Staff research

• Competition in Banking: A Review of the Literature

  Staff Working Paper 2004-24 Carol Ann Northcott

  The author reviews the theoretical and empirical literature to examine the traditional perception that the following trade-off exists between economic efficiency and stability in the banking system: a competitive banking system is more efficient and therefore important to growth, but market power is necessary for stability in the banking system.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial services, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): G, G2, G21, G28, L, L1, L11, L12, L13, L16

• Convergence of Government Bond Yields in the Euro Zone: The Role of Policy Harmonization

  Staff Working Paper 2004-23 Denise Côté, Christopher Graham

  Since the early 1980s, long-term government bond yields in the euro zone have declined, in line with those in other industrialized countries.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Interest rates, International topics JEL Code(s): C, C2, C23, E, E4, E43, E44, F, F3, F36

• Financial Conditions Indexes for Canada

  Staff Working Paper 2004-22 Céline Gauthier, Christopher Graham, Ying Liu

  The authors construct three financial conditions indexes (FCIs) for Canada based on three approaches: an IS-curve-based model, generalized impulse-response functions, and factor analysis.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Monetary and financial indicators, Monetary conditions index JEL Code(s): E, E4, E44, E5, E52

• Exchange Rate Pass-Through and the Inflation Environment in Industrialized Countries: An Empirical Investigation

  Staff Working Paper 2004-21 Jeannine Bailliu, Eiji Fujii

  This paper investigates the question of whether a transition to a low-inflation environment, induced by a shift in monetary policy, results in a decline in the degree of pass-through of exchange rate movements to consumer prices.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Exchange rates, Inflation and prices, International topics JEL Code(s): E, E3, E31, E4, E42, F, F3, F31

• Commodity-Linked Bonds: A Potential Means for Less-Developed Countries to Raise Foreign Capital

  Staff Working Paper 2004-20 Joseph Atta-Mensah

  The author suggests that commodity-linked bonds could provide a potential means for less-developed countries (LDCs) to raise money on the international capital markets, rather than through standard forms of financing.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Development economics, Financial markets, International topics JEL Code(s): F, F3, F30, F34, F4, F49, G, G1, G11, G13, O, O1, O16