International topics

• The Outlook for the Global Supply of Oil: Running on Faith?

  Staff Discussion Paper 2009-9 Olivier Gervais, Ilan Kolet

  The dramatic reduction in global demand, and the decline in the spot price of crude oil in the second half of last year, may have significant implications for the future supply of oil. Investments in conventional methods of extraction have been constrained, since easily accessible oil reserves are typically concentrated in countries with geopolitical uncertainty and/or state-run oil companies.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles, Inflation and prices, International topics JEL Code(s): Q, Q4, Q41, Q43
• June 11, 2009

  BoC-GEM: Modelling the World Economy

  Bank of Canada Review - Summer 2009 René Lalonde, Dirk Muir

  BoC-GEM, an adaptation of the Global Economy Model, initially developed at the International Monetary Fund and the New York Federal Reserve, is a very useful tool to tackle a broad range of issues pertinent to the current economic context, such as the recent movements in commodity prices and the adjustment of global imbalances. This article describes the structure and functioning of BoC-GEM and details some examples of recent application in the areas of monetary policy and issues in the real economy and questions of financial stability and describes ongoing research into introducing a financial sector into the model.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Economic models, International topics

• Complex Ownership and Capital Structure

  Staff Working Paper 2009-12 Teodora Paligorova, Zhaoxia Xu

  This paper investigates the impact of pyramid ownership structure and multiple controlling shareholders on firm leverage. Pyramids, having at least one controlling shareholder and a subsidiary, rely significantly more on debt financing than non-pyramid firms.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets, International topics JEL Code(s): G, G3, G31, G32

• Assessing the Implementation of the IMF's 2007 Surveillance Decision

  Staff Discussion Paper 2009-6 Robert Lavigne, Garima Vasishtha

  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently adopted the "2007 Decision on Bilateral Surveillance Over Members' Policies," a landmark reform that modernizes the general principles of IMF surveillance. However, support for the reform was not unanimous, and doubts have been expressed about how the Decision would be applied in practice. The authors assess the first year […]

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): International topics JEL Code(s): F, F3, F33

• 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 Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles, Economic models, Inflation and prices, International topics, Monetary policy transmission JEL Code(s): E, E3, E5, E52, E58

• 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 Topic(s): International topics, Recent economic and financial developments JEL Code(s): E, E3, E30, E5, E50, E58, E6, E60

• The Impact of Market Timing on Canadian and U.S. Firms' Capital Structure

  Staff Working Paper 2009-1 Zhaoxia Xu

  This paper studies the impact of market timing on Canadian firms' capital structure and makes a comparison with U.S. firms.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets, International topics JEL Code(s): G, G3, G32

• 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 Topic(s): Development economics, International topics JEL Code(s): F, F1, F14, O, O1, O13, O5, O53

• How Important Is Liquidity Risk for Sovereign Bond Risk Premia? Evidence from the London Stock Exchange

  Staff Working Paper 2008-47 Ron Alquist

  This paper uses the framework of arbitrage-pricing theory to study the relationship between liquidity risk and sovereign bond risk premia. The London Stock Exchange in the late 19th century is an ideal laboratory in which to test the proposition that liquidity risk affects the price of sovereign debt.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets, International topics JEL Code(s): F, F2, F21, F3, F34, F36, G, G1, G12, G15

• Globalization and Inflation: The Role of China

  Staff Working Paper 2008-35 Denise Côté, Carlos De Resende

  In this paper, we develop a theoretical model which identifies four channels–import prices, competition with domestic suppliers and workers, and commodity prices–through which price- and wage-setting conditions in country j may affect inflation in country i.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): International topics JEL Code(s): E, E2, E22, E3, E32, E4, E44