Policy will be key to supporting cashless consumption

Subject Cashless society transformation. Significance Transacting electronically is quicker and cheaper than using cash, provided the infrastructure is in place to support the transactions. Across the world, the number of electronic transactions and the supporting infrastructure has surged over the last two decades. Card payments averaged 25.3% of GDP in 2016 in the 24 countries the Committee for Payments and Markets Infrastructure covers, up from 12.8% in 2000. Despite this, cash retains a key role, paradoxically even more since the global financial crisis, as ultra-low interest rates in the ten post-crisis years reduced the opportunity cost of holding cash. Impacts All cashless transactions are automatically tracked, forcing consumers to sacrifice more privacy without the ability to ‘opt-out’. An individual’s credit standing will gain importance and may become as key to gaining employment as it is to accessing financial services. There will be a digital divide not only in access to and exclusion from financial services but also the ability to pay. Payments for services could become the fastest-growing category of cashless transactions.

Author(s):  
Ravi Roy ◽  
Thomas D. Willett

The size and scope of financial sectors throughout the world have grown exponentially in tandem with the rise of globalization and increased capital mobility. The terms “economic globalization” and “financialization” are often discussed as inextricably related phenomena. Although the rapid increase in the number and variety of financial services and products during the past four decades has helped spur economic growth and create wealth on an unprecedented scale, the devastating fallout from the global financial crisis of 2008–2009, and the economic turbulence that followed, demonstrates how poorly managed financial sectors can simultaneously cause enormous pain. This chapter argues that if the opportunities created by economic globalization and financialization are to be maximized, while at the same tempering volatile financial markets, then the global financial system (and the national economies connected with it) must be fundamentally restructured. A number of ways that should be taken under consideration are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olli-Pekka Hilmola ◽  
Weidong Li ◽  
Andres Tolli

PurposeFor decades, it was emphasized that manufacturing and trading companies should aim to be lean with very small inventories. However, in the recent decade, time-significant change has taken place as nearly all of the “old west” countries have now low interest rates. Holding inventories have been beneficial for the sake of customer service and for achieving savings in transportation and fixed ordering costs.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, inventory management change is examined in publicly traded manufacturing and trade companies of Finland and three Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) during the years 2010–2018.FindingsInventory efficiency has been leveled off or falling in these countries and mostly declining development has concerned small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is also found that inventory efficiency is in general lower in SMEs than in larger companies. Two companies sustaining in inventory efficiency are used as an example that lean has still significance, and higher inventories as well as lower inventory efficiency should not be the objective. Two companies show exemplary financial performance as well as shareholder value creation.Research limitations/implicationsWork concerns only four smaller countries, and this limits its generalization power. Research is one illustration what happens to private sector companies under low interest rate policies.Practical implicationsContinuous improvement of inventory efficiency becomes questionable in the light of current research and the low interest rate environment.Originality/valueThis is one of the seminal studies from inventory efficiency as the global financial crisis taken place in 2008–2009 and there is the implementation of low interest rates.


Author(s):  
Hisham H. Abdelbaki

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 27pt 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-EG;">No doubt, the </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10pt;">international financial crisis that started in the United States of America will cast its effects on all countries of the world, developed and developing. Yet these effects vary from one country to another for several reasons. The GCC countries would not escape these negative effects of this severe crisis. The negative effects of the crisis on gulf countries come from many aspects: first, decrease in price of oil on whose revenues the development programs in these countries depend; second, decrease in the value of US$ and the subsequent decrease in the assets owned by these countries in US$; third, a case of economic stagnation will prevail in the world with effects starting to appear. </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-EG;">It is obvious that this would be reflected on the real sector in the economies causing a series of negative effects through decrease of the world demand for exports of GCC countries of oil, petrochemicals and aluminum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Lastly, increased inflation rates with decreased interest rates will result in a decrease in real interest with an accompanying decrease in incentives for saving and consequently investment and economic development. The main aim of the research is to assess the economic effects of the global financial crisis on GCC countries. The paper results are that the big reserves of foreign currencies achieved by the GCC countries in the past few years have helped increase their ability to bear the effects of the financial effects on one hand and their ability to adopt expansionary policies through pumping liquidity to absorb the regressive effects of the crisis on the other. The paper recommends the necessity of taking precautionary procedures for the effects which will result from the expansionary policies effective in GCC countries. <strong></strong></span></span></p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (Special Edition) ◽  
pp. 25-51
Author(s):  
Jamshed Y. Uppal

Economists typically use multiple indicators to assess the burden of external debt, such as the ratios of the stock of debt to exports and to gross national product, and the ratios of debt service to exports and to government revenue. As opposed to those methodologies, this article examines the Pakistan’s external debt position using a market based approach which analyzes the marginal costs of external debt as indicated by the yields on the country’s Eurobonds and the spreads on the Credit Default Swaps (CDS) traded in the international markets. The results show a sharp decline in the yields on the Pakistani Eurobonds from their peak reached during the global financial crisis (GFC) period and this decline was largely driven by quantitative easing and the resultant low interest rates in the international debt markets. Also, the continued decline in the yields in the more recent period, 2013-2017, was due to strengthening of the county’s borrowing capacity over the period. The analysis also shows that Pakistani yields seem to be converging to yields for other Asian countries, even though that the yield-spreads between Pakistan and others countries are still substantial. In conclusion the decrease in bond yields and CDS spreads may signal that the country’s external debt is currently at sustainable levels.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Jones ◽  
Neil Dunse ◽  
Kevin Cutsforth

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the gap between government bonds (index-linked and long-dated) and real estate yields/capitalization rates over time for the UK, Australia and the USA. The global financial crisis was a sharp shock to real estate markets, and while interest rates and government bond yields fell in response around the world, real estate yields (cap rates) have risen. Design/methodology/approach – The absolute yield gap levels and their variation over time in the different countries are compared and linked to the theoretical reasons for the yield gap and, in particular, a changing real estate risk premium. Within this context, it assesses whether there have been structural breaks in long-term relationships during booms and busts based on autoregressive conditionally heteroscedastic (ARCH) models. Finally, the paper provides further insights by constructing statistical models of index-linked and long-dated yield gaps. Findings – The relationships between bond and property yields go through a traumatic time around the period of the global financial crisis. These changes are sufficiently strong to be statistically defined as “structural breaks” in the time series. The sudden switch in the yield gaps may have stimulated a greater appreciation of structural change in the property market. Research limitations/implications – The research focuses on the most transparent real estate markets in the world, but other countries with less developed markets may respond differently. Practical implications – The practical implications relate to how to value real estate yields relative to interest rates. Originality/value – This is the first paper that has compared international yield gaps over time and examined the role of the gap between index-linked government bonds and real estate yields.


2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (7) ◽  
pp. 1627-1641
Author(s):  
Jana Šimáková ◽  
Daniel Stavárek ◽  
Tomáš Pražák ◽  
Marie Ligocká

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to estimate and evaluate the impact of macroeconomic fundamentals on stock prices of selected food and drink industry stocks during the period of 2005–2015, which saw the global financial crisis and its aftermath. Design/methodology/approach The paper employed correlation analysis and the Johansen cointegration test with the vector error correction mechanism for EU companies operating in the food and drink industry. The paper tested the effects of GDP, inflation and interest rates (IR) on the stock prices of companies from Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and the UK. Findings Based on the results, the authors can see that GDP has a generally positive effect on stock price development. In contrast, the relationship between stock prices and inflation and IR is negative in most cases. Originality/value Despite the fact that a majority of empirical research on companies in the food and drink sector was performed using the microeconomic approach, this paper used the macroeconomic approach and clearly demonstrated the effects of selected macro-variables on stock prices in selected EU markets. Macroeconomic factors shape the company’s performance and could potentially lead to persistent changes in supply and demand conditions in food and drink markets.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-302
Author(s):  
Carlo Edoardo Altamura ◽  
Martin Daunton

This special issue celebrates the career of Youssef Cassis. The introduction will outline his major contributions from his initial work on social characteristics of the financiers of the City of London, and their relationship with landed aristocrats and industry, through his analysis of a succession of financial centres, the comparative study of big business, the relationship between finance and politics, to his new project on the memory of financial crises. Then, we will draw on Youssef's mode of analysis to consider some of the more pressing issues in the era since the global financial crisis and the impact of Covid-19. We will consider the role of central banks, the challenge of fintech, the impact of low interest rates on inequality, savings and debt, and the potential shift in financial centres and reserve currencies with the rise of China. We will conclude by arguing that the mode of analysis developed by Cassis over his long and productive career has never been more pertinent.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukasz Prorokowski

Purpose – This paper aims to discuss the impact of nascent Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) initiatives and, thus, to deliver practical insights into MiFID II implementation, compliance and cost reduction MiFID II constitutes the backbone for the upcoming financial market reforms. With the first proposal of MiFID drafted in October 2011, this regulatory framework has undergone over 2,000 amendments. As MiFID II currently stands, this Directive attempts to address issues exposed by the global financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach – This study, based on secondary research and an in-depth analysis of the MiFID II framework, investigates structural and technological challenges entailed by this Directive. The analysis is broken down into the following sections: technological and structural challenges; costs of implementation; MiFID II teams; facilitating near real-time regulatory reporting; increased transparency requirements; and information technology (IT) initiatives for MiFID II compliance. Findings – MiFID II commands significant changes in business and operating models. With this in mind, the study indicates current technological and structural challenges faced by financial institutions and advises on ways of mitigating MiFID II risks. Although it is too early to assess the costs of implementing MiFID II, this paper suggests ways of reducing MiFID II-related costs. The study also advises on organising dedicated teams to deal with MiFID II. Furthermore, this paper argues that early investments in IT systems and processes would allow financial services firms to gain a competitive advantage and, hence, scoop up market share or launch new, lucrative services – especially in the area of collateralisation and market data processing. Originality/value – This paper shows that the current version of MiFID II still requires a great deal of attention from the regulators that need to readdress contentious issues revolving around the links between MiFID II and other regulatory frameworks such as European Market Infrastructure Regulation and Dodd–Frank. This study addresses the MiFID II compliance issues by adopting European Union and non-European Union banks’ and asset managers’ perspectives and, hence, delivers practical implications for risk managers and compliance officers of various financial institutions.


Subject Germany’s banking sector. Significance The German banking sector emerged from the global financial crisis largely unscathed. Its distinctive structure, underpinned by prudent risk-taking and heavy public sector involvement, was key in supporting Germany’s remarkable economic recovery from the crisis -- but it is slowly changing. Impacts Consolidation will erode the political heft of the banking sector, especially that of the public savings banks. A politically weakened banking sector might make banking reform at the EU level somewhat easier to achieve. Brexit will put financial regulators under pressure; officials will struggle with the scale of UK financial services relocating to Germany.


Author(s):  
Kovit Charnvitayapong

Since the global financial crisis of 2007–08, the United States, Japan, and the European Union (EU) have heavily stimulated their economies with expansionary monetary policy. World finance has been affected by this policy conduct. Interest rates in most open economies were pushed to very low levels and have remained low ever since. Nevertheless, monetary stimulation has not improved the economic situation to a satisfactory level as of the end of 2019. Several studies such as Claudio Borio and Boris Hofmann (2017) and Nasha Ananchotikul and Dulani Seneviratne (2015) attempted to examine the inefficiency of expansionary monetary policy by looking at bank lending channels. Koot and Walker (1980) studied monetary policy effectiveness through credit union lending channels. They found that at first, credit unions responded well to expansionary monetary policy, but after prolonged easy money policy, the response died down. Keywords: Fixed effects, Lending channel, Prolonged low interest rates, Thrift and credit cooperatives (TCCs), Transmission mechanism.


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