The IMF attempts to catalyze and stabilize private capital flows to emerging markets by providing public monitoring and emergency finance. In analyzing its role we contrast cases where banks and bondholders do the lending. Banks have a natural advantage in monitoring and creditor coordination,...

Using realized volatility to estimate conditional variance of financial returns, we compare forecasts of volatility from linear GARCH models with asymmetric ones. We consider horizons extending to 30 days. Forecasts are compared using three different evaluation tests. With data from an equity...

This paper documents the phenomenon of underpricing initial public offerings (IPOs) for 47 firms that went public between 2001 and 2006 in the equity markets of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The average initial abnormal returns of 290 percent exceed those found in the...

It is generally acknowledged that the government's output is difficult to define and its value is hard to measure. The practical solution, adopted by national accounts systems, is to equate output to input costs. However, several studies estimate significant inefficiencies in government...

The recent relatively high levels of global oil prices have led to a significant improvement in the public finances of several hydrocarbon-exporting countries. However, despite the increase in fiscal buffers, medium-term risks remain high. Fiscal vulnerabilities have increased as a consequence...

Intro -- Contents -- I. INTRODUCTION -- II. MEASURING THE COST OF LIVING -- III. TRUE REAL EFFECTIVE EXCHANGE RATES -- IV. AN APPLICATION: THE IRISH ECONOMY'S EXPOSURE TO STERLING -- V. CONCLUSION -- Appendix -- References.

Intro -- Contents -- I. INTRODUCTION AND DATA -- II. UPDATED INDICATORS OF CENTRAL BANK AUTONOMY IN SELECTED OECD COUNTRIES -- III. AUTONOMY INDICATORS FOR EMERGING MARKETS AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES -- IV. PROGRESS TOWARDS AUTONOMY IN EMERGING MARKETS AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES -- V. OVERVIEW OF...

Intro -- Contents -- I. INTRODUCTION -- II. CONCEPTS AND PRACTICAL ISSUES -- III. SOURCES OF ERROR AND BIAS IN A CPI -- IV. THE METHODS -- V. HOW TO CHOOSE AMONG METHODS: JUDGING WHICH IS BEST -- VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS -- REFERENCES.

During the first half of 2008, Sri Lanka witnessed significantly higher inflation than most other emerging Asian countries. Inflation has since declined amid declining world commodity prices and tight monetary policy. Given the sensitivity to global commodity prices, a core inflation measure...