Using quarterly data for the period 1985:1–2011:1, this paper uses a stylised, open economy, structural VAR model to identify the types of shocks responsible for macroeconomic fluctuations in the UK economy. The stylised model implies a set of short-run restrictions that allow for the...

In this paper, we examine whether a monetary authority targets the exchange rate, per se, or instead simply appears to do so as it responds to the exchange rate and other variables in service to inflation and output targets. We combine data-rich estimation with a system of forward-looking...

This paper analyzes the implications of a production technology in developed countries (DC) characterized by the share of imported raw materials coming from the less developed countries (LDC). We focus on the question of how this richer productive structure affects the international transmission...

Episodes of increased global risk aversion, also known as risk-off episodes, have become more frequent and severe since 2007. During these episodes, currency markets exhibit recurrent patterns, as the Japanese yen, Swiss franc, and U.S. dollar appreciate against other G-10 and emerging market...

This paper investigates whether external political pressure for faster Renminbi appreciation affects both the daily returns and the conditional volatility of the Renminbi central parity rate. We construct several political pressure indicators pertaining to the Renminbi exchange rate, with a...

This paper studies the Forward Premium Puzzle in a setting where investors doubt the specification of their models, and thus engage in robust portfolio strategies (Hansen and Sargent, 2008). It shows that an empirically plausible concern for model misspecification can explain the Forward Premium...

The effects of inflation are worked out for a small open economy with Cash-in-Advance (CIA) constraints on bond purchases. If all transactions are subject to CIA constraints, an increase in the inflation rate will reduce savings, bringing about a current account deficit, while the capital stock...

Empirical evidence suggests that the flexibility of labor supply is closely related to the dynamic adjustment of the real exchange rate. This paper investigates this relationship in a two-sector dependent economy model. While, the long-run equilibrium real exchange rate is independent of the...

The Federal Reserve re-established a swap line with the European Central Bank in response to the international liquidity stresses created by the euro area sovereign debt crisis. We examine the swap line's effectiveness in addressing these stresses in 2010–11. We find that announcements about...