The paper provides an introduction to essays published in this volume, which focus on nominal and real convergence in transition countries. The paper is based on the idea that the process of convergence can, to a large extent, be viewed via developments in real exchange rates. Key issues...

The exchange rate cannot significantly diverge from a (real) long-term equilibrium level consistent with the macroeconomic picture of an economy for a long period of time; otherwise, the economy suffers from macroeconomic imbalances such as below-potential growth and below natural employment, or...

The paper presents both theoretical and an empirical analysis of factors influencing the prices of non-tradable goods and services in the Czech economy. The analysis discusses the development of the real exchange rate of the Czech koruna and quantifies the size of the real exchange rate...

The paper analyses a relationship between monetary aggregate M2 and inflation in a small open economy. The relationship between monetary expansion and inflation as well as a dynamic of income velocity of money framework in a small open economy are discussed in more details in the paper. Authors...

This paper surveys recent literature on real business cycles in open economies. It focuses on the empirical regularities of international macroeconomic fluctuations and provides a short discussion of the differences between the stylized facts of business cycles in advanced and in developing...

A number of authors have used the concept of an optimum currency area (or OCA) index to assess the relative proximity of various pairs of economies to the ideal of an optimum currency area. Alas, a significant deficiency of this approach as used so far is that it provides no room for long-term...

This paper wants to give a basic overview of arguments for and against of using the financial derivatives tools in the field of foreign exchange risk management. The case study shows, how the separate hedging instruments have impact on P & L statement. This paper discusses different relationship...

Czech Abstract: Článek s užitím teorie optimálních měnových oblastí (OCA) zkoumá, které z nových členských zemí EU jsou vhodným kandidátem přijetí jednotné měny euro. K posouzení vhodnosti přijetí jednotné měny je užit index optimální měnové oblasti. Index je pro...

The paper discusses the phenomenon of long-term real equilibrium appreciation of the koruna in the context of economic, i.e. nominal and real convergence. The real appreciation can take place either through a nominal exchange rate channel or through inflation differential channel vis-á-vis the...

The article summarizes recognized empirical knowledge about the causes of currency crises, making use of several extensive empirical studies carried out in the late 1990s, and examines select theoretical models of such causation. The results are divided into three levels of causes: general risk...