G - Financial Economics

• Pricing Interest Rate Derivatives in a Non-Parametric Two-Factor Term-Structure Model

  Staff Working Paper 1999-19 John Knight, Fuchun Li, Mingwei Yuan

  Diffusion functions in term-structure models are measures of uncertainty about future price movements and are directly related to the risk associated with holding financial securities. Correct specification of diffusion functions is crucial in pricing options and other derivative securities. In contrast to the standard parametric two-factor models, we propose a non-parametric two-factor term-structure model that […]

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Econometric and statistical methods, Market structure and pricing JEL Code(s): C, C1, C14, C2, C22, G, G1, G13

• Estimating One-Factor Models of Short-Term Interest Rates

  Staff Working Paper 1999-18 Des Mc Manus, David Watt

  There currently exists in the literature several continuous-time one-factor models for short-term interest rates. This paper considers a wide range of these models that are nested into one general model. These models are approximated using both a discrete-time model and a model that accounts for aggregation effects over time, and are estimated by both the […]

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets, Interest rates JEL Code(s): C, C5, C52, G, G1, G10

• The Regulation of Central Securities Depositories and the Linkages between CSDs and Large-Value Payment Systems

  Technical Report No. 87 Charles Freedman

  This paper first describes the Bank of Canada's approach to the design of large-value clearing and settlement systems. It then examines the way the Bank has operated under the Payment Clearing and Settlement Act, passed by Parliament in July 1996.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Technical reports Topic(s): Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): G, G2, G20

• Canada's Exchange Rate Regime and North American Economic Integration: The Role of Risk-Sharing Mechanisms

  Staff Working Paper 1999-17 Zahir Antia, Ramdane Djoudad, Pierre St-Amant

  Our contribution in this paper is threefold. First, we survey the empirical literature on consumption smoothing mechanisms of regional economic shocks. Second, building on the work of Asdrubali et al. (1996), we present evidence on the role played by various smoothing mechanisms for specific economic shocks affecting Canadian provinces. Third, we assess whether smoothing mechanisms […]

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Exchange rate regimes, Exchange rates JEL Code(s): F, F3, F33, F36, G, G1, G15

• The Information Content of Interest Rate Futures Options

  Staff Working Paper 1999-15 Des Mc Manus

  Options prices are being increasingly employed to extract market expectations and views about monetary policy. In this paper, eurodollar options are monitored to examine the evolution of market sentiment over the possible future values of eurodollar rates. Risk-neutral probability functions are employed to synopsize the information contained in the prices of euro/dollar futures options. Several […]

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets, Interest rates JEL Code(s): G, G1, G14

• Greater Transparency in Monetary Policy: Impact on Financial Markets

  Technical Report No. 86 Philippe Muller, Mark Zelmer

  Measures have been taken by the Bank of Canada to increase the transparency of Canadian monetary policy. This paper examines whether the greater transparency has improved financial markets' understanding of the conduct of monetary policy.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Technical reports Topic(s): Financial markets, Monetary policy implementation JEL Code(s): E, E5, E52, E58, G, G1, G14

• Liquidity of the Government of Canada Securities Market: Stylized Facts and Some Market Microstructure Comparisons to the United States Treasury Market

  Staff Working Paper 1999-11 Toni Gravelle

  The aims of this study are to examine how liquidity in the Government of Canada securities market has evolved over the 1990s and to determine what factors influence the level of liquidity in this market, with some comparisons to the U.S. Treasury securities market. We find empirical support for the hypothesis that an increase in […]

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets JEL Code(s): D, D4, G, G1, G2

• Uncovering Inflation Expectations and Risk Premiums From Internationally Integrated Financial Markets

  Staff Working Paper 1999-6 Ben Fung, Scott Mitnick, Eli Remolona

  Theory and empirical evidence suggest that the term structure of interest rates reflects risk premiums as well as market expectations about future inflation and real interest rates. We propose an approach to extracting such premiums and expectations by exploiting both the comovements among interest rates across the yield curve and between two countries, Canada and […]

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial markets, Inflation and prices, Interest rates, International topics JEL Code(s): E, E4, E43, G, G1, G12, G15

• An Intraday Analysis of the Effectiveness of Foreign Exchange Intervention

  Staff Working Paper 1999-4 Neil Beattie, Jean-François Fillion

  This paper assesses the effectiveness of Canada's official foreign exchange intervention in moderating intraday volatility of the Can$/US$ exchange rate, using a 2-1/2-year sample of 10-minute exchange rate data. The use of high frequency data (higher than daily frequency) should help in assessing the impact of intervention since the foreign exchange market is efficient and […]

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Exchange rates, Financial markets JEL Code(s): F, F3, F31, G, G1, G15