This thesis investigates the complex dynamics of foreign exchange (FX) risk affecting Swedish multinational corporations and their financial performance, with a focus on the impact of company size and periods of economic crisis. Amidst global economic interdependencies, these entities encounter substantial FX risks, primarily due to the volatility of the Swedish Krona (SEK) against major currencies. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset spanning from 2004 to 2023, this study employs an empirical approach grounded in the International Capital Asset Pricing Model (ICAPM) and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) to analyze the correlation between currency fluctuations and stock valuations. The analysis reveals that both company size and economic crises significantly modulate the effects of FX risks, with larger companies often better positioned to manage these risks through sophisticated hedging strategies. Smaller firms, conversely, show greater sensitivity to economic disruptions, particularly during crises which heighten the volatility of FX impacts. The findings indicate that FX risks significantly influence the financial outcomes of these firms, with both direct impacts on stock returns and indirect effects through operational strategies. The thesis underscores the importance of robust risk management strategies and the potential for policy adjustments to mitigate adverse effects from currency volatility. The insights derived from this research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the financial economics of foreign exchange, providing implications for investors and multinational corporations operating in global markets.

The thesis focuses on the question of undervaluation of the renminbi exchange rate to the U.S. dollar from the perspective of three selected alternative methods of calculating long term equilibrium exchange rate. In the case of calculations of behavioral equilibrium exchange rate and the natural real exchange rate, I performed calculations by using vector error correction model. In the case of fundamental equilibrium exchange rate I used error correction model. The input data used in the models are ranging from 1980 to 2010. Those are primarily value of nominal exchange rates, price levels and foreign trade. According to my results behavioural and fundamental equilibirum exchange rate show undervaluation of the renminbi to the year 2010, while the natural real exchange rate indicates a slight overvaluation of the renminbi to the year 2010.

Duas ou mais séries não estacionárias são cointegradas se existir uma relação de equilíbrio de longo prazo entre elas. Nas últimas décadas, o interesse na literatura sobre o tema cointegração aumentou de maneira expressiva. Os modelos tradicionais supõem que o vetor de cointegração não varia ao longo do tempo. Entretanto, existem evidências na literatura de que esta suposição pode ser considerada muito restritiva. Utilizando o conceito de ondaletas, propomos um modelo de correção de erros vetorial em que é permitido ao vetor de cointegração variar ao longo do tempo. Diferente de trabalhos similares, é permitido ao vetor de cointegração variar suave ou abruptamente, dependendo da família de ondaletas considerada. Experimentos de Monte Carlo foram utilizados para estudar os quantis e o poder do teste de razão de verossimilhanças entre as hipóteses de cointegração usual e a de cointegração variando com o tempo. Os experimentos sugerem que o teste possui poder contra alternativas que variam ao longo do tempo. Foi demonstrada a capacidade do modelo em lidar satisfatoriamente com séries cointegradas simuladas, que apresentavam mudança de regime para o vetor de cointegração. O modelo foi empregado ainda para testar a validade da hipótese de paridade de poder de compra entre Estados Unidos e doze países da Organização para Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico (OECD): Canadá, Japão e mais dez países europeus. Assim como em trabalhos similares, foram verificadas evidências de cointegração variando com o tempo entre os países. Foram utilizados valores-p bootstrap para verificar a significância da estatística do teste. / Two or more non-stationary time series are cointegrated if there is a long-run equilibrium relationship between them. In recent decades, interest in the literature on the subject of cointegration increased expressively. Traditional models that address this issue assume that the cointegration vector does not vary over time. However, there is evidence in the literature that this assumption can be considered very restrictive. Using the concept of wavelets, we propose a vector error correction model in which is allowed to the cointegration vector vary over time. Unlike similar works, the cointegration vector is allowed to vary smoothly or abruptly, depending on the considered family of wavelets. Monte Carlo experiments were used to study the quantiles and the power of the likelihood ratio test of the hypotheses of usual cointegration versus the time-varying cointegration. The experiments suggest that the test has power against alternatives that vary over time. It was demonstrated the ability of the model to deal satisfactorily with simulated cointegrated series, which presented regime change for the cointegration vector. The model was also used to test the validity of the Purchasing Power Parity hypothesis between United States and twelve countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): Canada, Japan and ten other European countries. As in similar works, evidence of time-varying cointegration was verified among countries. Bootstrap p-values were used to verify the significance of the likelihood ratio of the test.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:26:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Helene Albuquerque Rebelo 1.pdf: 1046658 bytes, checksum: 341e6608b9c7f265ac5e1303f07c7667 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-10-23 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / The dissertation examines the behavior of the exchange rate in the long term from the perspective of the classical model of purchasing power parity theory (PPP), developed empirically by Cassel and the alternative model proposed by Basso originating from the Marxist benchmark, which emphasizes prices and productivities to determine the exchange rate. The exchange rate behavior is examined for three countries over the 1977-2006 period, with annual frequency. To test the models, it was used the consumer price index (CPI), the GDP, the value-added price index and gross producer price index (EU KLEMS database). The essay uses the causality tests of Johansen, the Dickey-Fuller and Phillips-Perron unit root tests, the VAR (vector autoregression) and VEC (vector error correction) models and performing a projection with the Model Confidence Set. It is ascertained that PPP was not supported for any of the 12 models generated. In Basso s approach, the 48 models generated, cointegration was found in only four models, therefore it is not possible to generalize the new model. / A dissertação examina o comportamento da taxa de câmbio no longo prazo sobre a perspectiva do modelo clássico da paridade do poder de compra (PPC) ou purchasing power parity theory (PPP), desenvolvido empiricamente por Cassel e do modelo alternativo proposto por Basso oriundo do referencial marxista, enfatizando preços e produtividades para determinar a taxa de câmbio. Examina-se o comportamento da taxa de câmbio para três países no período de 1977 a 2006, com frequência anual. Para testar os modelos, foram empregados o índice de preço ao consumidor (IPC), o deflator do PIB, o deflator dos valores agregados e o deflator de produção total (base de dados EU KLEMS). O trabalho utiliza o teste de causalidade de Johansen, os testes de raiz unitária de Dickey e Fuller e Phillips-Perron, os modelos de VAR (vetores autorregressivos) e VEC (vetores autorregressivos com correção de erro) e é feito projeção com Model Confidence Set. Constata-se que a PPP não foi corroborada para nenhum dos 12 modelos gerados. Na abordagem de Basso, dos 48 modelos gerados, encontrou-se cointegração apenas em quatro, portanto, não é possível generalizar o novo modelo.

Duas ou mais séries não estacionárias são cointegradas se existir uma relação de equilíbrio de longo prazo entre elas. Nas últimas décadas, o interesse na literatura sobre o tema cointegração aumentou de maneira expressiva. Os modelos tradicionais supõem que o vetor de cointegração não varia ao longo do tempo. Entretanto, existem evidências na literatura de que esta suposição pode ser considerada muito restritiva. Utilizando o conceito de ondaletas, propomos um modelo de correção de erros vetorial em que é permitido ao vetor de cointegração variar ao longo do tempo. Diferente de trabalhos similares, é permitido ao vetor de cointegração variar suave ou abruptamente, dependendo da família de ondaletas considerada. Experimentos de Monte Carlo foram utilizados para estudar os quantis e o poder do teste de razão de verossimilhanças entre as hipóteses de cointegração usual e a de cointegração variando com o tempo. Os experimentos sugerem que o teste possui poder contra alternativas que variam ao longo do tempo. Foi demonstrada a capacidade do modelo em lidar satisfatoriamente com séries cointegradas simuladas, que apresentavam mudança de regime para o vetor de cointegração. O modelo foi empregado ainda para testar a validade da hipótese de paridade de poder de compra entre Estados Unidos e doze países da Organização para Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico (OECD): Canadá, Japão e mais dez países europeus. Assim como em trabalhos similares, foram verificadas evidências de cointegração variando com o tempo entre os países. Foram utilizados valores-p bootstrap para verificar a significância da estatística do teste. / Two or more non-stationary time series are cointegrated if there is a long-run equilibrium relationship between them. In recent decades, interest in the literature on the subject of cointegration increased expressively. Traditional models that address this issue assume that the cointegration vector does not vary over time. However, there is evidence in the literature that this assumption can be considered very restrictive. Using the concept of wavelets, we propose a vector error correction model in which is allowed to the cointegration vector vary over time. Unlike similar works, the cointegration vector is allowed to vary smoothly or abruptly, depending on the considered family of wavelets. Monte Carlo experiments were used to study the quantiles and the power of the likelihood ratio test of the hypotheses of usual cointegration versus the time-varying cointegration. The experiments suggest that the test has power against alternatives that vary over time. It was demonstrated the ability of the model to deal satisfactorily with simulated cointegrated series, which presented regime change for the cointegration vector. The model was also used to test the validity of the Purchasing Power Parity hypothesis between United States and twelve countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): Canada, Japan and ten other European countries. As in similar works, evidence of time-varying cointegration was verified among countries. Bootstrap p-values were used to verify the significance of the likelihood ratio of the test.

Global civilisation, and therefore population health, is threatened by excessive inequality, weapons of mass destruction, inadequate economic and political theory and adverse global environmental change. The unequal distribution of global foreign exchange adjusted income is both a cause and a reflection of global social characteristics responsible for many aspects of these inter-related crises. ¶ The global distribution of foreign exchange adjusted income for the period 1964-1999 is examined. Using data for more than 99% of the global population, a substantial divergence in its distribution is found. The global Gini co-efficient, adjusted for national income inequality, increased from an already high value of 71% in 1964 to peak at more than 80% in 1995, before falling, very slightly, to 79% in 1999. The global distribution of purchasing parity power income is also examined, for a similar period. Though also found to be extremely unequal, its trend has not been to increased inequality. Implications of the differences between these two trends are discussed. ¶ A weighted time series index of global environmental change (IGEC) for the period 1960-1997 was also calculated. This uses nine categories of global time series environmental data, each scaled so that 100% represents the level of each category in nature prior to anthropogenic change; zero represents decline to a critical point. This index fell from 82% in 1960 to 55% in 1997, and will further decline during this century. ¶ Using evidence from several disciplines, it is argued that the decline in the IGEC correlates with major macro-environmental changes, which, combined with flawed social responses to scarcity and its perception, place at risk the ability of civilisation to function. This could occur because of the interaction of conflict, economically disastrous extreme climatic events, deterioration of other ecosystem services, regional food and water insecurity, and currently unforeseen events. Uncertainty regarding both a safe rate of decline and the tolerable nadir of the IGEC is substantial. ¶ Substantial reduction in the inequality of foreign exchange adjusted income is vital to enhance the development of policies able to reverse the decline in the environmental goods which underpin civilisation, and to promote the co-operation needed to maximise the chance that civilisation will survive.

Professors Bela Balassa and Paul Samuelson (1964) have made a significant contribution to the theories of exchange rate by bringing a new thinking to the most popular exchange rate model, Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). They have elucidated the contribution of productivity in the determination of PPP. Accordingly, the emphasis of this thesis is Balassa and Samuelson’s Productivity Bias Hypothesis (PBH) in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and the application thereof to South Africa and Switzerland for the period 1994Q1 -2003Q4. The productivity bias hypothesis that explains real exchange rate movements in terms of sectoral productivities rests on two components: firstly, it implies that the relative price of non-traded goods in each country should reflect the relative productivity of labour in the traded and non-traded goods sectors. Secondly, it assumes that purchasing power parity holds for traded goods. The deviation of PPP from the equilibrium exchange rate or the real exchange rate is directly related to the ratio of productivity in a counter country over that of the base country. With inter-country productivity differences believed to be smaller in the service sector than in the sectors producing goods and with the prices of traded goods equalised through arbitrage, the relative prices of non-traded goods (services) would be directly correlated with productivity levels in individual countries. The thesis employs stationarity and cointegration tests in order to determine the presence of long-term, equilibrium, relationship between PPP and productivity variables of the above-mentioned two countries. The overall finding of this thesis is supportive of the productivity bias hypothesis in purchasing power parity concerning the two countries, South Africa and Switzerland. Accordingly, it has been found out that the deviation from equilibrium exchange rate can be explained by differences in productivity. Though currently being challenged by the service sector, South Africa’s manufacturing sector is assuming an important place in the economy. Given the need for improved competitiveness in the manufacturing sector, it is imperative that policy analysis and formulation render increased emphasis on efficiency and costeffectiveness. Such an integrated approach may aid not only in raising productivity but also in managing the intertwined socio-economic challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

In this dissertation, I focus on the development and application of nonparametric methods in econometrics. First, a constrained nonparametric regression method is developed to estimate a function and its derivatives subject to shape restrictions implied by economic theory. The constrained estimators can be viewed as a set of empirical likelihood-based reweighted local polynomial estimators. They are shown to be weakly consistent and have the same first order asymptotic distribution as the unconstrained estimators. When the shape restrictions are correctly specified, the constrained estimators can achieve a large degree of finite sample bias reduction and thus outperform the unconstrained estimators. The constrained nonparametric regression method is applied on the estimation of daily option pricing function and state-price density function. Second, a modified Cumulative Sum of Squares (CUSQ) test is proposed to test structural changes in the unconditional volatility in a time-varying coefficient model. The proposed test is based on nonparametric residuals from local linear estimation of the time-varying coefficients. Asymptotic theory is provided to show that the new CUSQ test has standard null distribution and diverges at standard rate under the alternatives. Compared with a test based on least squares residuals, the new test enjoys correct size and good power properties. This is because, by estimating the model nonparametrically, one can circumvent the size distortion from potential structural changes in the mean. Empirical results from both simulation experiments and real data applications are presented to demonstrate the test's size and power properties. Third, an empirical study of testing the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) hypothesis is conducted in a functional-coefficient cointegration model, which is consistent with equilibrium models of exchange rate determination with the presence of trans- actions costs in international trade. Supporting evidence of PPP is found in the recent float exchange rate era. The cointegration relation of nominal exchange rate and price levels varies conditioning on the real exchange rate volatility. The cointegration coefficients are more stable and numerically near the value implied by PPP theory when the real exchange rate volatility is relatively lower.

Submitted by Vagner Enrico Castilho Alves (vagneralves@gmail.com) on 2014-08-26T17:29:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MPFE_Dissertacao_Vagner Enrico Castilho Alves_VF.pdf: 1506529 bytes, checksum: 5f1fd3e54f60edb8c87d8542948d2b57 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by JOANA MARTORINI (joana.martorini@fgv.br) on 2014-08-26T18:38:27Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MPFE_Dissertacao_Vagner Enrico Castilho Alves_VF.pdf: 1506529 bytes, checksum: 5f1fd3e54f60edb8c87d8542948d2b57 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-26T18:40:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MPFE_Dissertacao_Vagner Enrico Castilho Alves_VF.pdf: 1506529 bytes, checksum: 5f1fd3e54f60edb8c87d8542948d2b57 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-08 / Este trabalho procurar analisar a validade da Paridade do Poder de Compra entre regiões metropolitanas do Brasil através do Índice de Preços do Consumidor Amplo (IPCA). Para isso foram realizados testes de raiz unitária para modelos lineares e não lineares, sobre cinco grupos do IPCA: Índice Geral, Administrados, Bens Comercializáveis, Bens Não Comercializáveis e Alimentos no Domicílio. O banco de dados utilizado compreende o período de 1991 a 2013 e os testes foram realizados sobre 550 séries, comparando-se todos os pares possíveis de regiões. Sob o modelo linear, não foi possível validar a PPC para a maioria das séries através do teste de raiz unitária DF-GLS, o que é diferente do esperado, uma vez que a análise intranacional elimina os efeitos da taxa de câmbio e reduz a influência dos custos de transações sobre as condições de arbitragem. Já o resultado do modelo não linear, realizado através do teste de Kapetanios, confirmou a estacionariedade de 203 séries, de tal forma que podemos afirmar que a PPC é válida para praticamente todos os pares possíveis de regiões metropolitanas abrangidas pelo IPCA nos cinco grupos estudados. Além disso, é possível observar que as séries apresentam maiores desvios entre os anos de 1991 e 1994, período marcado por grande instabilidade macroeconômica no Brasil e de sucessivos planos econômicos que não funcionaram. Após o início do plano real, em 1994, a relação da variação de preços entre regiões apresenta menor volatilidade e uma convergência mais rápida. / This paper analyses the validity of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) between metropolitan regions of Brazil through the Consumer Price Index (IPCA). For this, we conducted unit root tests for linear and nonlinear models, on five groups of the IPCA: General Index, Regulated Prices, Tradable Goods, Non Tradable Goods and Food at Home. The database covers the period of 1991-2013 and the tests were conducted on 550 series, comparing all possible pairs of regions. On the linear model, it was not possible to validate the PPP for most of the series through the DF-GLS unit root test, which was not expected since the intra-national analysis should eliminate the effects of exchange rate and reduce the influence of transaction costs on arbitrage conditions. However, the result of the linear model, done through the Kapetanios test, confirmed the stationarity of 203 series, such that is possible to validate the PPP for almost all pairs of metropolitan areas covered by the IPCA in the five studied groups. Moreover, one can observe that the series have large deviations between the years of 1991 and 1994, a period marked by great macroeconomic instability in Brazil and successive economic plans that have not worked. After the beginning of the Real Plan in 1994, the ratio of the change in prices between regions stabilizes, presenting a low volatility and a short term convergence.

Submitted by Oscar Simoes (oscar.simoes@citi.com) on 2011-09-06T20:01:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Oscar Simoes FINAL.pdf: 585897 bytes, checksum: 7cd8393ba1823e9dcfc4bde821b40736 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Gisele Isaura Hannickel (gisele.hannickel@fgv.br) on 2011-09-08T12:46:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Oscar Simoes FINAL.pdf: 585897 bytes, checksum: 7cd8393ba1823e9dcfc4bde821b40736 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Gisele Isaura Hannickel (gisele.hannickel@fgv.br) on 2011-09-08T12:48:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Oscar Simoes FINAL.pdf: 585897 bytes, checksum: 7cd8393ba1823e9dcfc4bde821b40736 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-09-08T12:48:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Oscar Simoes FINAL.pdf: 585897 bytes, checksum: 7cd8393ba1823e9dcfc4bde821b40736 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-12 / Este trabalho tem três objetivos básicos, tendo como base um banco de dados de taxas reais de câmbio entre Brasil e 21 parceiros comerciais no período de 1957 a 2010. O primeiro objetivo é o de verificar a validade da Paridade do Poder de Compra entre Brasil e seus parceiros comerciais através de três testes de raiz unitária (ADF, PP, KPSS). Para a maioria dos países, os testes de raiz unitária foram inconclusivos ou não rejeitaram raiz unitária quando foram utilizados dados mensais e modelos lineares. Já para dados de periodicidade anual, houve maior aceitação de estacionariedade, além de um número menor de resultados inconclusivos. O segundo objetivo é o de investigar a hipótese em Taylor (2001) de que a meia-vida é superestimada quando a amostra é formada a partir de um processo de agregação temporal pela média. Os resultados confirmam as conclusões de Taylor e superestimam a meia-vida em uma janela de 35% a 56% do que seria a meia-vida calculada a partir de dados de final de período. O terceiro objetivo do trabalho é o de verificar se a taxa real de câmbio possui uma reversão não-linear à média. Considerando dados mensais, foi verificado que na maioria dos testes rejeita-se a hipótese nula de raiz unitária contra a hipótese alternativa de globalmente estacionária, porém não-linear. / This dissertation has three main objectives and is based on real exchange rates between Brazil and 21 commercial counterparties for the period of 1957-2010. The first objective is to verify the validity of the Purchasing Power Parity through 3 different linear unit root tests (ADF, PP, and KPSS). For the majority of the cases, null hypotheses of unit roots could not be rejected or were inconclusive for monthly end-of-period data and linear models. For yearly end-ofperiod data, results were more inclined to accepting stationarity, and the number of inconclusive results was reduced. The second objective is to investigate Taylor’s (2001) conclusion that temporal aggregation overestimates the half-lives of the real exchange rates. Under the tests done, Taylor’s points are confirmed, and half-lives are overestimated by a range of 35% to 56% when aggregated temporally by its means and when compared with endof-period half-lives. The third objective is to verify if real exchange rates have non-linear mean-reversion. Considering monthly data, the majority of the tests confirm non-linearity and global stationarity against the unit root hypothesis