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
What To Do about Bilateral Credit Limits in the LVTS When a Closure Is Anticipated: Risk versus Liquidity Sharing among LVTS Participants Staff Discussion Paper 2008-13 Sean O'Connor, Greg Caldwell The authors examine the effect of a trade-off between shared credit risk and liquidity efficiency, among participants in Tranche 2 of the Large Value Transfer System (LVTS T2), on their decisions to leave open, or close, their bilateral credit limits (BCLs) to a participant at risk of imminent closure. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial services, Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): G, G2, G21, L, L1, L13, L14
Merchant Acceptance, Costs, and Perceptions of Retail Payments: A Canadian Survey Staff Discussion Paper 2008-12 Carlos Arango, Varya Taylor Using the results of a survey on accepted means of payment, the authors examine merchant preferences and perceptions of retail payment reliability, risk, and costs; the share of each type of payment method over total sales; and the costs involved in accepting payments. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Bank notes JEL Code(s): E, E4, E41, L, L2
Liquidity Efficiency and Distribution in the LVTS: Non-Neutrality of System Changes under Network Asymmetry Staff Discussion Paper 2008-11 Sean O'Connor, James Chapman, Kirby Millar The authors consider the liquidity efficiency of Tranche 2 of the Large Value Transfer System (LVTS T2) by examining, through an empirical analysis, some plausible strategic reactions of individual participants to a systemwide shock to available liquidity in the system. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial services, Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): G, G2, G21, L, L1, L13, L14
A Structural VAR Approach to Core Inflation in Canada Staff Discussion Paper 2008-10 Sylvain Martel The author constructs a measure of core inflation using a structural vector autoregression containing oil-price growth, output growth, and inflation. This "macro-founded" measure of inflation forecasts total inflation at least as well as other, atheoretical measures. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Inflation and prices JEL Code(s): C, C5, C53, E, E3, E31