Staff research

• September 30, 2021

  Research Update - September 2021

  This monthly newsletter features the latest research publications by Bank of Canada economists including external publications and working papers published on the Bank of Canada’s website.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Research newsletters

• More Money for Some: The Redistributive Effects of Open Market Operations

  Staff Working Paper 2021-46 Christian Bustamante

  I use a search-theoretic model of money to study how open market operations affect the conduct of monetary policy and what this means for households along the wealth distribution. In the model, households vary in the size and composition of their portfolios, which in turn implies that they may be unevenly affected by open market operations.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Inflation and prices, Monetary policy, Monetary policy implementation, Monetary policy transmission JEL Code(s): E, E2, E21, E3, E32, E5, E52

• Covariates Hiding in the Tails

  Staff Working Paper 2021-45 Milian Bachem, Lerby Ergun, Casper G. de Vries

  We characterize the bias in cross-sectional Hill estimates caused by common underlying factors and propose two simple-to-implement remedies. To test for the presence, direction and size of the bias, we use monthly US stock returns and annual US Census county population data.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Econometric and statistical methods JEL Code(s): C, C0, C01, C1, C14, C5, C58

• A Q-Theory of Banks

  Staff Working Paper 2021-44 Juliane Beganau, Saki Bigio, Jeremy Majerovitz, Matías Vieyra

  Using stock market data on banks, we show that the book value of loans recognizes losses with a delay. This delayed accounting is important for regulation because the requirements regulators impose are based on book values.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies JEL Code(s): E, E4, E44, G, G2, G21, G3, G32, G33

• Can the characteristics of new mortgages predict borrowers’ financial stress? Insights from the 2014 oil price decline

  Staff Analytical Note 2021-22 Olga Bilyk, Ken Chow, Yang Xu

  We study the relationship between characteristics of new mortgages and borrowers’ financial stress in Canada’s energy-intensive regions following the 2014 collapse in oil prices. We find that borrowers with limited home equity were more likely to have difficulty repaying debt.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes Topic(s): Credit and credit aggregates, Econometric and statistical methods, Financial stability, Housing JEL Code(s): C, C2, C25, D, D1, D14, G, G2, G21, G5, G51, R, R2, R21

• Rising US LNG Exports and Global Natural Gas Price Convergence

  Staff Discussion Paper 2021-14 Robert Ialenti

  We assess how rising exports of US liquefied natural gas affect the convergence of natural gas prices worldwide. Our results may have implications for the development of future LNG export capacity in Canada.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): International topics, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): C, C3, C32, F, F1, F15, K, K4, K41, L, L9, L95

• Canadian housing supply elasticities

  Staff Analytical Note 2021-21 Nuno Paixão

  We explain how housing supply elasticities for Canadian cities are estimated. The procedure we use exploits the systematic differences in various cities’ sensitivity to regional house-price cycles.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes Topic(s): Housing JEL Code(s): R, R1, R14, R3, R31, R5, R52

• Payment Habits During COVID-19: Evidence from High-Frequency Transaction Data

  Staff Working Paper 2021-43 Tatjana Dahlhaus, Angelika Welte

  We examine how consumers have adjusted their payment habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. They seem to perform fewer transactions, spend more in each transaction, use less cash at the point of sale and withdraw cash from ATMs linked to their financial institution more often than from other ATMs.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Domestic demand and components, Payment clearing and settlement systems, Recent economic and financial developments JEL Code(s): C, C2, C22, C5, C55, D, D1, D12, E, E2, E21, E4, E42, E5, E52

• From He-Cession to She-Stimulus? The Labor Market Impact of Fiscal Policy Across Gender

  Staff Working Paper 2021-42 Alica Ida Bonk, Laure Simon

  The effects of fiscal policy shocks on labour market outcomes across gender depend on the type of public expenditure. Women benefit most from increases in the government wage bill, while men are the main beneficiaries of higher investment spending.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles, Fiscal policy, Labour markets JEL Code(s): E, E3, E32, E6, E62, J, J1, J16, J2, J21