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Divya Kirti
and
Akshat V. Singh
We study the role of life insurers in the transmission of US monetary policy. Insurers have uniquely long-term liabilities. We posit that they face a trade-off between matching liability duration exposure by investing in long-term government debt and earning higher yields by shifting to risky—but shorter-term—private debt. We show that, due to this tradeoff, long-term risk free rates play a critical role in shaping insurers' demand for risky private debt. Contractionary monetary policy shocks that raise long-term risk-free rates reduce insurers' demand for private debt, raising risk premia. We use granular, high frequency data and regulatory changes to trace how insurers' investment behavior transmits monetary policy shocks to risk premia.
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
IMF conducted a mission at the request of the Central Bank of Belize provided technical assistance focusing on developing a framework for the supervision of electronic money issuers in Belize. The mission reviewed existing approaches to supervising firms conducting regulated financial activities, as well as the regulatory framework and licensing practices for e-money issuers only to the extent that they influence and impact effective supervision. The mission also met with other key stakeholders from the public and private sector setting out nine key recommendations covering risk-based supervision, data collection, reconciliations, transparency, fund safeguarding, permitted investments, agents, inspection reports, and domestic collaboration.
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This report provides an overview of the technical assistance provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to the Banco de la República to support the authorities in reviewing the regulatory framework and formulating development strategies for the foreign exchange market.
International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
This Selected Issues paper examines the case for foreign exchange intervention (FXI) in the context of Albania by estimating an integrated policy framework (IPF) model to quantitatively illustrate relevant policy trade-offs. A version of the quantitative IPF (QIPF) model is estimated for Albania, with the aim to examine the merits of FXI in response to shocks amid shallow FX markets. Two specific types of shocks are considered, namely: (1) a fundamental shock in the form of a tourism boom, and (2) a nonfundamental shock in the form of exogenous portfolio inflows caused by a risk-on episode. Exchange rate volatility driven by nonfundamental factors may present policymakers with a trade-off between stabilization objectives. Adverse impacts from risk shocks can be addressed using FXI. A better tool to address temporary inefficient capital flow shocks is a sterilized FX intervention, provided that markets are sufficiently shallow and an appropriate buffer of reserves is available. Consideration should be given to letting the exchange rate adjust more flexibly and relying on interest rate policy as the primary tool for price stability. In cases of nonfundamental shocks, the scenario analysis suggests that interventions could be beneficial by lowering output and inflation volatility. In doing so, however, the authorities should internalize the potential adverse consequences of FXI, including on risks to the central bank balance sheet, interest rate transmission, and financial market development.
Ezgi O. Ozturk
This paper analyzes the transmission of ECB policy rate changes to bank interest rates in Kosovo during the 2022-23 tightening cycle. While both lending and deposit rates increased, the passthrough was more limited compared to the euro area and regional peers. Three key factors explain this limited transmission: Kosovo's stage of financial development, high banking sector liquidity, and significant bank concentration.
Jesper Lindé
,
Patrick Schneider
,
Nujin Suphaphiphat
, and
Hou Wang
This paper analyzes the effectiveness of foreign exchange intervention (FXI) in mitigating economic and financial shocks in India by applying the Integrated Policy Framework (IPF). It highlights how FXI can be a complementary tool in mitigating the tradeoff between output and inflation, specifically under large economic shocks amid temporarily shallow FX markets. The paper indicates that while FXI can soften adverse impacts on domestic demand and output during severe risk-off shocks, its benefits under normal conditions with liquid FX markets are limited.
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
This paper presents Ethiopia’s First Review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement, Request for Modification of Performance Criteria, and Financing Assurances Review. The Ethiopian authorities have shown strong commitment to their homegrown economic reform program. Implementation of ECF-supported reforms is advancing well. The transition to a market-determined exchange rate has been progressing well with a significant narrowing of the spread between the parallel and official market rate and no signs of significant inflationary pressures, albeit the supply of foreign exchange to the market has picked up more slowly than anticipated with some unmet demand persisting. Program performance has been in line with program commitments and all quantitative performance criteria were met, with an overperformance in the net international reserves target. Four out of five structural benchmarks (SBs) were met. The SB on the Emergency Liquidity Assistance framework was missed but is expected to be implemented in October, after incorporating feedback from IMF staff.
International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept

Abstract

Short-term prospects for Asia and the Pacific have improved slightly compared to the IMF’s April forecasts, even though growth is still expected to moderate in 2024 and 2025. The regional growth projection for 2024 has been marked up to 4.6 percent from 4.5 percent in April, largely reflecting the over-performance in the first half of the year, and the region is forecast to contribute roughly 60 percent to global growth in 2024. In 2025, more accommodative monetary conditions are expected to support activity, resulting in a slight upward growth revision to 4.4 percent from 4.3 percent in April. Inflation has retreated in much of the region. At the same time, risks have increased, reflecting rising geopolitical tensions, uncertainty about the strength of global demand, and potential for financial volatility. Demographic change will act increasingly as a brake on activity, though structural shifts into high-productivity sectors such as tradable services hold promise to sustain robust growth.

International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department

Abstract

Chapter 1 shows that although near-term financial stability risks have remained contained, mounting vulnerabilities could worsen future downside risks by amplifying shocks, which have become more probable because of the widening disconnect between elevated economic uncertainty and low financial volatility. Chapter 2 presents evidence that high macroeconomic uncertainty can threaten macrofinancial stability by exacerbating downside tail risks to markets, credit supply, and GDP growth. These relationships are stronger when debt vulnerabilities are elevated, or financial market volatility is low (during episodes of a macro-market disconnect). Chapter 3 assesses recent developments in AI and Generative AI and their implications for capital markets. It presents new analytical work and results from a global outreach to market participants and regulators, delineates potential benefits and risks that may arise from the widespread adoption of these new technologies, and makes suggestions for policy responses.

Marijn A. Bolhuis
,
Sonali Das
, and
Bella Yao
This paper presents a new dataset of monetary policy shocks for 21 advanced economies and 8 emerging markets from 2000-2022. We use daily changes in interest rate swap rates around central bank announcements to identify unexpected shocks to the path of monetary policy. The resulting series can be used to examine cross-country heterogeneity in the impact of monetary policy shocks. We establish a new empirical fact on monetary policy spillovers across countries: the monetary policy decisions of small open economy central banks, and not just major central banks, have substantial spillover effects on swap rates and bond yields in other countries.