This paper examines how U.S. multinational firms are affected by foreign currency movements. In light of detailed exchange rate data, we find that 29% of our sample of 935 U.S. firms with real operations in foreign countries is significantly affected by currency movements between 1990 and 2001. Results show moreover that U.S. stock returns react asymmetrically to currency movements. By introduc...

This paper investigates the nature and behavior of the domestic (local) currency market that existed in Florence (Italy) during the late 14th and early 15th centuries (a.k.a. the Early Renaissance). We find that the extant volatility and microstructure models developed for modern asset markets are able to describe the statistical volatility properties observed for the denaro-florin exchange rat...

A dynamic spatial model is constructed where there is a role for money and for centralized payments arrangements, and where there are aggregate fluctuations driven by fluctuations in aggregate productivity. With decentralized monetary exchange and no centralized payments arrangements, there is price level indeterminacy, and the equilibrium allocation is inefficient. A private clearinghouse arra...

Revealed comparative advantage indices are calculated for China (1980-2000 period) and the Chinese provinces (1990-1998 period) and then incorporated into a reduced form export equation. The results of China’s export patterns show that China has moved from a heavy industry-oriented development strategy to a comparative advantage one, with, however, marked differences among provinces. The econom...

This paper examines exchange rate pass-through in the automobile markets of twelve European Union countries. Using retail prices for individual car models for the 1993-96 period our estimates are based on a hedonic pricing framework which controls for model specific characteristics. Pass-through is found to be significantly below fifty percent in all countries. There is no evidence that either ...

This study examines profits and speculation in the USD/EUR trading of a bank in Germany over a four-month period. Dealing activity at the bank generates profits but speculation does not seem to contribute to this. We find that speculative positions fail to become profitable within a 30-minutes' horizon. Also, the suggestion that exchange rate volatility would foster speculative profits cannot b...

Using Vector Autoregressions on U.S. time series, the present paper documents the effects of fiscal policy on foreign trade: an increase in government spending significantly depreciates the nominal exchange rate, appreciates the terms of trade and increases net exports. Exposed to the same spending shock, a New Keynesian general equilibrium model is shown to match qualitatively the response of ...

JEL Classification Code(s): J 31, J 71) "Perceptions of Discrimination, Effort to Obtain Psychological Balance, and Relative Wages: Can We Infer a Happiness Gradient?" There is a substantial literature that finds a linkage between happiness and relative economic well being as measured by earnings or wages. There is also a well documented racial gap in wages. One explanation for this is disparat...

Multinationals often serve foreign markets by producing domestically and exporting as well as by investing directly in foreign production facilities. We argue that if the multinational competes in an oligopolistic market characterized by strategic complements then there are strategic reasons to use two production facilities -committing to a second source allows the firm to keep average cost low...

Do financial market analysts use structural economic models when forecasting exchange rates? This is the leading question analysed in this paper. In contrast to other studies we use expectations instead of realised data. Therefore we analyse the implicit structural models forecasters have in mind when forming their exchange rate expectations. Using expected shortand long-term interest rates and...