Financial markets

Ensuring the Benefits of Capital Flows in the Middle East

IMFBlog2020-01-15T15:04:34-05:00January 15, 2020|

Since the global financial crisis of 2008, emerging market economies have experienced a surge in capital flows in response to significant monetary easing by major central banks. Gross capital inflows to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have remained high compared to other emerging markets, but their composition has changed significantly, with a surge in portfolio flows (equity and bond instruments) and a decline in foreign direct investment. (more…)

Top 10 Charts of the Week for 2019

IMFBlog2020-01-06T17:16:30-05:00December 30, 2019|

By IMFBlog

The decade is over and with it goes another year of insightful, thought-provoking, and dare we say clever, charts of the week brought to you by the IMF.

Everyone likes a great chart, right? So to get the new year started on the right foot, take a minute and look back at what caught your eye (or what you might have missed) in 2019. (more…)

The Power of Text: How News Sentiment Influences Financial Markets

IMFBlog2019-12-23T11:15:49-05:00December 16, 2019|

By Damien Puy

عربي, 中文, Español, Français , 日本語, Português, Русский

How do investors react to news? This question has been at the core of the financial research agenda for several decades. Now, two forces make this question even more pressing. (more…)

Central Bank Digital Currencies: 4 Questions and Answers

IMFBlog2019-12-12T09:48:38-05:00December 12, 2019|

By Tobias Adrian and Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) is a complex and multidisciplinary topic requiring active analysis and debate. (more…)

Central Bank Accountability, Independence, and Transparency

IMFBlog2019-11-27T13:40:16-05:00November 25, 2019|

By Tobias Adrian and Ashraf Khan

عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский

In August 1694, the Bank of England opened for business with a staff of 19. The original Royal Charter, granted by King William and Queen Mary, tasked the Bank to “promote the public Good and Benefit of our People.” (more…)

Lower for Longer: Rising Vulnerabilities May Put Growth at Risk

IMFBlog2019-10-16T13:18:52-05:00October 16, 2019|

By Tobias Adrian and Fabio Natalucci

عربي, 中文, Español, Français, Português, 日本語, Русский

The pace of global economic activity remains weak, and financial markets expect rates to stay lower for longer than anticipated in early 2019. (more…)

Global Banks May Grow More Vulnerable to a Dollar Disruption

IMFBlog2019-10-11T12:30:41-05:00October 11, 2019|

By Claudio Raddatz and Adolfo Barajas

عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский

When a Mexican airline buys Brazilian airplanes, it’s likely to finance the purchase with a US dollar loan obtained from a non-US bank. (more…)

Connecting the Dots Between Sustainable Finance and Financial Stability

IMFBlog2019-10-11T09:21:41-05:00October 10, 2019|

Evan Papageorgiou, Jochen Schmittmann, and Felix Suntheim

عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский

Unsafe working conditions. Use of child or forced labor. Environmental impact on protected areas. (more…)

To Tackle Housing Affordability in Canada, Build More Houses

IMFBlog2019-10-02T09:17:06-05:00October 2, 2019|

By Michal Andrle, Cheng Hoon Lim and Troy Matheson

Français

Policymakers across the world worry about affordable housing. (more…)

chart of the weekMobile Money Spreads to Asia

IMFBlog2019-09-30T08:36:17-05:00September 30, 2019|

By Esha Chhabra and Bidisha Das

Thanks to mobile money, any person with a basic phone can now make cash transfers, pay bills, and send money to family members abroad without having a bank account. (more…)