in addition to the differences in natural resource endowments and the diversity in technology, administration, information, experience and diplomacy. International economic exchanges require foreign exchange, which gives rise to the existence and development of the foreign exchange market.FindingsThe 70-year history of China's foreign exchange market has proven the need to continue safeguarding national sovereignty and interests of the people, stick to the general direction of serving economic development, adhere to the strategy of steadily and orderly promoting the construction of the foreign exchange market, keep on making innovation in monetary policy operation and unbendingly stay away from any systemic financial risks.Originality/valueDuring the 70-year history of the new China, as an indispensable economic resource in China's economic development, the foreign exchange mechanism bolstered each stage of economic development and was always an important manifestation of China's economic sovereignty. It is argued that during the 30-year planned economy that preceded reform and opening-up, China pursued a closed-door policy with few international economic exchanges. The subtext of such argument is that China did not have (or hardly had much of) a foreign exchange mechanism during this period, which is clearly in conflict with historical evidence. In fact, although China did not have an open foreign exchange market before the reform and opening-up, it had a clear foreign exchange management system and exchange rate system.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Temitope Dada

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effect of asymmetric structure inherent in exchange rate volatility on trade in sub-Saharan African countries from 2005 to 2017.Design/methodology/approach17 countries in sub-Saharan African Countries are used for the study. Exchange rate volatility is generated using generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedacity (1,1), while the asymmetric components of exchange rate volatility are generated using a refined approach of cumulative partial sum developed by Granger and Yoon (2002). Two-step generalised method of moments is used as the estimation technique in order to address the problem of endogeneity, commonly found in panel data.FindingsThe result from the study shows the evidence of exchange rate volatility clustering which is strictly persistent in sub-Saharan African countries. The asymmetric components (positive and negative shocks) of exchange rate volatility have negative and significant effect on trade in the region. Meanwhile, the effect of negative exchange rate volatility is higher on trade when compared with the positive exchange rate volatility. Furthermore, real exchange rate has negative and significant effect on trade in sub-Saharan African countries.Research limitations/implicationsThe outcomes of this study are important for participants in foreign exchange market. As investors in foreign exchange market react more to the negative news than positive news, investors need to diversify their risk. Also, regulators in the market need to formulate appropriate macroeconomic policies that will stabilize exchange rate in the region.Originality/valueThis study deviates from extant studies in the literature by incorporating asymmetric structure into the exchange rate trade nexus using a refined approach.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed A. El-Masry ◽  
Osama M. Badr

PurposeThis paper examines the causal relationship between stock market performance and foreign exchange market in Egypt over the period 2009–2016. The study period is divided into two sub-periods: pre- and post-January 25th Egyptian revolution (ER). The reason is to examine how this revolution affects the causal relationship between the two markets' performance.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the daily basis data are used to enable good and effective observation changes in the foreign exchange rate and stock market performance over time. Stock market indexes and stock market capitalization are used as proxies for stock market performance. Further, the Egyptian pound to US$ exchange rate is used as a measure for foreign exchange market performance. The study analysis is done in stages. The first is to check the variables' stationarity for the pre- and post-revaluation. The second is to examine the cointegration among the variables. The third is to run vector autoregression (VAR) estimates, after which VAR Granger causality tests are employed.FindingsThe results show that the data are not stationary at their levels but stationary in their first difference level while there is no cointegration in the long-run among the variables in both sub-periods. Further, findings indicate that, in the pre-January 25th revolution period, there is a significant causal relationship between the foreign exchange market and stock market indexes and a significant causal relationship between market capitalization (CAP) and exchange rate at the 1% level. However, in the post-January 25th revolution period, the study does not find a significant causal relationship between foreign exchange market and stock market indexes and capitalization.Research limitations/implicationsAs this study focuses on the causal relationship between foreign exchange and stock markets before and after the 25th January Revolution, other macroeconomic variables such as consumer price index, interest rate and GDP were excluded for the comparison purposes with other studies. Further research is suggested to include them in the analysis to find out its effect on the performance of stock market and foreign exchange market.Practical implicationsThe existence of long-run bidirectional causality means that portfolio managers and hedgers may have improved their understanding regarding the dynamic relationship between foreign exchange market and stock market performance as this may help them to plan and implement suitable hedging strategies to guard against currency risk in future crises or events. Investors, fund and portfolio managers and policymakers should give much attention to these event-specific interactions when they make capital budgeting decisions and implement regulation policies. Furthermore, our results may allow portfolio managers, investors and policymakers to assess the importance of informational efficiency for both markets.Originality/valueThis paper is an original contribution to the literature that concerns the causal relationship between stock market and foreign exchange market in the period of political instability and social unrest such as the January 25th Revolution in one of the emerging markets, namely Egypt.


Subject Africa's oil price winners. Significance Despite traditionally being winners during periods of oil price decline, the medium-term outlook is mixed for sub-Saharan Africa's (SSA) oil importing countries -- reflected in the IMF's recent downgrade of its SSA outlook from 5.75% to 4.9%. Short-term gains reduce the fuel import bill, but uncertainty looms over energy investments in eastern African, while idiosyncratic risks cloud the outlook for southern Africa. While oil exporters may also reap some benefits, much will depend on the degree of oil dependency, political space to make the necessary policy retrenchments, and the extent of government financial buffers. Impacts If sustained, low oil prices could provoke civil unrest, rather than reforms, in oil exporting countries. Most oil exporters will struggle to maintain macroeconomic stability if oil remains low for more than a year. However, economic diversification to some degree helps to shield the region from sharp global slowdowns.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 01-09
Author(s):  
Ali Farhan Chaudhry

The current study examines short-term abnormal returns of eight major currencies including EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/AUD, USD/CAD, USD/CHF, USD/CNY, USD/JPY, and USD/SEK in response to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic using event study approach in three different scenarios. Firstly, short-term abnormal returns of major currencies are estimated on the day of World Health Organization’s (WHO) announcement declaring COVID-19 as a pandemic. Secondly, they are estimated on the day of the announcement of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the respective country. Thirdly, they are estimated on the day of the announcement of the first death from COVID-19 in each country. The results provided evidence that major currency investors earned positive returns in these three different scenarios. The implications of the current study are more important than anticipated. Government policymakers, foreign exchange market regulators, and foreign exchange market participants can anticipate short-term returns while establishing foreign exchange policies, designing rules and regulations, and finalizing trading and hedging strategies, respectively, in situations such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.  Received Date: September 20, 20202      Last Received:   October 23, 2020     Acceptance: November 13, 2020


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janusz Brzeszczyński ◽  
Jerzy Gajdka ◽  
Tomasz Schabek ◽  
Ali M Kutan

PurposeThis study contributes to the pool of knowledge about the impact of monetary policy communication of central banks on financial instruments' prices and assets' value in emerging markets.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical analysis is executed using the National Bank of Poland (NBP) announcements about its monetary policy covering the data from the broad financial market in its three main segments: stock market, foreign exchange market and bonds market. The reactions are measured relative to the changes in the NBP announcements and also with respect to investors' expectations. Autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARCH) models with dummy variables are used as the main methodological tool.FindingsBonds market and foreign exchange market are the most sensitive market segments, while interest rate and money supply are the most influential types of announcements. The changes of the revealed new macroeconomic figures had more impact on assets' prices movements than the deviations from their expectations. Moreover, greater diversity of the Monetary Policy Council (MPC) members' opinions on the voted motions, captured in the MPC voting reports, is associated with more cases of statistically significant NBP communication events.Practical implicationsThe findings have direct relevance for fund managers, portfolio analysts, investors and also for financial market regulators.Originality/valueThe results provide novel evidence about how the emerging financial market responds to monetary policy announcements. They help understand the nature of the impact of public information on financial assets' valuation and on movements of their prices, analysed comprehensively in three market segments, in the emerging market environment.


Significance The fact that the meeting was held in Egypt, rather than the usual meeting place of Qatar, signals a shift in Hamas-Cairo relations. Impacts In the short term, any expanded cooperation could see a conflagration in the Sinai as insurgents fear encirclement. In the medium term, genuine Egyptian-Hamas rapprochement should go some way towards containing the insurgency. A stable Sinai could help Egypt’s foundering tourism sector. An open Rafah border crossing could see reconstruction start in earnest in Gaza and head off a looming humanitarian crisis.


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