April 14, 2007
Bank of Canada Review - Spring 2007
Cover page
Gas Cards
All gas cards pictured here are part of the National Currency Collection of the Bank of Canada.
Posts
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April 13, 2007
The Large-Value Payments System: Insights from Selected Bank of Canada Research
Given the Bank of Canada's strong interest in the safe and efficient operation of major clearing and settlement systems, the Bank maintains a rigorous research agenda as a means of informing payments system policy and oversight. In this article, Arjani and Engert review recent research undertaken by Bank staff concerning the risk and efficiency of the Large Value Transfer System (LVTS). Based on the findings from this research, the authors conclude that the design of the LVTS strikes an effective balance between risk and efficiency. The article also demonstrates the increased use of simulation analysis as a tool for conducting payments system research. A brief summary of the Bank's oversight strategy for systemically important payments systems is also provided. Goals for future research are noted as well, including modelling of participant behaviour and continued external collaboration with other researchers. -
April 12, 2007
Addition of Two Government Securities Distributors for Government of Canada Securities
The Bank of Canada, on behalf of the Government of Canada, announces the addition of two new Government Securities Distributors for Government of Canada marketable bonds and treasury bills. -
April 12, 2007
Dealing with Uncertainty in the Conduct of Monetary Policy
The main goal of monetary policy is to help the country achieve strong, sustainable economic performance, and, in doing so, to contribute to rising living standards for Canadians. Experience has shown that the best way for a central bank to meet this goal, given the instruments at its disposal, is by keeping inflation low and stable. Low and stable inflation increases confidence in the future value of money, and allows for clear price signals. -
April 11, 2007
Changes in the release times for both the call for tenders for cash-management bills (CMBs) and the preliminary International Securities Identification Numbers (ISINs) for regular treasury bills
In the Debt Management Strategy 2007/08, the government announced that the release time for call for tenders for cash-management bills (CMBs) will be moved from 10:00 (ET) to 09:45 (ET). Effective 16 April 2007, CMBs call for tenders issued on or after this date will be released at 09:45 (ET). The auction timetable can be found on the Bank of Canada website. -
Term Structure Transmission of Monetary Policy
Under bond-rate transmission of monetary policy, the authors show that a generalized Taylor Principle applies, in which the average anticipated path of policy responses to inflation is subject to a lower bound of unity. This result helps explain how bond rates may exhibit stable responses to inflation, even in periods of passive policy. -
Exchange Rate Regimes, Globalisation, and the Cost of Capital in Emerging Markets
This paper presents a multifactor asset pricing model for currency, bond, and stock returns for ten emerging markets to investigate the effect of the exchange rate regime on the cost of capital and the integration of emerging financial markets. Since there is evidence that a fixed exchange rate regime reduces the currency risk premia demanded by foreign investors, the tentative conclusion is that a fixed exchange rate regime system can help reduce the cost of capital in emerging markets. -
Modelling Payments Systems: A Review of the Literature
Payments systems play a fundamental role in an economy by providing the mechanisms through which payments arising from transactions can be settled. The existing literature on the economics of payments systems is large but loosely organized, in that each model uses a distinct set-up and sometimes a distinct equilibrium concept. -
Price Formation and Liquidity Provision in Short-Term Fixed Income Markets
Differences in market structures may affect the manner in which fundamental information is incorporated into prices. High levels of quote and trade transparency plus substantial quoting obligations in European government securities markets ensure that prices are informationally efficient. -
Optimal Monetary Policy and Price Stability Over the Long-Run
This paper examines the role of monetary policy in an environment with aggregate risk and incomplete markets. In a two-period overlapping-generations model with aggregate uncertainty and nominal bonds, optimal monetary policy attains the ex-ante Pareto optimal allocation.