January 22, 2008 Bank of Canada lowers overnight rate target by 1/4 percentage point to 4 per cent Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario The Bank of Canada today announced that it is lowering its target for the overnight rate by one-quarter of one percentage point to 4 per cent. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
A Wave of Protectionism? An Analysis of Economic and Political Considerations Staff Working Paper 2008-2 Philipp Maier In light of the U.S. current account deficit, pressure is high on Asian countries to revalue their currencies. The calls from some U.S. policymakers for tariffs on imports from China has sparked fears that this could trigger a world-wide surge in protectionism. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): International topics, Recent economic and financial developments, Regional economic developments JEL Code(s): E, E6, E66, F, F3, F32, F4, F47
The Carry Trade, Portfolio Diversification, and the Adjustment of the Japanese Yen Staff Discussion Paper 2008-2 Corinne Luu In this paper, the author considers whether fundamentals or other factors can explain the yen's ongoing weakness. In particular, the importance of capital outflows due to the carry trade and longer-term portfolio investment outflows, which may be delaying the adjustment of the yen, are investigated. A simple portfolio model is developed, composed of a speculative […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Exchange rates, International topics, Recent economic and financial developments JEL Code(s): F, F2, F21, F3, F31, F32, G, G1, G11
An Overview of Carbon Markets and Emissions Trading: Lessons for Canada Staff Discussion Paper 2008-1 Michael R. King The author provides an overview of carbon markets and explains how emissions trading can be important in encouraging the reduction of CO2 emissions in an efficient manner. He describes the key steps in establishing a cap-and-trade system, and reviews the European experiences with emissions trading. He highlights the lessons learned from the EU Emissions Trading […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): International topics, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): D, D4, N, N5, N50, Q, Q2, Q21
January 18, 2008 Changes in Minimum Bank of Canada Nominal Bond Purchases at Auctions Section 5.1 of the Statement of Policy Governing the Acquisition and Management of Financial Assets for the Bank of Canada's Balance Sheet states that "The Bank's holdings of Government of Canada nominal bonds and treasury bills are structured to broadly reflect the composition of the federal government's stock of nominal domestic marketable debt." Content Type(s): Press, Market notices
January 15, 2008 Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2007-2008 Cover page Roman Antoninianus The coins form part of the National Currency Collection of the Bank of Canada. Photography by Gord Carter, Ottawa. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review
January 14, 2008 Business Outlook Survey - Winter 2007-08 Overall, firms remain positive about the outlook, with the results of the winter survey showing little change from those of the autumn survey. Nonetheless, firms reported more uncertainty in light of recent developments, most notably the volatility in the value of the Canadian dollar. Content Type(s): Publications, Business Outlook Survey
January 14, 2008 Backgrounder on Questions in the Business Outlook Survey Concerning Past Sales and Credit Conditions Starting with the winter 2007–08 survey, the results of two additional questions became included in the Business Outlook Survey (BOS) publication: the balance of opinion on past sales and the balance of opinion on credit conditions. This backgrounder briefly describes the two questions and presents the correlations between the responses and relevant economic data. Content Type(s): Background materials
Default Dependence: The Equity Default Relationship Staff Working Paper 2008-1 Stuart Turnbull, Jun Yang The paper examines three equity-based structural models to study the nonlinear relationship between equity and credit default swap (CDS) prices. These models differ in the specification of the default barrier. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Econometric and statistical methods, Financial markets JEL Code(s): G, G1, G12, G13
January 8, 2008 Transparency: The More, The Better? Remarks Sheryl Kennedy Association des femmes en finance du Québec Montréal, Quebec Transparency is the cornerstone of a well-functioning financial system. It's an issue that has been getting a lot of attention, and deservedly so, as we consider what has gone wrong in the market for asset-backed commercial paper. Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks