Corporate Liquidity and Solvency in Europe during COVID-19: The Role of Policies

Corporate Liquidity and Solvency in Europe during COVID-19: The Role of Policies
Author: Mr.Christian H Ebeke
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 48
Release: 2021-03-02
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1513570919

The spread of COVID-19, containment measures, and general uncertainty led to a sharp reduction in activity in the first half of 2020. Europe was hit particularly hard—the economic contraction in 2020 is estimated to have been among the largest in the world—with potentially severe repercussions on its nonfinancial corporations. A wave of corporate bankruptcies would generate mass unemployment, and a loss of productive capacity and firm-specific human capital. With many SMEs in Europe relying primarily on the banking sector for external finance, stress in the corporate sector could easily translate into pressures in the banking system (Aiyar et al., forthcoming).

Staff Guidance Note on Macroprudential Policy

Staff Guidance Note on Macroprudential Policy
Author: International Monetary Fund
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 45
Release: 2014-06-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1498342620

This note provides guidance to facilitate the staff’s advice on macroprudential policy in Fund surveillance. It elaborates on the principles set out in the “Key Aspects of Macroprudential Policy,” taking into account the work of international standard setters as well as the evolving country experience with macroprudential policy. The main note is accompanied by supplements offering Detailed Guidance on Instruments and Considerations for Low Income Countries

Debt Maturity and the Use of Short-Term Debt

Debt Maturity and the Use of Short-Term Debt
Author: Sophia Chen
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 77
Release: 2019-02-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484397630

The maturity structure of debt can have financial and real consequences. Short-term debt exposes borrowers to rollover risk (where the terms of financing are renegotiated to the detriment of the borrower) and is associated with financial crises. Moreover, debt maturity can have an impact on the ability of firms to undertake long-term productive investments and, as a result, affect economic activity. The aim of this paper is to examine the evolution and determinants of debt maturity and to characterize differences across countries.

Global Financial Stability Report, April 2016

Global Financial Stability Report, April 2016
Author: International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 135
Release: 2016-04-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1498363288

The current Global Financial Stability Report (April 2016) finds that global financial stability risks have risen since the last report in October 2015. The new report finds that the outlook has deteriorated in advanced economies because of heightened uncertainty and setbacks to growth and confidence, while declines in oil and commodity prices and slower growth have kept risks elevated in emerging markets. These developments have tightened financial conditions, reduced risk appetite, raised credit risks, and stymied balance sheet repair. A broad-based policy response is needed to secure financial stability. Advanced economies must deal with crisis legacy issues, emerging markets need to bolster their resilience to global headwinds, and the resilience of market liquidity should be enhanced. The report also examines financial spillovers from emerging market economies and finds that they have risen substantially. This implies that when assessing macro-financial conditions, policymakers may need to increasingly take into account economic developments in emerging market economies. Finally, the report assesses changes in the systemic importance of insurers, finding that across advanced economies the contribution of life insurers to systemic risk has increased in recent years. The results suggest that supervisors and regulators should take a more macroprudential approach to the sector.

International Financial Integration

International Financial Integration
Author: Mr.Gian Milesi-Ferretti
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 46
Release: 2003-04-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1451850905

In recent decades, the foreign assets and liabilities of advanced economies have grown rapidly relative to GDP, with the increase in gross cross-holdings far exceeding changes in the size of net positions. Moreover, the portfolio equity and FDI categories have grown in importance relative to international debt stocks. This paper describes the broad trends in international financial integration for a sample of industrial countries and seeks to explain the cross-country and time-series variation in the size of international balance sheets. It also examines the behavior of the rates of return on foreign assets and liabilities, relating them to "market" returns.

An Anatomy of Credit Booms

An Anatomy of Credit Booms
Author: Mr.Marco Terrones
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 52
Release: 2008-09-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1451870841

We study the characteristics of credit booms in emerging and industrial economies. Macro data show a systematic relationship between credit booms and economic expansions, rising asset prices, real appreciations and widening external deficits. Micro data show a strong association between credit booms and leverage ratios, firm values, and banking fragility. We also find that credit booms are larger in emerging economies, particularly in the nontradables sector; most emerging markets crises are associated with credit booms; and credit booms in emerging economies are often preceded by large capital inflows but not by financial reforms or productivity gains.

Revisiting Risk-Weighted Assets

Revisiting Risk-Weighted Assets
Author: Vanessa Le Leslé
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2012-03-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1475502656

In this paper, we provide an overview of the concerns surrounding the variations in the calculation of risk-weighted assets (RWAs) across banks and jurisdictions and how this might undermine the Basel III capital adequacy framework. We discuss the key drivers behind the differences in these calculations, drawing upon a sample of systemically important banks from Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. We then discuss a range of policy options that could be explored to fix the actual and perceived problems with RWAs, and improve the use of risk-sensitive capital ratios.

IMF Staff Papers, Volume 49, No. 3

IMF Staff Papers, Volume 49, No. 3
Author: International Monetary Fund. Research Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2002-09-23
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781589061224

This paper empirically investigates the monetary impact of banking crises in Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, and Uruguay during 1975–98. Cointegration analysis and error correction modeling are used to research two issues: (i) whether money demand stability is threatened by banking crises; and (ii) whether crises lead to structural breaks in the relation between monetary indicators and prices. Overall, no systematic evidence that banking crises cause money demand instability is found. The paper also analyzes inflation targeting in the context of the IMF-supported adjustment programs.