Natural Monopoly and Distorted Competition: Evidence from Unbundling Fiber-Optic Networks Staff Working Paper 2012-26 Naoaki Minamihashi Can regulation solve problems arising from a natural monopoly? This paper analyzes whether “unbundling,” referring to regulations that enforce sharing of natural monopolistic infrastructure, prevents entrants from building new infrastructure. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Market structure and pricing, Productivity JEL Code(s): K, K2, K23, L, L4, L43, L9, L96
Does the Buck Stop Here? A Comparison of Withdrawals from Money Market Mutual Funds with Floating and Constant Share Prices Staff Working Paper 2012-25 Jonathan Witmer Recent reform proposals call for an elimination of the constant net asset value (NAV) or “buck” in money market mutual funds to reduce the occurrence of runs. Outside the United States, there are several countries that have money market mutual funds with and without constant NAVs. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets, Financial stability, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): F, F3, F30, G, G0, G01, G1, G18, G2, G20
The Sensitivity of Producer Prices to Exchange Rates: Insights from Micro Data Staff Working Paper 2012-20 Shutao Cao, Wei Dong, Ben Tomlin This paper studies the sensitivity of Canadian producer prices to the Canada-U.S. exchange rate. Using a unique product-level price data set, we estimate and analyze the impact of movements in the exchange rate on both domestic and export producer prices. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Exchange rates, Inflation and prices, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): E, E3, E30, F, F3, F31, F4, F41, L, L1, L11
February 23, 2012 Medium-Term Fluctuations in Canadian House Prices Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2011-2012 Brian Peterson, Yi Zheng This article draws on theory and empirical evidence to examine a number of factors behind movements in Canadian house prices. It begins with an overview of the movements in house prices in Canada, using regional data to highlight factors that influence prices over the long run. It then turns to the central theme, that there are medium-run movements in prices not accounted for by long-run factors. Drawing on recent Bank of Canada research, the article discusses several factors behind these medium-run movements, including interest rates, expected price appreciation and market liquidity. The article concludes by identifying areas for future research that would further our understanding of fluctuations in house prices. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Asset pricing, Econometric and statistical methods, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): R, R2, R21, R3, R31
Portfolio Considerations in Differentiated Product Purchases: An Application to the Japanese Automobile Market Staff Working Paper 2011-27 Naoki Wakamori Consumers often purchase more than one differentiated product, assembling a portfolio, which might potentially affect substitution patterns of demand and, as a consequence, oligopolistic firms’ pricing strategies. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Economic models, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): D, D4, L, L5, Q, Q5
Security Transaction Taxes and Market Quality Staff Working Paper 2011-26 Anna Pomeranets, Daniel G. Weaver We examine nine changes in the New York State Security Transaction Taxes (STT) between 1932 and 1981. We find that imposing or increasing an STT results in wider bidask spreads, lower volume, and increased price impact of trades. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Econometric and statistical methods, Financial markets, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): C, C4, C43, G, G1, G10, G12
August 18, 2011 Mortgage Debt and Procyclicality in the Housing Market Bank of Canada Review - Summer 2011 Ian Christensen This article focuses on the role that loans backed by housing collateral play in amplifying housing booms and, more generally, procyclicality in the housing market. The author uses a model developed to include borrower and lender households, as well as a housing market, to examine the impact that altering the loan-to-value ratio (either permanently or countercyclically) might have on the volatility of house prices and mortgage debt. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Economic models, Financial system regulation and policies, Market structure and pricing
Belief Dispersion and Order Submission Strategies in the Foreign Exchange Market Staff Working Paper 2011-8 Ingrid Lo, Stephen Sapp This paper empirically examines how dispersions across investors beliefs influence traders order submission decisions in the foreign exchange market. Previous research has found that dispersion in traders beliefs regarding future macroeconomic announcements has a significant impact on both price dynamics and trading volume before the announcements in the foreign exchange and other financial markets. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Exchange rates, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): D, D4, G, G1
February 17, 2011 Competition in the Canadian Mortgage Market Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2010-2011 Jason Allen This article begins with a brief examination of the Canadian mortgage market, focusing on the market’s evolution following changes to the Bank Act in 1992, which allowed chartered banks to enter the trust business, and the subsequent entrance of virtual banks and mortgage brokers. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Interest rates, Market structure and pricing, Monetary policy transmission
February 17, 2011 Adverse Selection and Financial Crises Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2010-2011 Koralai Kirabaeva The recent financial crisis has highlighted the importance of adverse selection as a contributing factor to financial market instability. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies, Market structure and pricing