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Western Hemisphere > Argentina

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 73 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • Financial Institutions and Services: Government Policy and Regulation x
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Cover Policy Papers
Review of the Adequacy of the Fund’s Precautionary Balances
International Monetary Fund. Finance Dept.
On March 20, 2024, the IMF’s Executive Board reviewed the adequacy of the Fund’s precautionary balances. The review took place somewhat ahead of the standard two-year cycle, in view of the imminent attainment of the current indicative medium-term indicative target of SDR 25 billion for the first time. Precautionary balances comprise the Fund’s general and special reserves. They are a key element of the IMF’s multi-layered framework for managing financial risks. Precautionary balances provide a buffer to protect the Fund against potential losses, resulting from credit, income, and other financial risks. The review was based on the assessment framework established in 2010, which uses an indicative range for precautionary balances, linked to a forward-looking measure of total IMF non-concessional credit, to guide decisions on adjusting the medium-term target over time. While financial risks remain high, they are broadly unchanged from the last review, taking into account the further accumulation of reserves and strengthening of some risk mitigants. Against this background, Executive Directors broadly supported staff’s proposal to retain the current medium-term target of SDR 25 billion and increase the minimum floor from SDR 15 billion to SDR 20 billion. The Board also supported maintaining the biennial review cycle, with earlier reviews if warranted by developments that could materially affect the adequacy of precautionary balances.
Keywords:
Non-concessionary; Lending; Risks; Reserves; Credit; Mitigation; Provisioning; management framework; income risk; concentration risk; Fund credit; I. financial risks; demand scenario; lending portfolio; Credit risk; Income; Capital adequacy requirements; Market risk; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Sovereign-Bank Nexus in Emerging Markets in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Andrea Deghi
,
Mr. Salih Fendoglu
,
Tara Iyer
,
Mr. Hamid R Tabarraei
,
Yizhi Xu
, and
Mustafa Yenice
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the relationship between sovereigns and banks—the so-called sovereign-bank nexus—in emerging market economies to the fore as bank holdings of domestic sovereign debt have surged. This paper examines the empirical relevance of this nexus to assess how it could amplify macro-financial stability risks. The findings show that an increase in sovereign credit risk can adversely affect banks’ balance sheets and credit supply, especially in countries with less-well-capitalized banking systems. Sovereign distress can also impact banks indirectly through the nonfinancial corporate sector by constraining their funding and reducing their capital expenditure. Notably, the effects on banks and corporates are strongly nonlinear in the size of the sovereign distress.
Keywords:
Sovereign-bank nexus; emerging markets; financial stability; sovereign risk; COVID-19; banking sector; corporate investment; outcome variable; Annex I. data description; summary statistics; Emerging and frontier financial markets; Capital adequacy requirements; Commercial banks; Credit default swap; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Paraguay: 2020 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Paraguay
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
In the past two decades, Paraguay has seen strong growth and a sharp reduction in poverty. Strong GDP growth was the result of sound macro policies (with low inflation and low fiscal deficits and debt) and an agricultural commodity price boom which spilled over to the non-tradable sector. Growth was not just high but also volatile, as bad weather shocks led to poor harvests, which spill over to the broader economy. In early 2020, Paraguay was rebounding strongly from another weather shock, and full-year growth was forecast at over 4 percent. In 2019, bad weather had reduced the harvest, and GDP growth had come to a near standstill. A recovery started in the second half of 2019 and gathered strength in early 2020—in February economic activity was 7 percent higher than a year earlier. The Covid-19 epidemic halted the recovery. An early lockdown—which kept the death toll among the lowest in the region—led to a sharp contraction in economic activity, with April activity levels at 20 percent below those in February. Women, informal sector workers, and workers in the service sector were particularly hard hit; while children were severely affected by the closing of the schools until the end of 2020.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; investment spending; supply and demand demand shock; emergency spending; compilation method; liquidity provision
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Paraguay: 2020 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Paraguay
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
In the past two decades, Paraguay has seen strong growth and a sharp reduction in poverty. Strong GDP growth was the result of sound macro policies (with low inflation and low fiscal deficits and debt) and an agricultural commodity price boom which spilled over to the non-tradable sector. Growth was not just high but also volatile, as bad weather shocks led to poor harvests, which spill over to the broader economy. In early 2020, Paraguay was rebounding strongly from another weather shock, and full-year growth was forecast at over 4 percent. In 2019, bad weather had reduced the harvest, and GDP growth had come to a near standstill. A recovery started in the second half of 2019 and gathered strength in early 2020—in February economic activity was 7 percent higher than a year earlier. The Covid-19 epidemic halted the recovery. An early lockdown—which kept the death toll among the lowest in the region—led to a sharp contraction in economic activity, with April activity levels at 20 percent below those in February. Women, informal sector workers, and workers in the service sector were particularly hard hit; while children were severely affected by the closing of the schools until the end of 2020.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; investment spending; supply and demand demand shock; emergency spending; compilation method; liquidity provision; financial system regulation; COVID-19; PFM legal and regulatory frameworks; Risk-based supervision; Global; Western Hemisphere
Cover IMF Research Perspectives
IMF Research Perspectives: Spring-Summer 2020
IMF Research Perspectives Spring-Summer 2020
Keywords:
IRB; worker; view IMF research; MARTINEZ PERIA interview
Cover IMF Working Papers
Long-Term Returns in Distressed Sovereign Bond Markets: How Did Investors Fare?
Mr. Jochen R. Andritzky
and
Julian Schumacher
Sovereign debt restructurings are perceived as inflicting large losses to bondholders. However, many bonds feature high coupons and often exhibit strong post-crisis recoveries. To account for these aspects, we analyze the long-term returns of sovereign bonds during 32 crises since 1998, taking into account losses from bond exchanges as well as profits before and after such events. We show that the average excess return over risk-free rates in crises with debt restructuring is not significantly lower than the return on bonds in crises without restructuring. Returns differ considerably depending on the investment strategy: Investors who sell during crises fare much worse than buy-and-hold investors or investors entering the market upon signs of distress
Keywords:
WP; excess return; crisis episode; debt crisis; distress investor; net present value; public debt; sovereign risk; sovereign default; bond restructuring; period return; return index; investor type; long-term return; investment strategy; longer-term return; market value; returns in sovereign bond bond market; bond investor; buy-and-hold investor; Bonds; Sovereign bonds; Debt restructuring; Crisis resolution; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Paraguay: 2019 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Paraguay
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
This 2019 Article IV Consultation on Paraguay focused on the policies needed to promote long-term growth, widen the tax base, improve public spending efficiency, and strengthen financial sector supervision. Poverty has fallen sharply, from 58 percent in 2002 to 26 percent currently, although it remains one of the highest in Latin America. Continued convergence is expected to help reduce poverty further and help generate revenues to finance large spending needs. The banking sector is well-capitalized and stable, but the casas de credito and casas comerciales need to be better understood and supervised. The pension system needs reform, both to prevent large pension deficits in the future, and to boost the development of the domestic capital market for long-term instruments. The authorities concurred with IMF staff’s assessment of the main bottlenecks to long-term economic growth. They also agreed structural reforms would help to attract more foreign investments and increase the dynamism of domestic private sector.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; private sector; producer price index; CPI; GDP; monetary policy stance; inflation trend measure; accommodative monetary policy stance; profitability indicator; financial asset; Exchange rates; Exports; Global; Western Europe; Western Hemisphere; South America
Cover Global Financial Stability Report, October 2018
Global Financial Stability Report, October 2018
A Decade after the Global Financial Crisis: Are We Safer?
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department

Abstract

In the 10 years since the global financial crisis, regulatory frameworks have been enhanced and the banking system has become stronger, but new vulnerabilities have emerged, and the resilience of the global financial system has yet to be tested.

Keywords:
GFSR; financial condition; market liquidity; emerging market economy; IMF executive board discussion summary; risk; a number of emerging market economies; debt vulnerability; foreign exchange; inflation surprise; Emerging and frontier financial markets; Financial sector stability; Global financial crisis of 2008-2009; Financial Sector Assessment Program; Bank resolution framework; Global; Asia and Pacific; Africa; Middle East; financial system; commercial paper; FSAP risk analysis finding; volatility Index; U.S. dollar; international community; Systemic risk; Caribbean
Cover IMF Working Papers
International Financial Integration and Funding Risks: Bank-Level Evidence from Latin America
Mr. Luis Catão
,
Valeriya Dinger
, and
Daniel Marcel te Kaat
Using a sample of over 700 banks in Latin America, we show that international financial liberalization lowers bank capital ratios and increases the shares of short-term funding. Following liberalization, large banks substitute interbank borrowing for equity and long-term funding, whereas small banks increase the proportions of retail funding in their liabilities, which have been particularly vulnerable to flight-to-quality during periods of financial distress in much of Latin America. We also find evidence that riskier bank funding in the aftermath of financial liberalizations is exacerbated by asymmetric information, which rises on geographical distance and the opacity of balance sheets.
Keywords:
WP; funding structure; liberalization index; financial liberalization; funding ratio; bank control; funding decision; Bank Capital Structure; International Capital Flows; bank funding; funding risk; bank size; Capital account; Financial integration; Bank deposits; Deposit insurance; Global; Central and Eastern Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
Bank Ownership: Trends and Implications
Robert Cull
,
Mr. Maria Soledad Martinez Peria
, and
Jeanne Verrier
This paper presents recent trends in bank ownership across countries and summarizes the evidence regarding the implications of bank ownership structure for bank performance and competition, financial stability, and access to finance. The evidence reviewed suggests that foreign-owned banks are more efficient than domestic banks in developing countries, promote competition in host banking sectors, and help stabilize credit when host countries face idiosyncratic shocks. But there are tradeoffs, since foreign-owned banks can transmit external shocks and might not always expand access to credit. The record on the impact of government bank ownership suggests few benefits, especially for developing countries.
Keywords:
WP; bank ownership; government-owned bank; bank participation; foreign bank; government bank lending; ownership structure; bank governance; financial globalization; foreign banks; state-owned banks; privatization; government ownership; bank share; government bank participation; Commercial banks; Bank credit; Credit; Competition; Central and Eastern Europe; South Asia; Eastern Europe; Global; Central Asia