The Fed and Emerging Markets:
Another Crash?
Panel: Jeff Frankel, Carmen Reinhart, Bob Zoellick
IDEASpHERE
Thursday, May 15, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
3 waves of capital flows to Emerging Markets:
• late 1970s, ended in the intl. debt crisis of 1982-89;
• 1990-97, ended in East Asia crisis of 1997-98;
• and 2003-2008, ended in __?
IIF
http://www.iif.com/press/press+406.php
Consider the role of perceived risk,
as measured by the VIX.
IIF Working Paper, Chart 3
When perceived volatility is high (↓ in graph),
capital flows to EMs fall: “Risk off” (e.g., 2009 GFC).
Kristin Forbes, 2014 http://www.voxeu.org/article/understanding-emerging-market-turmoil
Notes: Data on private capital flows from IMF's IFS database, Dec. 2013. Capital flows are private financial flows to emerging markets
and developing economies. Volatility index measured by the Chicago Board's VIX or VXO at end of period. 2013 data are estimates.
See K.Forbes & F.Warnock (2012), “Capital Flow Waves: Surges, Stops, Flight and Retrenchment”, J. Int.Ec.
The role of US monetary policy
• Low US real interest rates contributed to EM flows
in late 1970s, early 1990s, and early 2000s.
• The Volcker tightening of 1980-82 precipitated
the international debt crisis of 1982.
• The Fed tightening of 1994 seemed to have helped
precipitate the Mexican peso crisis of that year,
– as had been predicted by Calvo, Leiderman & Reinhart.1/
• But the correlation is not always there.
1/ Guillermo Calvo, Leonardo Leiderman & Carmen Reinhart, 1993. "Capital Inflows and Real Exchange
Rate Appreciation in Latin America: The Role of External Factors," IMF Staff Papers, 40(1), 108-151.
The relationship between the Fed’s interest rate
and EM capital flows does not always hold.
Kristin Forbes, 2014 http://www.voxeu.org/article/understanding-emerging-market-turmoil
Notes: Data on private capital flows and policy rates from IMF's IFS database, Dec. 2013 version. Capital flows are private financial
flows to emerging markets and developing economies. Policy rates measured at end of period. Data for 2013 are estimates.
After Fed “taper talk” in May 2013, capital
flows to Emerging Markets reversed again.
Powell, Jerome. 2013. “Advanced Economy Monetary Policy and Emerging Market Economies.”
Speech at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Asia Economic Policy Conference, November .
http://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/publications/economic-letter/2014/march/federal-reserve-tapering-emerging-markets/
When Ben Bernanke
warned of tapering QE
in May/June 2013,
US interest rates rose,
and EMs plummeted.
Financial Times
8
Which EM countries are hit the hardest?
• For past studies of past crises, such as 1997-98 & 2008-09,
• Early Warning Indicators that worked well include:
– Foreign exchange reserves (esp. relative to short-term debt);
– Currency overvaluation (i.e., real appreciation);
– Current account deficits.
•
E.g.,
–
–
–
–
J. Frankel & A. Rose (1996)
G. Kaminsky, S. Lizondo, & Carmen Reinhart (1998)
G. Kaminsky, & Carmen Reinhart (1999)
J. Frankel & G. Saravelos (2012)
"Currency Crashes in Emerging Markets: An Empirical Treatment," JIE.41(3/4).
Leading Indicators of Currency Crises," IMF Staff Papers, 45(1)
Are Leading Indicators Useful for Assessing Country Vulnerability? Evidence from the 2008-09 Global Financial Crisis,” JIE 87, no.2, July.
• For the Taper Tantrum of May-June 2013,
– Current account deficits & overvaluation helped predict impact.
•
E.g.,
– B. Eichengreen and P. Gupta (2013)
– Jon Hill (2014), “Exploring Early Warning Indicators for Financial Crises in 2013 & 2014,” MPA/ID SYPA, April
“Tapering Talk: The Impact of Expectations of Reduced Federal Reserve Security Purchases on Emerging Markets,” Working Paper.
Countries with big current account deficits
were the ones hardest hit in June 2013.
Kristin Forbes, 2014
http://www.voxeu.org/article/understanding-emerging-market-turmoil
The
“Fragile
Five”
Countries with high inflation rates were also hit
in the year since May 2013.
A.Klemm, A.Mei
er & S.Sosa, IMF,
May 22, 2014
Taper Tantrum or
Tedium: How U.S.
Interest Rates Affect
Financial Markets in
Emerging Economies
The Fed and Emerging Markets:
Another Crash?
Panel: Jeff Frankel, Carmen Reinhart, Bob Zoellick
IDEASpHERE