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Business and Economics > Investments: Stocks

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Cover IMF Working Papers
Corporate Liquidity and Solvency in Europe during COVID-19: The Role of Policies
Mr. Christian H Ebeke
,
Nemanja Jovanovic
,
Ms. Laura Valderrama
, and
Jing Zhou
The spread of COVID-19, containment measures, and general uncertainty led to a sharp reduction in activity in the first half of 2020. Europe was hit particularly hard—the economic contraction in 2020 is estimated to have been among the largest in the world—with potentially severe repercussions on its nonfinancial corporations. A wave of corporate bankruptcies would generate mass unemployment, and a loss of productive capacity and firm-specific human capital. With many SMEs in Europe relying primarily on the banking sector for external finance, stress in the corporate sector could easily translate into pressures in the banking system (Aiyar et al., forthcoming).
Keywords:
corporate vulnerability; solvency risk; liquidity risk; policy effectiveness; WP; cash flow; illiquid firm; firm level; management action; insolvent firm; liquidity deficit
Cover Staff Discussion Notes
A Capital Market Union for Europe
Mr. Ashok Vir Bhatia
,
Ms. Srobona Mitra
,
Mr. Shekhar Aiyar
,
Luiza Antoun de Almeida
,
Cristina Cuervo
,
Mr. Andre O Santos
, and
Tryggvi Gudmundsson
This note weighs the merits of a capital market union (CMU) for Europe, identifies major obstacles in its path, and recommends a set of carefully targeted policy actions. European capital markets are relatively small, resulting in strong bank-dependence, and are split sharply along national lines. Results include an uneven playing field in terms of corporate funding costs, the rationing out of collateral-constrained firms, and limited shock absorption. The benefits of integration center on expanding financial choice, ultimately to support capital formation and resilience. Capital market development and integration would support a healthy diversity in European finance. Proceeding methodically, the note identifies three key barriers to greater capital market integration in Europe: transparency, regulatory quality, and insolvency practices. Based on these findings, the note urges three policy priorities, focused on the three barriers. There is no roadblock—such steps should prove feasible without a new grand bargain.
Keywords:
SDN; EU counterparty; EU capital market practitioner; euro area; EU capital market rule; EU treaty; EU venture capital funds; Capital market union; financial integration; bilateral portfolio flows; monetary union; investment firm; funding cost; growth performance; private equity; equity valuation; capital market market fragmentation; nonfinancial firm; company information; Capital markets; Securities; Stocks; Mutual funds; Solvency; Europe; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Long Shadow of the Global Financial Crisis: Public Interventions in the Financial Sector
Ms. Deniz O Igan
,
Hala Moussawi
,
Alexander F. Tieman
,
Ms. Aleksandra Zdzienicka
,
Mr. Giovanni Dell'Ariccia
, and
Mr. Paolo Mauro
We track direct public interventions and public holdings in 1,114 financial institutions over the period 2007–17 in 37 countries based on publicly available information. We use aggregate official data to validate this new dataset and estimate the fiscal impact of interventions, including the value of asset holdings remaining in state hands at end-2017. Direct public support to financial institutions amounted to $1.6 trillion ($3.5 trillion including guarantees), with larger amounts allocated to lower capitalized and less profitable banks. As of end-2017, only a few countries had fully divested the initial support they provided during the crisis. Public holdings were divested faster in better capitalized, more profitable, and more liquid banks, and in countries where the economy recovered faster. In countries where the government stake remained high relative to the initial intervention, private investment and credit growth were slower, financial access, depth, efficiency, and competition were worse, and financial stability improved less.
Keywords:
WP; bank characteristic; bank variable; country condition; return on assets; intervened bank; Financial crisis; Government interventions; Bank resolution; asset holding; asset quality; system assets; government intervention; asset purchase; cash flow; Stocks; Financial sector; Loans; Liquidity; State-owned banks; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Late to the game? Capital flows to the Western Balkans
Zsoka Koczan
The boom and bust in capital flows to the New Member States of the European Union have received a considerable amount of attention; foreign direct investment and bank flows to the region and countries’ participation in regional supply chains have been well-documented. Relatively little has, however, been written about capital flows to the Western Balkans economies, which are often perceived to be ‘late arrivals’ to large capital flows. This paper aims to examine how capital flows to the Western Balkans compare with flows to the New Member States, in terms of levels as well as dynamics. We find that while financial integration took off somewhat later in the Western Balkans than in the New Member States, it has increased rapidly, despite still much lower capital account openness. Capital inflows as a share of GDP are comparable to those observed in the New Member States, (perhaps surprisingly) diverse in terms of source countries and broadly similar in composition, though with equity shares higher than they were in the New Member States at comparable levels of GDP per capita.
Keywords:
WP; equity share; flows to the Western Balkans; portfolio equity investment; terms of trade; Capital flows; foreign direct investment; Western Balkans; capital outflow; Western Balkans economy; FDI inflow; interest rate differential; outflows from the Western Balkans; cross-border capital flow; inflows to the Western Balkans; greenfield FDI; Capital inflows; Stocks; Capital outflows; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Eurozone Crisis: How Banks and Sovereigns Came to Be Joined At the Hip
Mr. Damiano Sandri
and
Mr. Ashoka Mody
We use the rise and dispersion of sovereign spreads to tell the story of the emergence and escalation of financial tensions within the eurozone. This process evolved through three stages. Following the onset of the Subprime crisis in July 2007, spreads rose but mainly due to common global factors. The rescue of Bear Stearns in March 2008 marked the start of a distinctively European banking crisis. During this key phase, sovereign spreads tended to rise with the growing demand for support by weakening domestic financial sectors, especially in countries with lower growth prospects and higher debt burdens. As the constraint of continued fiscal commitments became clearer, and coinciding with the nationalization of Anglo Irish in January 2009, the separation between the sovereign and the financial sector disappeared.
Keywords:
WP; sovereign spread; financial crisis; sovereign bond; banking sector; sovereign spreads; financial sector; stock market; eurozone; Bear Stearns; Anglo Irish; eurozone sovereign bond bond market; Eurozone crisis; eurozone country; flight to quality; eurozone economy; Anglo nationalization; Sovereign bonds; Stocks; Global; Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
Regional Financial Spillovers Across Europe: A Global VAR Analysis
Ms. Silvia Sgherri
and
Mr. Alessandro Galesi
The recent financial crisis raises important issues about the transmission of financial shocks across borders. In this paper, a global vector autoregressive (GVAR) model is constructed to assess the relevance of international spillovers following a historical slowdown in U.S. equity prices. The GVAR model contains 27 country-specific models, including the United States, 17 European advanced economies, and 9 European emerging economies. Each country model is linked to the others by a set of country-specific foreign variables, computed using bilateral bank lending exposures. Results reveal considerable comovements of equity prices across mature financial markets. However, the effects on credit growth are found to be country-specific. Evidence indicates that asset prices are the main channel through which-in the short run-financial shocks are transmitted internationally, while the contribution of other variables-like the cost and quantity of credit-becomes more important over longer horizons.
Keywords:
WP; rate of growth; Global VAR; Macro-Financial Linkages; International Financial Spillovers; equity price; foreign variable; coefficient estimate; estimation procedure; price growth; Vector autoregression; Stocks; Interbank rates; Credit; Foreign banks; Western Europe; Baltics; Global; Europe
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Switzerland: Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix
International Monetary Fund
The Swiss banking system is characterized by a two-tier structure. The first tier is composed of the two large banks and some smaller banks focused on private banking, all of which have a significant international presence. These banks represent, so to speak, the “international face” of the Swiss banks. They are mostly joint-stock companies or privately owned (unlimited personal liability). The second tier is composed of a varied group of banks, mostly focused on domestic, or even regional, business.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; asset; bank; cantonal bank; share; portfolio share; portfolio equity assets; foreign assets; asset characteristic; Foreign assets; Current account; Foreign banks; Current account surpluses; Investment banking; Global; Europe
Cover Coordinated Portfolio investment Survey
Coordinated Portfolio investment Survey
Survey Guide
International Monetary Fund

Abstract

This paper presents a coordinated portfolio investment survey guide provided to assist national compilers in the conduct of the Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey, conducted under the auspices of the IMF with reference to the year-end 1997. The guide covers a variety of conceptual issues that a country must address when conducting a survey. It also covers the practical issues associated with preparing for a national survey. These include setting a timetable, taking account of the legal and confidentiality issues raised, developing a mailing list, and maintaining quality control checks.

Keywords:
BOOK; nonresident securities; portfolio investment survey; long-term debt; fund manager; long-term debt securities; security database; securities lending; Securities; Portfolio investment; Foreign direct investment; Data collection; Stocks; Global
Cover Limiting Central Bank Credit to the Government
Limiting Central Bank Credit to the Government
Theory and Practice
Mr. Carlo Cottarelli

Abstract

This paper examines central bank independence with reference to the constraints on central bank credit to the government, focusing on how such credit should be regulated. It discusses why credit should be contsrained, and in which forms, and how to implement those constraints.

Keywords:
OP; government; independence; central bank; central bank vis-à-vis; central bank credit; inflation performance; market rate; GDP ratio; Central bank credit; Credit; Securities; Bank deposits; Current account; Caribbean; West Africa; Europe; government market interest rate; central bank grant; central bank's independence; members of the European Community; Monetary base; Central bank autonomy; Monetary expansion