This paper concentrates on the analysis of currency crises in economies undergoing economic transition. The papaer begins with a brief introduction of contemporary exchnage rate regimes, which is followed by an analysis of the history of the World monetary system. The following chapters concentrate on the analysis of the monetary development in selected transitional economies. In case of the the first one, The Czech Republic, the analysis includes the period from the times of the centrally planed economy, through the initial transformation and the currency crisis of 1997 to the present day. In case of the other countries included in this paper, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Icelnad, the analysis concentrates on the current critical development in these economies. Apart from the analysis of the selected currency crises, the objective of this paper is to draw conclusions relevant to the future development of currency policies in the transitional economies.

Thesis analyses role of International Monetary Fund in currency crises its proceedings and instruments and thereof arising criticism. In the first chapter there are stated definitions of currency crises, described their causes and possibilities of prevention. Short description of the Fund and used instruments in its operations are also included. The main focus is on analysis of the approach of the IMF to significant currency crises since 1990's. Mexican, south-east Asian, Argentinean and Icelandic crises are analyzed. As a practical aspect of the thesis approach of the IMF to currency crisis in the Czech republic in 1997 is examined as well. In analysis there is always stated overall description of the crisis, approach of the IMF to mitigation of the crisis and thereof arising experts' criticism. In the last chapter there is analysis of certain reports and commissions that dealt with Fund's operations and suggested reforms. Experts' opinions (Kenen, Sedlacek, Jonas) of the IMF's functioning and its summary are also part of the chapter.

No description available.

I.1 Motivation Exchange rates are a key issue in international economics and politics. While the determinants of exchange rates have been extensively studied in previous works, this dissertation contributes to the literature by deriving exchange rate expectations from stock market (ADR) data and analyzing their determinants. This exercise is done for three cases where one has to resort to exchange rate expectations since the national exchange rate is either manipulated by the central bank (the first paper in Chapter II), fixed in pegged exchange rate regimes (the second paper in Chapter III), or not existent as the considered country is part of a currency union and therefore has no national currency (the third paper in Chapter IV). The first paper presented in Chapter II analyzes exchange rate expectations for the case of China in the period 1998-2009 in order to test standard exchange rate theories. American officials repeatedly accused China of systematically undervaluing its currency against the U.S. dollar , which produces political tensions between both countries. A recent climax in this dispute was reached on September 28, 2010, when the House of Representatives passed the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act, which would allow the imposition of import duties for countries with undervalued currencies, namely China. Although this bill did not pass the Senate, Chinese officials clearly opposed the bill arguing against significant undervaluation of the yuan and in favor of political opportunism of U.S. officials. As the assessments of a fair exchange rate significantly differ among officials of both countries, the Chinese-American exchange rate dispute continues. Measuring the development of market determined exchange rate expectations may help to find a compromise in this international political dispute and knowing the determinants of these expectations may help to identify macroeconomic policies necessary to influence future exchange rates. The second paper presented in Chapter III investigates the development of exchange rate expectations and their determinants for the currency crisis episodes in Argentina (2001-2002), Malaysia (1998-1999), and Venezuela (1994-1996 and 2003-2007). Large devaluations of Southeast Asian and Latin American currencies were to be observed during the currency crises in the 1990’s and at the beginning of the last decade. Due to an appreciation of foreign currency denominated debt, capital withdrawals, and bank runs, for example, currency crises typically lead to significant output losses in the affected economies (Hutchison and Noy, 2002). Avoiding currency crisis outbreaks has therefore become one of the major policy goals in many developing countries, which may explain the rapid accumulation of foreign exchange reserves aimed to fend off speculative attacks in these countries. The costs of this currency crisis prevention policy are however often overseen. Since foreign exchange reserves are typically invested in U.S. Treasuries, they yield a relatively low return compared to the high cost of domestic capital in these countries. Moreover, foreign exchange reserves may lose in value as the domestic currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar (Rodrik, 2006). An alternative way to avoid the outbreak of currency crises may be to regularly adjust the official exchange rate (typically managed by the domestic central bank) to levels in line with market expectations. Knowing market-based exchange rate expectations and their determinants may therefore be a cheaper way to avoid currency crises than holding excess amounts of foreign exchange reserves. The third paper presented in Chapter IV uses daily ADR data to analyze the determinants of the risk of withdrawals from the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) for the five vulnerable member countries Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain for the period 2007-2009. The subprime lending crisis has triggered significant financial turmoil in the EMU. Banking systems were destabilized and the governments of Greece, Ireland, and Portugal had to be bailed out. Reasserting national authority over monetary policy may help domestic policymakers to address the problems caused by banking and sovereign debt crises or an overvalued euro at national discretion. While the abandonment of fixed exchange rate regimes has so far been analyzed for countries with national currencies, the financial vulnerabilities in the EMU offer a new case to study the possibility of withdrawals from a monetary union. Although a country’s membership in the EMU is typically considered irreversible, many authors agree that sovereign states can choose to leave the EMU (Cohen, 1993; Scott, 1998; Buiter, 1999; Eichengreen, 2007). The new Treaty of Lisbon now includes a provision outlining voluntary withdrawal from the Union, which may cause the members to re-think the pros and cons of remaining in the EMU. Although the European Central Bank (ECB) has implemented measures meant to support the banking sectors and governments in the EMU, autonomous national central banks would probably pursue more expansionary monetary policies. By analyzing the determinants of exchange rate expectations in the monetary union one may therefore analyze the drivers of the risk of withdrawal from the EMU. I.2 Deriving exchange rate expectations from prices of American Depositary Receipts Measuring movements in exchange rate expectations is a relatively easy task for currencies in which a liquid and free forward exchange market exists. For the cases considered in this dissertation, however, the forward exchange market either produces bad forecasts or does not even exist. For the case of China, the yuan/U.S. dollar forward exchange rate is most likely managed by the Chinese central bank in the course of its foreign exchange market intervention policies, which hampers its ability to provide good signals for the future spot market exchange rate (see, for example, Wang, 2010). For the considered member countries of the EMU, no national currencies exist and consequently forward exchange rates cannot be used. For the case of the currency crisis episodes studied in this dissertation, one could use regression-based forecasting models that employ data on macroeconomic variables in order to produce currency crisis signals (see, among others, Eichengreen et al., 1995; Frankel and Rose, 1996; Kaminsky et al., 1998; Kaminsky and Reinhart, 1999; Karmann et al., 2002). The drawback of these approaches is the nature of macroeconomic data used, which enables one to create only monthly or quarterly crisis signals based on backward-looking data. In this dissertation I use stock market data to derive exchange rate expectations, which has several advantages compared to existing approaches. First of all, the prices of the considered stocks are most probably not manipulated by central bank interventions since these stocks are traded in the United States, which enables the derivation of exchange rate expectations formed under free market conditions (also for China). The used stock market data is available for the considered EMU member countries, which facilitates the analysis of the risk of withdrawals from the EMU. Moreover, stock market data is forward-looking and available on a daily basis, which enables the derivation of more accurate and up-to-date currency crisis signals for the considered crisis episodes. In order to derive exchange rate expectations I use data on a particular type of stock called American Depositary Receipt (ADR). An ADR is a financial instrument for foreign companies to list their shares at stock exchanges in the Unites States. An ADR represents the ownership of a specific number of underlying shares of a company in the home market on which the ADR is written. While the underlying stock is denominated in the currency and traded at the stock exchange of the home market, the ADR is denominated in U.S. dollars and traded at a U.S. stock exchange. Since both types of stocks of the same company generate identical cash flows and incorporate equivalent rights and dividend claims, cross-border arbitrage implies that the ADR and its underlying stock have the same price when adjusted for the current exchange rate. When capital controls or ownership restrictions are implemented, cross-border arbitrage is not possible and the law of one price is not binding. In such an environment, information efficiency suggests that the relative prices of ADRs and their underlying stocks – which only differ with respect to the currency they are denominated in – will signal exchange rate expectations of stock market investors. Using data on relative prices (or returns) of ADRs and their underlying stocks and the current exchange rate I can calculate measures for exchange rate expectations of stock market investors. Although the papers presented in this dissertation differ with respect to the considered companies, countries, and time periods, each paper uses the same kind of data and a similar methodology to derive exchange rate expectations – relative prices or returns of ADRs and their corresponding underlying stocks. In each paper I use a panel regression framework in order to analyze the determinants of exchange rate expectations. Each of the included papers focuses on a distinct facet of exchange rate expectations. The first paper focuses on standard exchange rate theories such as the relative purchasing power parity or the uncovered interest rate parity in order to analyze the factors that drive exchange rate expectations in general. The second paper studies the determinants of currency crisis expectations. The third paper analyzes the determinants of the risk of withdrawals from the EMU as expected by ADR market investors. I.3 Contribution to the literature This dissertation adds to two strands of the literature. First, it contributes to a literature that studies the determinants of exchange rates, currency crisis outbreaks, and risk of withdrawal from the EMU. The first paper (Chapter II) contributes to a vast literature on the determinants of exchange rates. An incomplete list of exchange rate determinants analyzed in the literature includes: labor productivity (Chinn, 2000; Cheung et al., 2007); inflation rates (Lothian and Taylor, 1996; Taylor et al., 2001); interest rates (Froot and Thaler, 1990; Chinn, 2006); overvaluation of the domestic currency (Glick and Rose, 1999; Corsetti et al., 2000); or export growth (Williamson, 1994; Isard, 2007). I study the impact of these macroeconomic fundamentals on ADR investors’ exchange rate expectations for China. China makes a good case to study standard exchange rate theories since the Chinese central bank manages the official yuan/U.S. dollar exchange rate, which therefore reacts much less to changes in macroeconomic fundamentals than is suggested by theory. Using ADR market data, I can test exchange rate theories for the Chinese peg/managed float regime under free market conditions. The second paper (Chapter III) contributes to a literature, which analyzes the determinants of currency crisis outbreaks (Eichengreen et al., 1995; Kaminsky and Reinhart, 1999; Karmann et al., 2002). Existing papers employ low-frequent and backward-looking macroeconomic data to forecast currency crises. This dissertation uses ADR market data to derive more accurate and up-to-date currency crisis signals on a daily basis. Moreover, the determinants of currency crisis expectations, such as banking or sovereign debt crisis risk, can be studied using daily market-based risk proxies. The third paper (Chapter IV) contributes to a literature on the sustainability of the EMU. Several papers discuss the possibility of withdrawal from the EMU (Cohen, 1993; Scott, 1998; Buiter, 1999; Eichengreen, 2007). I present empirical evidence that daily ADR market data reflects the risk that vulnerable member countries may leave the EMU and analyzes which determinants drive this withdrawal risk perceived by ADR investors. Second, this dissertation contributes to the literature on the pricing of ADRs. A common finding in the literature is that the outbreak of a currency crisis negatively affects the returns of U.S. dollar-denominated ADRs as the devaluation of the local currency depresses the dollar value of the underlying stock (see, for example, Bailey et al., 2000; Kim et al., 2000; Bin et al., 2004). Several papers find that the introduction of capital controls (typically meant to prevent a currency crisis outbreak) can lead to a permanent violation of the law of one price between ADRs and their underlying stocks since cross-border arbitrage cannot take place (Melvin, 2003; Levy Yeyati et al., 2004, 2009; Auguste et al., 2006). Arquette et al. (2008) and Burdekin and Redfern (2009) find that the price spreads of Chinese cross-listed stocks are significantly driven by market-traded forward exchange rates. This dissertation builds on these findings and uses the relative prices (or returns) of ADRs and their underlying stocks to derive exchange rate expectations. I present empirical evidence that ADR investors’ exchange rate expectations are driven by theory-based determinants of exchange rates, currency crisis outbreaks, or the risk of withdrawal from the EMU. This analysis therefore provides new insights into the price (return) determinants of ADRs. I.4 Main findings and policy implications The findings of this dissertation may broaden the understanding of exchanger rate expectations. The results of the first paper (Chapter II) suggest that stock market investors form their exchange rate expectations in accordance with standard exchange rate theories. Based on a monthly panel data set comprised of 22 ADR/underlying stock pairs and 52 H-share/underlying stock pairs from December 1998 to February 2009 I find that stock market investors expect more yuan appreciation against the U.S. dollar: if the yuan’s overvaluation decreases (the incentive of competitive devaluation); if the inflation differential vis-à-vis the United States falls (relative purchasing power parity); if the productivity growth in China accelerates relative to the United States (the Harrod-Balassa-Samuelson effect); if the Chinese interest rate differential vis-à-vis the United States decreases (uncovered interest rate parity); when Chinese domestic credit relative to GDP decreases (lower risk of a twin banking and currency crisis); or, if Chinese sovereign bond yields fall (lower risk of a twin sovereign debt and currency crisis), ceteris paribus. These findings suggest that the theoretical links between macroeconomic variables and exchange rates in most cases also apply to exchange rate expectations. In this way, the results support the validity of many exchange rate theories and substantiate the rationality of stock market investors’ expectations. This approach (based on stock prices formed under free market conditions) provides an opportunity to test exchange rate theories in managed floating regimes, where the official exchange rate is manipulated by the central bank and does therefore not necessarily respond to changes in macroeconomic fundamentals. Moreover, I use a rolling regressions forecasting framework in order to evaluate the quality of exchange rate expectations. I find that exchange rate expectations drawn from the ADR and H-share market have a better ability to predict changes in the yuan/U.S. dollar exchange rate than the random walk or forward exchange rates, at least at forecast horizons longer than one year. The People’s Bank of China may take advantage of ADR and H-share based exchange rate expectations in order to determine possible misalignments of the yuan/U.S. dollar exchange rate. In this way, the Chinese central bank may improve the timing and intensity of foreign exchange market interventions meant to manipulate the yuan/U.S. dollar exchange rate. The second paper (Chapter III) focuses on the derivation and determination of currency crisis signals formed by ADR market investors. Using daily data on 17 ADR/underlying stock pairs for the capital control episodes in Argentina (2001-2002), Malaysia (1998-1999), and Venezuela (1994-1996 and 2003-2007) we find that ADR investors anticipate currency crises or realignments well before they actually occur. Policymakers could use ADR investors’ up-to-date assessment of the peg’s sustainability in order to identify currency crisis risk earlier and to take the necessary steps to realign an (unsustainable) peg rate before a crisis breaks out. In this way, they could prevent the outbreaks of damaging currency crises without holding excess amounts of costly foreign exchange reserves. Using panel regressions we find that ADR investors anticipate a higher currency crisis risk when export commodity prices fall, the currencies of trading partners depreciate, sovereign bonds yield spreads rise, and interest rate spreads increase. These findings suggest that ADR investors’ currency crisis expectations are based on currency crisis theories even on a daily basis underlining the validity of these theories. The third paper (Chapter IV) studies a particular form of currency crisis risk: the risk that vulnerable member countries could leave the EMU. I use a multifactor pricing model to test whether the financial vulnerability measures assumed to reflect the incentives of national governments to withdraw from the EMU (banking crisis risk, sovereign debt crisis risk, and overvaluation of the euro) are priced in ADR returns. Using daily data on 22 ADR/underlying stock pairs of Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain in the period January 2007 to March 2009 I find that ADR investors perceive a higher risk of withdrawal (priced in ADR returns) when the risk of banking and sovereign debt crisis and the overvaluation of the euro increase. Policymakers could use ADR market data in order to assess the stability of the EMU. Higher correlations between ADR returns and currency crisis risk factors would suggest a higher risk of withdrawals from the EMU. In such a case, financial vulnerabilities may be addressed within the EMU in order to preserve the integrity of the eurozone. However, time will show how long the policymakers in the EMU will continue with the implementation of even more anti-crisis measures. Growing controversies on the ECB’s sovereign bond purchases and the bailouts for Greece, Ireland and Portugal cast doubt on the sustainability of the EMU in its current form.

I.1 Motivation Exchange rates are a key issue in international economics and politics. While the determinants of exchange rates have been extensively studied in previous works, this dissertation contributes to the literature by deriving exchange rate expectations from stock market (ADR) data and analyzing their determinants. This exercise is done for three cases where one has to resort to exchange rate expectations since the national exchange rate is either manipulated by the central bank (the first paper in Chapter II), fixed in pegged exchange rate regimes (the second paper in Chapter III), or not existent as the considered country is part of a currency union and therefore has no national currency (the third paper in Chapter IV). The first paper presented in Chapter II analyzes exchange rate expectations for the case of China in the period 1998-2009 in order to test standard exchange rate theories. American officials repeatedly accused China of systematically undervaluing its currency against the U.S. dollar , which produces political tensions between both countries. A recent climax in this dispute was reached on September 28, 2010, when the House of Representatives passed the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act, which would allow the imposition of import duties for countries with undervalued currencies, namely China. Although this bill did not pass the Senate, Chinese officials clearly opposed the bill arguing against significant undervaluation of the yuan and in favor of political opportunism of U.S. officials. As the assessments of a fair exchange rate significantly differ among officials of both countries, the Chinese-American exchange rate dispute continues. Measuring the development of market determined exchange rate expectations may help to find a compromise in this international political dispute and knowing the determinants of these expectations may help to identify macroeconomic policies necessary to influence future exchange rates. The second paper presented in Chapter III investigates the development of exchange rate expectations and their determinants for the currency crisis episodes in Argentina (2001-2002), Malaysia (1998-1999), and Venezuela (1994-1996 and 2003-2007). Large devaluations of Southeast Asian and Latin American currencies were to be observed during the currency crises in the 1990’s and at the beginning of the last decade. Due to an appreciation of foreign currency denominated debt, capital withdrawals, and bank runs, for example, currency crises typically lead to significant output losses in the affected economies (Hutchison and Noy, 2002). Avoiding currency crisis outbreaks has therefore become one of the major policy goals in many developing countries, which may explain the rapid accumulation of foreign exchange reserves aimed to fend off speculative attacks in these countries. The costs of this currency crisis prevention policy are however often overseen. Since foreign exchange reserves are typically invested in U.S. Treasuries, they yield a relatively low return compared to the high cost of domestic capital in these countries. Moreover, foreign exchange reserves may lose in value as the domestic currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar (Rodrik, 2006). An alternative way to avoid the outbreak of currency crises may be to regularly adjust the official exchange rate (typically managed by the domestic central bank) to levels in line with market expectations. Knowing market-based exchange rate expectations and their determinants may therefore be a cheaper way to avoid currency crises than holding excess amounts of foreign exchange reserves. The third paper presented in Chapter IV uses daily ADR data to analyze the determinants of the risk of withdrawals from the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) for the five vulnerable member countries Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain for the period 2007-2009. The subprime lending crisis has triggered significant financial turmoil in the EMU. Banking systems were destabilized and the governments of Greece, Ireland, and Portugal had to be bailed out. Reasserting national authority over monetary policy may help domestic policymakers to address the problems caused by banking and sovereign debt crises or an overvalued euro at national discretion. While the abandonment of fixed exchange rate regimes has so far been analyzed for countries with national currencies, the financial vulnerabilities in the EMU offer a new case to study the possibility of withdrawals from a monetary union. Although a country’s membership in the EMU is typically considered irreversible, many authors agree that sovereign states can choose to leave the EMU (Cohen, 1993; Scott, 1998; Buiter, 1999; Eichengreen, 2007). The new Treaty of Lisbon now includes a provision outlining voluntary withdrawal from the Union, which may cause the members to re-think the pros and cons of remaining in the EMU. Although the European Central Bank (ECB) has implemented measures meant to support the banking sectors and governments in the EMU, autonomous national central banks would probably pursue more expansionary monetary policies. By analyzing the determinants of exchange rate expectations in the monetary union one may therefore analyze the drivers of the risk of withdrawal from the EMU. I.2 Deriving exchange rate expectations from prices of American Depositary Receipts Measuring movements in exchange rate expectations is a relatively easy task for currencies in which a liquid and free forward exchange market exists. For the cases considered in this dissertation, however, the forward exchange market either produces bad forecasts or does not even exist. For the case of China, the yuan/U.S. dollar forward exchange rate is most likely managed by the Chinese central bank in the course of its foreign exchange market intervention policies, which hampers its ability to provide good signals for the future spot market exchange rate (see, for example, Wang, 2010). For the considered member countries of the EMU, no national currencies exist and consequently forward exchange rates cannot be used. For the case of the currency crisis episodes studied in this dissertation, one could use regression-based forecasting models that employ data on macroeconomic variables in order to produce currency crisis signals (see, among others, Eichengreen et al., 1995; Frankel and Rose, 1996; Kaminsky et al., 1998; Kaminsky and Reinhart, 1999; Karmann et al., 2002). The drawback of these approaches is the nature of macroeconomic data used, which enables one to create only monthly or quarterly crisis signals based on backward-looking data. In this dissertation I use stock market data to derive exchange rate expectations, which has several advantages compared to existing approaches. First of all, the prices of the considered stocks are most probably not manipulated by central bank interventions since these stocks are traded in the United States, which enables the derivation of exchange rate expectations formed under free market conditions (also for China). The used stock market data is available for the considered EMU member countries, which facilitates the analysis of the risk of withdrawals from the EMU. Moreover, stock market data is forward-looking and available on a daily basis, which enables the derivation of more accurate and up-to-date currency crisis signals for the considered crisis episodes. In order to derive exchange rate expectations I use data on a particular type of stock called American Depositary Receipt (ADR). An ADR is a financial instrument for foreign companies to list their shares at stock exchanges in the Unites States. An ADR represents the ownership of a specific number of underlying shares of a company in the home market on which the ADR is written. While the underlying stock is denominated in the currency and traded at the stock exchange of the home market, the ADR is denominated in U.S. dollars and traded at a U.S. stock exchange. Since both types of stocks of the same company generate identical cash flows and incorporate equivalent rights and dividend claims, cross-border arbitrage implies that the ADR and its underlying stock have the same price when adjusted for the current exchange rate. When capital controls or ownership restrictions are implemented, cross-border arbitrage is not possible and the law of one price is not binding. In such an environment, information efficiency suggests that the relative prices of ADRs and their underlying stocks – which only differ with respect to the currency they are denominated in – will signal exchange rate expectations of stock market investors. Using data on relative prices (or returns) of ADRs and their underlying stocks and the current exchange rate I can calculate measures for exchange rate expectations of stock market investors. Although the papers presented in this dissertation differ with respect to the considered companies, countries, and time periods, each paper uses the same kind of data and a similar methodology to derive exchange rate expectations – relative prices or returns of ADRs and their corresponding underlying stocks. In each paper I use a panel regression framework in order to analyze the determinants of exchange rate expectations. Each of the included papers focuses on a distinct facet of exchange rate expectations. The first paper focuses on standard exchange rate theories such as the relative purchasing power parity or the uncovered interest rate parity in order to analyze the factors that drive exchange rate expectations in general. The second paper studies the determinants of currency crisis expectations. The third paper analyzes the determinants of the risk of withdrawals from the EMU as expected by ADR market investors. I.3 Contribution to the literature This dissertation adds to two strands of the literature. First, it contributes to a literature that studies the determinants of exchange rates, currency crisis outbreaks, and risk of withdrawal from the EMU. The first paper (Chapter II) contributes to a vast literature on the determinants of exchange rates. An incomplete list of exchange rate determinants analyzed in the literature includes: labor productivity (Chinn, 2000; Cheung et al., 2007); inflation rates (Lothian and Taylor, 1996; Taylor et al., 2001); interest rates (Froot and Thaler, 1990; Chinn, 2006); overvaluation of the domestic currency (Glick and Rose, 1999; Corsetti et al., 2000); or export growth (Williamson, 1994; Isard, 2007). I study the impact of these macroeconomic fundamentals on ADR investors’ exchange rate expectations for China. China makes a good case to study standard exchange rate theories since the Chinese central bank manages the official yuan/U.S. dollar exchange rate, which therefore reacts much less to changes in macroeconomic fundamentals than is suggested by theory. Using ADR market data, I can test exchange rate theories for the Chinese peg/managed float regime under free market conditions. The second paper (Chapter III) contributes to a literature, which analyzes the determinants of currency crisis outbreaks (Eichengreen et al., 1995; Kaminsky and Reinhart, 1999; Karmann et al., 2002). Existing papers employ low-frequent and backward-looking macroeconomic data to forecast currency crises. This dissertation uses ADR market data to derive more accurate and up-to-date currency crisis signals on a daily basis. Moreover, the determinants of currency crisis expectations, such as banking or sovereign debt crisis risk, can be studied using daily market-based risk proxies. The third paper (Chapter IV) contributes to a literature on the sustainability of the EMU. Several papers discuss the possibility of withdrawal from the EMU (Cohen, 1993; Scott, 1998; Buiter, 1999; Eichengreen, 2007). I present empirical evidence that daily ADR market data reflects the risk that vulnerable member countries may leave the EMU and analyzes which determinants drive this withdrawal risk perceived by ADR investors. Second, this dissertation contributes to the literature on the pricing of ADRs. A common finding in the literature is that the outbreak of a currency crisis negatively affects the returns of U.S. dollar-denominated ADRs as the devaluation of the local currency depresses the dollar value of the underlying stock (see, for example, Bailey et al., 2000; Kim et al., 2000; Bin et al., 2004). Several papers find that the introduction of capital controls (typically meant to prevent a currency crisis outbreak) can lead to a permanent violation of the law of one price between ADRs and their underlying stocks since cross-border arbitrage cannot take place (Melvin, 2003; Levy Yeyati et al., 2004, 2009; Auguste et al., 2006). Arquette et al. (2008) and Burdekin and Redfern (2009) find that the price spreads of Chinese cross-listed stocks are significantly driven by market-traded forward exchange rates. This dissertation builds on these findings and uses the relative prices (or returns) of ADRs and their underlying stocks to derive exchange rate expectations. I present empirical evidence that ADR investors’ exchange rate expectations are driven by theory-based determinants of exchange rates, currency crisis outbreaks, or the risk of withdrawal from the EMU. This analysis therefore provides new insights into the price (return) determinants of ADRs. I.4 Main findings and policy implications The findings of this dissertation may broaden the understanding of exchanger rate expectations. The results of the first paper (Chapter II) suggest that stock market investors form their exchange rate expectations in accordance with standard exchange rate theories. Based on a monthly panel data set comprised of 22 ADR/underlying stock pairs and 52 H-share/underlying stock pairs from December 1998 to February 2009 I find that stock market investors expect more yuan appreciation against the U.S. dollar: if the yuan’s overvaluation decreases (the incentive of competitive devaluation); if the inflation differential vis-à-vis the United States falls (relative purchasing power parity); if the productivity growth in China accelerates relative to the United States (the Harrod-Balassa-Samuelson effect); if the Chinese interest rate differential vis-à-vis the United States decreases (uncovered interest rate parity); when Chinese domestic credit relative to GDP decreases (lower risk of a twin banking and currency crisis); or, if Chinese sovereign bond yields fall (lower risk of a twin sovereign debt and currency crisis), ceteris paribus. These findings suggest that the theoretical links between macroeconomic variables and exchange rates in most cases also apply to exchange rate expectations. In this way, the results support the validity of many exchange rate theories and substantiate the rationality of stock market investors’ expectations. This approach (based on stock prices formed under free market conditions) provides an opportunity to test exchange rate theories in managed floating regimes, where the official exchange rate is manipulated by the central bank and does therefore not necessarily respond to changes in macroeconomic fundamentals. Moreover, I use a rolling regressions forecasting framework in order to evaluate the quality of exchange rate expectations. I find that exchange rate expectations drawn from the ADR and H-share market have a better ability to predict changes in the yuan/U.S. dollar exchange rate than the random walk or forward exchange rates, at least at forecast horizons longer than one year. The People’s Bank of China may take advantage of ADR and H-share based exchange rate expectations in order to determine possible misalignments of the yuan/U.S. dollar exchange rate. In this way, the Chinese central bank may improve the timing and intensity of foreign exchange market interventions meant to manipulate the yuan/U.S. dollar exchange rate. The second paper (Chapter III) focuses on the derivation and determination of currency crisis signals formed by ADR market investors. Using daily data on 17 ADR/underlying stock pairs for the capital control episodes in Argentina (2001-2002), Malaysia (1998-1999), and Venezuela (1994-1996 and 2003-2007) we find that ADR investors anticipate currency crises or realignments well before they actually occur. Policymakers could use ADR investors’ up-to-date assessment of the peg’s sustainability in order to identify currency crisis risk earlier and to take the necessary steps to realign an (unsustainable) peg rate before a crisis breaks out. In this way, they could prevent the outbreaks of damaging currency crises without holding excess amounts of costly foreign exchange reserves. Using panel regressions we find that ADR investors anticipate a higher currency crisis risk when export commodity prices fall, the currencies of trading partners depreciate, sovereign bonds yield spreads rise, and interest rate spreads increase. These findings suggest that ADR investors’ currency crisis expectations are based on currency crisis theories even on a daily basis underlining the validity of these theories. The third paper (Chapter IV) studies a particular form of currency crisis risk: the risk that vulnerable member countries could leave the EMU. I use a multifactor pricing model to test whether the financial vulnerability measures assumed to reflect the incentives of national governments to withdraw from the EMU (banking crisis risk, sovereign debt crisis risk, and overvaluation of the euro) are priced in ADR returns. Using daily data on 22 ADR/underlying stock pairs of Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain in the period January 2007 to March 2009 I find that ADR investors perceive a higher risk of withdrawal (priced in ADR returns) when the risk of banking and sovereign debt crisis and the overvaluation of the euro increase. Policymakers could use ADR market data in order to assess the stability of the EMU. Higher correlations between ADR returns and currency crisis risk factors would suggest a higher risk of withdrawals from the EMU. In such a case, financial vulnerabilities may be addressed within the EMU in order to preserve the integrity of the eurozone. However, time will show how long the policymakers in the EMU will continue with the implementation of even more anti-crisis measures. Growing controversies on the ECB’s sovereign bond purchases and the bailouts for Greece, Ireland and Portugal cast doubt on the sustainability of the EMU in its current form.

Die lateinamerikanischen Währungskrisen lenkten erst kürzlich wieder das Augenmerk auf die Gefahren wechselkursbasierter Stabilisierungen (WKBS). Dies sind Inflationsstabilisierungsprogramme, die den nominalen Wechselkurs als vorrangiges geldpolitisches Instrument einsetzen. Die vorliegende Dissertation dokumentiert die Wirkung der Stabilisierungen und präsentiert Erklärungsmodelle für deren stilisierte Fakten. Das erste Kapitel untersucht in Burns-Mitchell-Diagrammen typische reale und monetäre Effekte von 13 Stabilisierungsepisoden. Der anfängliche Anstieg des Konsums und des BIPs, die reale Aufwertung und die Verschlechterung der Leistungsbilanz sind dabei die auffälligsten stilisierten Fakten. Auf die Expansion folgt eine wirtschaftliche Abschwächung, d. h. niedrigeres oder Nullwachstum, falls die Stabilisierung noch andauert, und negative Wachstumsraten, falls das Programm bereits aufgegeben wurde. Die Kapitalimporte folgen einem ähnlichen Zyklus: Dem Anstieg zu Beginn der Stabilisierung folgt drei bis sechs Jahre später eine drastische Umkehr, die häufig mit dem Zusammenbruch des Programms einhergeht. Die Kurzlebigkeit von WKBS ist ein weiterer stilisierter Fakt: 70 % der betrachteten Stabilisierungen scheiterten innerhalb von 10 Jahren. Die anfängliche reale Aufwertung während WKBS wird meist als Anstieg des relativen Preises nicht-handelbarer Güter modelliert; empirische Ergebnisse hingegen unterstreichen die Bedeutung der internationalen Preisunterschiede handelbarer Güter. Kapitel 2 untersucht diese Ursachen durch die Anwendung von Engels Methode der Varianzzerlegung auf den realen Wechselkurs zwischen Brasilien und den USA. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen dabei sowohl die Modelle als auch den empirischen Befund: Bei Betrachtung der gesamten Stichprobe (von Januar 1981 bis Mai 2001) bestimmen Veränderungen der Preise handelbarer Güter und des nominalen Wechselkurses nahezu die gesamten Bewegungen des realen Wechselkurses. Während Perioden fester Wechselkurse hingegen sind die Preise nicht-handelbarer Güter von ähnlicher Bedeutung. Aufgrund dieses Ergebnisses wird in den in Kapitel 3 und 4 präsentierten Modellen der reale Wechselkurs in Abhängigkeit des relativen Preises nicht-handelbarer Güter dargestellt. Diese Modelle bilden kleine, offene Volkswirtschaften ab, die von nutzenmaximierenden repräsentativen Agenten mit perfekter Voraussicht bevölkert sind. Monetäre Größen sind aufgrund von cash-in-advance- Beschränkungen von Bedeutung. Weitere wichtige Modellelemente sind die Existenz von Marktimperfektionen (Preisstarrheiten und unvollständige Kapitalmobilität) sowie die mangelnde Glaubwürdigkeit der Stabilisierung. In Kapitel 3 ist diese durch die Antizipation einer Währungskrise à la Krugman (1979) begründet. Die reale Aufwertung kann dann mit vorausblickender Preissetzung der monopolistischen Produzenten nicht-handelbarer Güter erklärt werden: Aufgrund von Preisstarrheiten erhöhen diese ihre Preise in Erwartung der Währungsabwertung. Da die Preise handelbarer Güter durch das Gesetz des einheitlichen Preises bestimmt werden, folgt daraus ein Anstieg des relativen Preises nicht-handelbarer Güter und eine reale Aufwertung. Zudem wird aufgrund intertemporaler Konsumsubstitution der anfängliche Konsumboom reproduziert. Ökonometrische Evidenz bestätigt den Preissetzungsmechanismus: KQ-Schätzungen mit monatlichen mexikanischen Daten zeigen für Perioden fester Wechselkurse einen signifikanten positiven Zusammenhang zwischen dem relativen Preis nicht-handelbarer Güter und dem mexikanisch-US-amerikanischen Zinsdifferential als Approximation der Abwertungserwartung. Während das Ende der Stabilisierung in obigen Modell durch eine fundamentale Inkonsistenz von Wechselkursziel und Staatsausgaben bedingt ist, zeigt Kapitel 4, daß der Zusammenbruch auch aus sich-selbst-erfüllenden Erwartungen resultieren kann. Ein wesentliches Element ist dabei die Begrenzung der internationalen Kapitalmobilität. Diese erlaubt es, sowohl den anfänglichen Konsumboom als auch das Ende der Stabilisierung mit Erwartungen bezüglich der Dauer des Pegs und der nachfolgenden Geldpolitik zu erklären. Zusammenfassend zeigt die Dissertation die Gefahren wechselkursbasierter Stabilisierungen auf: Im Gegensatz zur herkömmlichen Meinung sind sogar relativ erfolgreiche und langlebige WKBS mittelfristig mit einer Kontraktion verbunden; nur wenige Programme erzielen eine nachhaltige Reduktion der Inflation. Die hier präsentierten Modelle zeigen, daß die mangelnde Glaubwürdigkeit der Programme - selbst wenn diese nicht durch Fundamentaldaten gerechtfertigt ist - zu Allokationsverzerrungen führt und den Erfolg der Stabilisierungsmaßnahmen gefährdet. / Exchange rate crises in Latin America recently put a spotlight on the perils of Exchange Rate-Based Stabilizations (ERBS), which use the nominal exchange rate as the main policy target for stabilizing inflation. This dissertation documents the effects of ERBS in high inflation economies and develops models to explain these stylized facts. The first chapter assesses the empirical regularities associated with ERBS. Based on a sample of 13 stabilization episodes, typical real and monetary dynamics are investigated in Burns-Mitchell diagrams. Stylized facts of ERBS are the initial increases in consumption and GDP, the real appreciation and the current account deterioration. Moreover, consumption and output are found to follow a boom-slowdown cycle, where slowdown means reduced or zero growth if the ERBS is still in effect, and negative growth rates for failed ERBS. Capital inflows follow a similar boom-bust cycle: Their increase at the stabilization''s inception is followed by a sharp reversal three to six years later, very often coinciding with the program''s collapse. This transitoriness of ERBS constitutes an additional stylized fact: 70 % of the programs under consideration failed within 10 years after their implementation. The origin of the initial real exchange rate appreciation during ERBS has been subject to controversy: Most models assume an increase in the relative price of non-traded goods. Empirical findings, in contrast, emphasize the contribution of traded goods'' cross-country prices. Chapter 2 sheds light on this issue by applying Engel''s (1995) method of variance decomposition on Brazilian-US real exchange rate fluctuations. The results confirm both the models and the empirical findings: When considering the full sample (from January 1981 to May 2001), changes in traded goods'' prices and the nominal exchange rate account for almost all of the observed real exchange rate movements. During periods of pegged exchange rates, however, non-traded goods'' prices are equally important for real exchange rate fluctuations. Thus, changes in relative non-tradables'' prices are incorporated as a determinant of real exchange rate fluctuations during ERBS in the theoretical frameworks presented in chapters 3 and 4. These explain the stylized facts in models of small, open economies populated by a utility-maximizing representative agent endowed with perfect foresight. Money matters due to cash-in-advance constraints. Further important features are the existence of market imperfections - price stickiness or imperfect capital mobility - and the stabilization''s deficient credibility. In chapter 3, the latter is due to the anticipation of a Krugman (1979)-style currency crisis. The initial real appreciation during ERBS can then be explained with forward-looking price setting by monopolistic non-tradable goods'' producers: These are subject to staggered price setting and incorporate the peg''s anticipated termination - i.e. higher future devaluation rates - by increasing their current prices. As tradables'' prices are determined by the law of one price, this implies higher relative non-tradables'' prices and thus a real exchange rate appreciation. Furthermore, due to intertemporal consumption substitution, the observed initial consumption boom is reproduced. Econometric evidence confirms the proposed price setting mechanism: Using the Mexican-US interest rate differential as an indicator for devaluation rate expectations, OLS regressions with monthly Mexican data find a significant positive relation between relative non-tradables'' prices and the interest rate spread during periods of pegged exchange rates. In the previous model, the stabilization effort collapses due to a fundamental inconsistency between the exchange rate target and government finance. Chapter 4 shows that the collapse can also result from self-fulfilling expectations. This is achieved by introducing partial international capital mobility. Given this constraint, both the initial consumption boom and the stabilization''s collapse can be shown to result from expectations about the duration of the peg and post-stabilization monetary policy. In conclusion, the dissertation points to the perils of ERBS in high inflation countries: Contrary to what is commonly believed, even relatively successful and long-lived exchange rate pegs are associated with a late slowdown; only very few ERBS are successful at stabilizing inflation rates in the medium and long run. The models show that stabilizations'' deficient credibility - regardless if justified by fundamentals or not - engenders real dynamics which distort economic activity and jeopardize the stabilization effort: The miracle of ERBS turns into a mirage.

Finanzkrisen sind spätestens seit den 1990'er Jahren ein sehr prominentes und interessantes Forschungsobjekt der Wirtschaftswissenschaften. Dieses Jahrzehnt war durch eine Vielzahl von Finanzkrisen gekennzeichnet, von denen nur wenige Länder vollkommen verschont blieben. Die vorliegenden Arbeit gliedert sich in drei Hauptteile: Im ersten Teil werden die unterschiedlichen Theorien zur Beschreibung von Finanzkrisen kategorisiert und jeweils verschiedene bedeutende Arbeiten vorgestellt. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit werden Gründe für das Auftreten von Herdenverhalten auf Finanzmärkten und dessen Auswirkungen untersucht. Dabei wird zunächst der Stand der Forschung dargestellt. Eine wichtige Voraussetzung für das effiziente Funktionieren von Märkten ist, daß die Marktteilnehmer vollkommene Informationen besitzen. Dies ist in der Realität aber zumeist nicht gegeben. Das in Teil zwei entwickelte Modell basiert auf darauf, daß Informationen unvollkommen sind und asymmetrisch verteilt. Es ist in der Lage die Entwicklung von Herdenverhalten dynamisch zu erklären. Wie dieses Modell zeigt, kann Herdenverhalten zum einen zu stark abweichenden Asset-Preisen führen, welche dabei, gleich einer Blase, stark ansteigen können, um dann wieder ebenso stark zurückzugehen bzw. zu platzen. Zum anderen kann sich ein Herdenverhalten unter internationalen Anlegern auf die Wechselkurse auswirken oder sogar zu einem Zusammenbruch eines fixen Wechselkurses führen. Insbesondere in den 1990'er Jahren konnte man immer wieder beobachten, daß Finanzkrisen nicht nur auf ein einzelnes Land beschränkt waren, sondern sich über mehrere Länder innerhalb einer Region oder auch über die ganze Welt verteilt ausbreiteten. Im dritten Teil der vorliegenden Arbeit werden derartige Ansteckungseffekte genauer untersucht. Hierzu wird zunächst ein Überblick über den Stand der Forschung gegeben. Weiter wird ein Modell entwickelt, welches eine portfoliotheoretische Erklärung für Ansteckungseffekte liefert. Der contagion-Mechanismus kann dabei kurz wie folgt beschrieben werden: Eine Krise in einem Land j führt zu Verlusten eines hoch informierten Investors aus einem Land i. Dies kann wiederum dazu führen, daß er die Investitionen in seinem Heimatmarkt reduziert und dadurch fällt dort der Preis eines Assets. Ein Investor aus einem dritten Land mit einem niedrigeren Informationsstand wird diesen Preisrückgang als schlechtes Signal für den Ertrag aus dem Asset interpretieren. Als Konsequenz zieht er ebenfalls Kapital aus diesem Asset und damit auch aus Land i ab. Der Kapitalabzug des ausländischen Investors kann nun dazu führen, daß es in Land i ebenfalls zu einer Krise kommt. Die Arbeit schließt mit einer Zusammenfassung der gewonnenen Erkenntnisse und liefert einige sich hieraus ergebende Politikempfehlungen zur Verhinderung bzw. Abschwächung von Finanzkrisen. Dabei werden insbesondere die Ursachen und Folgen von Herdenverhalten und Ansteckungseffekten berücksichtigt.

Finanzkrisen sind spätestens seit den 1990'er Jahren ein sehr prominentes und interessantes Forschungsobjekt der Wirtschaftswissenschaften. Dieses Jahrzehnt war durch eine Vielzahl von Finanzkrisen gekennzeichnet, von denen nur wenige Länder vollkommen verschont blieben. Die vorliegenden Arbeit gliedert sich in drei Hauptteile: Im ersten Teil werden die unterschiedlichen Theorien zur Beschreibung von Finanzkrisen kategorisiert und jeweils verschiedene bedeutende Arbeiten vorgestellt. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit werden Gründe für das Auftreten von Herdenverhalten auf Finanzmärkten und dessen Auswirkungen untersucht. Dabei wird zunächst der Stand der Forschung dargestellt. Eine wichtige Voraussetzung für das effiziente Funktionieren von Märkten ist, daß die Marktteilnehmer vollkommene Informationen besitzen. Dies ist in der Realität aber zumeist nicht gegeben. Das in Teil zwei entwickelte Modell basiert auf darauf, daß Informationen unvollkommen sind und asymmetrisch verteilt. Es ist in der Lage die Entwicklung von Herdenverhalten dynamisch zu erklären. Wie dieses Modell zeigt, kann Herdenverhalten zum einen zu stark abweichenden Asset-Preisen führen, welche dabei, gleich einer Blase, stark ansteigen können, um dann wieder ebenso stark zurückzugehen bzw. zu platzen. Zum anderen kann sich ein Herdenverhalten unter internationalen Anlegern auf die Wechselkurse auswirken oder sogar zu einem Zusammenbruch eines fixen Wechselkurses führen. Insbesondere in den 1990'er Jahren konnte man immer wieder beobachten, daß Finanzkrisen nicht nur auf ein einzelnes Land beschränkt waren, sondern sich über mehrere Länder innerhalb einer Region oder auch über die ganze Welt verteilt ausbreiteten. Im dritten Teil der vorliegenden Arbeit werden derartige Ansteckungseffekte genauer untersucht. Hierzu wird zunächst ein Überblick über den Stand der Forschung gegeben. Weiter wird ein Modell entwickelt, welches eine portfoliotheoretische Erklärung für Ansteckungseffekte liefert. Der contagion-Mechanismus kann dabei kurz wie folgt beschrieben werden: Eine Krise in einem Land j führt zu Verlusten eines hoch informierten Investors aus einem Land i. Dies kann wiederum dazu führen, daß er die Investitionen in seinem Heimatmarkt reduziert und dadurch fällt dort der Preis eines Assets. Ein Investor aus einem dritten Land mit einem niedrigeren Informationsstand wird diesen Preisrückgang als schlechtes Signal für den Ertrag aus dem Asset interpretieren. Als Konsequenz zieht er ebenfalls Kapital aus diesem Asset und damit auch aus Land i ab. Der Kapitalabzug des ausländischen Investors kann nun dazu führen, daß es in Land i ebenfalls zu einer Krise kommt. Die Arbeit schließt mit einer Zusammenfassung der gewonnenen Erkenntnisse und liefert einige sich hieraus ergebende Politikempfehlungen zur Verhinderung bzw. Abschwächung von Finanzkrisen. Dabei werden insbesondere die Ursachen und Folgen von Herdenverhalten und Ansteckungseffekten berücksichtigt.

本文研究目的有四：(1) 研究以本國通貨貶值率為政策工具的影響效果與相關的議題。(2) 探討由固定匯率到爬行釘住匯率再到浮動匯率崩潰的過程，並且分析有何關鍵因素，會影響匯率制度崩潰時間。(3) 討論匯率定錨政策失敗的原因，並提出以往文獻可能忽略的因素。(4) 分析通貨替代性是否會影響匯率政策的效果，甚至使匯率政策遭遇困難而失敗。為了達成研究目的，本文內容共分五章，除了第一章的緒論和第五章的總結外，其餘各章的內容為： 第二章延伸Calvo (1981) 的架構，加入Chen, Tsaur and Chou (1981)、曹添旺 (1987) 及張文雅、賴景昌和曹添旺 (1991) 的觀點，並仿照Liviatan (1891)、Engel (1989)、Calvo (1985) 的作法，設立一個具有通貨替代環境的小型開放經濟模型，探討本國通貨貶值率上升對經濟體系的影響。文中發現通貨之間若有較高 (較低) Edgeworth 替代關係，則本國通貨貶值率上升，經常帳會因此改善 (惡化)。本章亦針對通貨替代程度的不同，分析提升本國通貨貶值率政策對社會福利的影響效果，其中發現：不論是通貨替代程度大小，提升本國通貨貶值率政策對社會福利的影響均有兩種不同的情況，其中的一種是確定福利下降，另一種是不確定。 第三章仍然依據Chen, Tsaur and Chou (1981)、曹添旺 (1987) 及張文雅、賴景昌和曹添旺 (1991) 所強調通貨能提供流動性勞務，降低交易成本的功能，將本國通貨和外國通貨放入模型內，建立一個以交易功能為基礎的貨幣模型，探討由固定匯率崩潰到爬行釘住匯率，再由爬行釘住匯率崩潰到浮動匯率的過程，有何關鍵因素，會影響匯率制度崩潰時間。結果發現：(1) 不論是通貨替代、通貨互補或是通貨獨立的環境下，實際發生匯率制度崩潰的時間早於自然崩潰的時間。(2) 制度崩潰的時點由通貨替代或是通貨互補的程度決定，通貨替代性越是極端 (例如：完全互補或完全替代) 將使通貨危機越早發生，而通貨替代關係越低將使通貨危機發生時間延後。(3) 當固定匯率轉換到爬行釘住匯率時，所產生的外匯存底流失的額度將會是決定爬行釘住匯率制度是否能夠執行的關鍵。 第四章以代表性個人最適化模型的架構，加入Végh (1995) 主張外國通貨能提供流動性勞務，降低交易成本的觀點，建立一個具有通貨替代環境的交易成本貨幣成長模型，分析名目匯率定錨政策崩潰的過程與通貨替代程度的關連性，結果發現匯率定錨政策失敗的主因可能是名目匯率定錨政策違反經常帳跨期平衡所致。為了避免通貨危機提早發生，匯率政策須視通貨替代程度的高低作適當的調整。通貨替代程度較高時，貨幣當局應當在政策執行時，大幅的降低本國通貨貶值率，可使政策崩潰的時間延後；而通貨替代程度較低時，貨幣當局應當採用小幅度降低本國通貨貶值率，可拖延政策崩潰發生的時間。 / This paper has four purposes: (1) Research in the influence and relevant topics about adopting depreciation rate of the domestic currency as policy instrument. (2) Show the dynamics transition process from the fixed, to the crawling peg, and then to the flexible exchange rate regimes, and analyze the central factor about time of collapse of exchange rate regimes. (3) Research in the reason about the exchange-rate-based stabilization program fails, and it may be ignored by the existing literature. (4) Analyze the influence of the currency substitutability affects the effect of exchange rate policy, even to cause difficulty and failure. In order to achieve the research purposes, the content of this paper divides into five chapters, except that chapter 1 is the introduction and chapter 5 is conclusion; the rest is organized as follows: In chapter 2, this paper expands Calvo (1981) model, combining the spirit of Chen, Tsaur and Chou (1981), Tsaur (1987), Chang, Lai and Tsaur (1991) and the approach of Liviatan (1891), Engel (1989), Calvo (1985), we set up the framework for small open economy with currency substitution environments to explore the policy effects of a rise in the rate of devaluation domestic currency on economy. We find that if two currencies are higher (lower) degree of Edgeworth substitution, then a rise in the rate of devaluation domestic currency induced a current account surplus (deficit) on the transition path. This chapter also aims at the currency substitution degree the difference, the analysis about a rise in the rate of devaluation domestic currency to the social welfare influence effect. We show that no matter is the currency substitution degree size, a rise in the rate of devaluation domestic currency to have two kind of different situations to the social welfare influence, one is the definite welfare drops; another is an ambiguous. In chapters 3, we investigate the relationship between the collapse timing of exchange rate regime and degree of substitutability of foreign currency for domestic currency as a medium of exchange. According to the spirit of Chen, Tsaur and Chou (1981), Tsaur (1987), Chang, Lai and Tsaur (1991), we set up a transaction-based monetary model in which money provides liquidity services to reduce transaction costs, domestic and foreign currencies are introduced into the system. The results of study show (1) no matter what degree of substitutability of foreign currency for domestic currency, the collapse timing of the exchange rate regime is earlier than the natural collapse timing, and (2) the collapse timing depends on the degree of currency substitution or complement. We find that the extreme degree of substitutability of currencies led to earlier currency crisis; however, moderate degree of substitutability of currencies prolong currency crisis. We also explore the dynamic transition process from the fixed to the crawling peg, and then to the flexible exchange rate regimes. We find that the extent of the decrease in foreign exchange reserves is the key whether the fixed exchange rate is able to transform into the crawling peg exchange rate regime. In chapter 4, we investigate the relationship between the failures of exchange-rate-based stabilization program and degree of foreign currency substitutability. According to Végh (1995), we set up a transaction-based monetary model with currency substitution in which foreign currencies provides liquidity services to reduce transaction costs. The reason of failure on exchange-rate-based stabilization program is that it violates intertemporal current account balance constraint. In order to prolong the time of the currency crisis occurs, the exchange-rate-based stabilization program must regard the degree of currency substitution. When the degree of currency substitution is high, the monetary authority must reduce the rate of devaluation domestic currency largely, and when the degree of currency substitution is low, the monetary authority must narrow scale to reduce the rate of devaluation domestic currency, and prolong time of policy collapse occurrence.

La seguente tesi e’ costituita da tre diversi elaborati, il primo e’ l’estensione di un modello di equilibrio generale a due regioni (Benigno JIE 2004) con l’intento di calcolare i pesi ottimali per l’inflazione dell’area euro utilizzando micro dati sull’eterogeneità delle rigidità dei prezzi in Europa. Il secondo e il terzo elaborato si focalizzano invece sulle crisi d’insolvenza con l’obiettivo di selezionare le variabili che forniscono maggiori informazioni per la previsione della crisi. La metodologia utilizzata e’ l’analisi della transvariazione. Mentre il secondo ‘essay’ si concentra sulla versione univariata, il terzo estende la metodologia al caso multivariato. Il primo analizza le crisi d’insolvenza più severe degli anni ’90, la seconda utilizza invece gli episodi di crisi analizzati da Frankel e Rose (1996). / The present work is made of three different essays, the first is an extension of a two region general equilibrium model (Benigno JIE 2004), with the intent of calculating optimal weights for EU inflation using micro data on the level of price rigidities, the second and the third have as main focus financial and currency country crises, with the task of selecting the most important variables in terms of crisis prediction by means of a descriptive statistics methodology called transvariation analysis. While the second essay focuses on univariate transvariation, the third extends the methodology to a multivariate framework. The last two essays are based on two different datasets. The first studies the most recent deep financial crises of the 1990s and the source is IMF, International Financial Statistics, the second uses a vast sample of currency crisis episodes taken from Frankel and Rose (1996) dataset made of annual data on more than one hundred developed countries from 1971 through 1992 and defining currency crash as a large change of nominal exchange rate that is also a substantial increase in the rate of change of nominal depreciation. The source in this case is World Bank, World Development Indicators.