Are Commodity Prices Useful Leading Indicators of Inflation? Staff Discussion Paper 2009-5 Calista Cheung Commodity prices have increased dramatically and persistently over the past several years, followed by a sharp reversal in recent months. These large and persistent movements in commodity prices raise questions about their implications for global inflation. The process of globalization has motivated much debate over whether global factors have become more important in driving the […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles, Economic models, Inflation and prices, International topics, Monetary policy transmission JEL Code(s): E, E3, E5, E52, E58
Relative Prices, Trading Gains, and Real GDI: The Case of Canada Staff Discussion Paper 2009-4 Yi Zheng Treating imports as intermediate inputs to domestic production, the author adopts the translog function approach to model real gross domestic income (GDI) in Canada over the 1961–2006 period. She explores the role of price ratios, such as terms of trade and the real effective exchange rate, in explaining changes in real GDI, trade openness, trade […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Econometric and statistical methods, Productivity JEL Code(s): C, C4, C43, D, D3, D33, F, F1, F10, O, O4, O47
Emerging Asia's Impact on Food and Oil Prices: A Model-Based Analysis Staff Discussion Paper 2009-3 René Lalonde, Philipp Maier, Dirk Muir The authors explore the usefulness of macroeconomic models in analyzing global economic developments by examining movements in commodity prices between July 2007 and July 2008. They use the Bank of Canada's version of the Global Economy Model and investigate the longer-term outlook for commodity prices by constructing two different, globally consistent, scenarios for emerging Asia. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): International topics, Recent economic and financial developments JEL Code(s): E, E3, E30, E5, E50, E58, E6, E60
Labour Shares and the Role of Capital and Labour Market Imperfections Staff Discussion Paper 2009-2 Lena Suchanek In continental Europe, labour shares in national income have exhibited considerable variation since 1970. Empirical and theoretical research suggests that the evolution of labour markets and labour market imperfections can, in part, explain this phenomenon. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Economic models, Financial institutions, Labour markets JEL Code(s): C, C7, C78, E, E2, E25, J, J6, J64
Canada and the IMF: Trailblazer or Prodigal Son? Staff Discussion Paper 2009-1 Michael Bordo, Lawrence L. Schembri, Tamara Gomes Canada played an important role in the postwar establishment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), yet it was also the first major member to challenge the orthodoxy of the BrettonWoods par value system by abandoning it in 1950 in favour of a floating, market-determined exchange rate. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Exchange rate regimes, Exchange rates, Monetary policy framework JEL Code(s): E, E5, E52, E58, F, F4, F41, F5, F55, N, N7, N72
India and the Global Demand for Commodities: Is There an Elephant in the Room? Staff Discussion Paper 2008-18 Michael Francis, Corinne Luu After 10 years of impressive growth, India is now the fourth largest economy in the world. Yet, to date, India's impact on global commodity markets has been muted. The authors examine how India's domestic and trade policies have distorted and constrained its demand for commodities. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Development economics, International topics JEL Code(s): F, F1, F14, O, O1, O13, O5, O53
A Survey and Risk Analysis of Selected Non-Bank Retail Payments Systems Staff Discussion Paper 2008-17 Nikil Chande Payment services offered by non-banks have flourished in recent years. The author provides an overview of the different kinds of non-bank retail payments schemes currently available in Canada, illustrating each by focusing on a specific example. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Financial services, Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): D, D1, D14, G, G2, G20
Financial Constraints and the Cash-Holding Behaviour of Canadian Firms Staff Discussion Paper 2008-16 Darcey McVanel, Nikita Perevalov The proportion of assets held by the average Canadian firm in the form of cash has increased steadily since the early 1990s, and is now roughly twice as large as in 1990. The literature has established that the cash-holding behaviour of firms is highly correlated with financial constraints and firm characteristics. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Sectoral balance sheet JEL Code(s): G, G1, G11, G3, G32
The Canadian Dollar and Commodity Prices: Has the Relationship Changed over Time? Staff Discussion Paper 2008-15 Philipp Maier, Brian DePratto The authors examine the impact of the recent run-up in energy and non-energy commodity prices on the Canadian dollar. Using the Bank of Canada's exchange rate equation, they find that the differences between the actual value of the Canadian exchange rate and the simulated values observed in 2007 are not historically large. Still, given that […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Exchange rates JEL Code(s): F, F3, F31
The Impact of Sovereign Wealth Funds on International Financial Stability Staff Discussion Paper 2008-14 Tamara Gomes Over the recent period, many emerging-market economies and commodity-exporting nations have experienced unprecedented growth and accumulated substantial amounts of foreign exchange reserves. The management of these foreign reserves has led to the emergence of important financial actors: sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Financial stability, Recent economic and financial developments JEL Code(s): F, F2, F21, F3, F31, F32, G, G1, G15