Economics Flashcards
(65 cards)
Write down the formula to calculate the mark-to-market value of a forward contract
What is are the 5 components of the international parity conditions
- Covered interest rate parity
- Uncovered interest rate parity
- Purchasing power parity
- International Fisher effect
Forward rate parity
Covered interest rate parity
- Bound by arbitrage
- Forward premium or discount offsets differences in interest rates
- Spot * i/i = forward spot
Uncovered interest rate parity
- Not bound by arbitrage
- The difference in nominal interest rate, will influence the forecast spot exchange rate to depreciate by same amount
- Not hold in short run
Fish Relation
R nominal = R real + E(inflation)
International Fisher effect
- Under real interest rate parity
- R nominal a - R nominal b = E(Inflation a) - E(inflation b)
- If +5% in nominal interest rate , leads to 5% inflation expected, leads to the dollar to weaken
Purchasing power parity
- absolute purchasing power parity (absolute PPP) compares the average price of a representative basket of consumption goods between countries using an index such as The United States Consumer Price Index (CPI).
- law of one price
Relative Purchasing power parity
- changes in exchange rates should exactly offset the price effects of any inflation differential between two countries
Ex-Ante Version of PPP
- The ex-ante version of purchasing power parity is the same as relative purchasing power parity except that it uses expected inflation instead of actual inflation.
3 observations that need to be done
- Covered interest rate holds by arbitrage. If forward rate parity holds, uncovered interest rate parity holds
- Interest rate differentials should mirror inflation differentials. Holds id international fisher relation holds. If true, inflation differentials can be used to forecast future exchange rates.
- If the ex-ante version of relative PPP as well as the international Fisher relation both hold, uncovered interest rate parity will also hold.
What are the key methods used to forecast future spot exchange rates
- Current spot rate
- Forward Rate
- Purchasing Power Parity
- Uncovered Interest rate parity
Why does Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) typically hold over long time horizons but not short term?
PPP assumes that the real exchange rate is constant, but in the short term, the real exchange rate fluctuates around a mean-reverting equilibrium value due to deviations in inflation and market forces. Over long periods, inflation differences between countries are more likely to equalize, making PPP a better predictor of future spot rates.
how can the long-run fair value of an exchange rate be assessed?
- Ex-ante PPP: Assumes relative PPP holds over the long term, with inflation differentials driving the exchange rate toward equilibrium.
- Uncovered Interest Rate Parity (UIP): Assumes differences in interest rates reflect expectations about exchange rate movements, though it is less effective in practice due to risk premiums.
- International Fisher Effect: Assumes that real interest rates are equal across countries, but this does not account for sovereign risk premia, which are significant for emerging markets.
What is a bid-offer spread?
The difference between the offer and bid price of a currency quotation.
What does the exchange rate represent?
The price of one currency in terms of another.
What is a spot exchange rate?
The currency exchange rate for immediate delivery.
What is a forward exchange rate?
A contract rate for currency exchange to be done in the future.
How does a dealer quote currency prices?
$1.4124 − 1.4128: bid price is $1.4124 (dealer buys euros), and the ask price is $1.4128 (dealer sells euros).
What factors affect the dealer’s bid-offer spread?
Interbank market spread, transaction size, and dealer-client relationship.
How does the interbank spread on currency pairs vary?
It depends on the currencies involved, time of day, and market volatility.
What is triangular arbitrage?
Exploiting discrepancies between three currency exchange rates for profit.
What are spot and forward premiums/discounts?
A forward premium exists if the forward price is greater than the spot price; a discount exists if the forward price is less than the spot price.
What is the mark-to-market value of a forward contract?
The value of a forward contract prior to expiration, calculated based on forward price changes.