November 19, 2002 Purchasing-Power Parity: Definition, Measurement, and Interpretation Bank of Canada Review - Autumn 2002 Robert Lafrance, Lawrence L. Schembri This article examines the concept of purchasing-power parity (PPP) and its implications for the equilibrium value of the Canadian exchange rate. PPP has two main applications, as a theory of exchange rate determination and as a means to compare living standards across countries. Concerning exchange rate determination, PPP is mainly useful as a reminder that monetary policy has no long-run impact on the real exchange rate, since the exchange rate can deviate persistently from its PPP value in response to real shocks. To compare living standards across countries, PPP exchange rates constructed by comparing the prices of national consumption baskets are used to translate per capita national incomes into a common currency. These rates are useful because they offset differences in national price levels to obtain comparable measures of purchasing power, but they are not an accurate measure of the equilibrium value of the exchange rate. The authors conclude that the current deviation of the Canadian exchange rate from the PPP rate does not imply that the exchange rate is undervalued, but that this deviation reflects the impact of persistent real factors, in particular, lower commodity prices. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Exchange rates
November 18, 2002 Governor Explains How the Bank of Canada Promotes Canada's Economic and Financial Welfare Media Relations Calgary, Alberta In a speech to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge today outlined some of the ways in which the central bank contributes to Canada's economic and financial welfare. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
November 18, 2002 Promoting Canada's Economic and Financial Welfare Remarks David Dodge Calgary Chamber of Commerce Calgary, Alberta It's been a difficult year for many sectors of the Alberta economy. Certainly, the severe drought hurt many western farmers, and investment in the energy sector was held back by low oil and gas prices. In addition, the slump in the telecom sector has affected Calgary. Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks
November 12, 2002 Staying the Course Remarks David Dodge a panel discussion at the Banco de México Mexico City, Mexico The dramatic events of the last two years and growing concern about the near-term prospects for the global economy have created a climate in which policy-makers focus only on current economic developments and lose sight of longer-term goals. Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks
Alternative Public Spending Rules and Output Volatility Staff Working Paper 2002-37 Jean-Paul Lam, William Scarth One of the central lessons learned from the Great Depression was that adjusting government spending each year to balance the budget increases the volatility of output. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Economic models, Fiscal policy, Monetary policy transmission JEL Code(s): E, E5, E52, E58, E6, E62
An Eclectic Approach to Estimating U.S. Potential GDP Staff Working Paper 2002-36 Marc-André Gosselin, René Lalonde The authors describe the principal results obtained from a new method applied to the estimation of potential U.S. GDP. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles, Econometric and statistical methods, Potential output JEL Code(s): C, C3, C32, E, E2, E23, E3, E32
The Impact of Common Currencies on Financial Markets: A Literature Review and Evidence from the Euro Area Staff Working Paper 2002-35 Liliane Karlinger This paper reviews both the theoretical and empirical literature on the impact of common currencies on financial markets and evaluates the first three years of experience with Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Exchange rate regimes, Financial markets JEL Code(s): E, E4, E44, F, F2, F21, F3, F36, G, G1, G15
How Do Canadian Banks That Deal in Foreign Exchange Hedge Their Exposure to Risk? Staff Working Paper 2002-34 Chris D'Souza This paper examines the daily hedging and risk-management practices of financial intermediaries in the Canadian foreign exchange (FX) market. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial markets, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): F, F3, F31, G, G1, G14, G2, G21
Alternative Trading Systems: Does One Shoe Fit All? Staff Working Paper 2002-33 Nicolas Audet, Toni Gravelle, Jing Yang This paper examines the factors that lead liquidity-motivated investors to choose the type of market structure they prefer. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets JEL Code(s): G, G1, G10, G14, G18
Labour Markets, Liquidity, and Monetary Policy Regimes Staff Working Paper 2002-32 David Andolfatto, Scott Hendry, Kevin Moran We develop an equilibrium model of the monetary policy transmission mechanism that highlights information frictions in the market for money and search frictions in the market for labour. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Monetary policy and uncertainty, Monetary policy transmission JEL Code(s): E, E4, E5