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Corporate investment and the real exchange rate

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  • Dao, Mai Chi
  • Minoiu, Camelia
  • Ostry, Jonathan D.

Abstract

We examine the relationship between real exchange rate fluctuations and firm-level investment and growth using data for a sample of close to 33,000 firms from 68 advanced and emerging market countries over the 2000–2014 period. We show that real depreciations boost profits, investment, and asset growth of tradable sector firms that have higher labor shares and are relatively more financially constrained. These findings are consistent with an “internal financing channel” whereby depreciations boost profits by reducing real product wages, spurring investment of labor-intensive but financially-constrained firms. Our results are robust to controlling for alternative channels through which real exchange rates affect corporate investment, including via direct competitiveness gains, balance sheet mismatch, costs of imported intermediate inputs, and aggregate credit supply.

Suggested Citation

  • Dao, Mai Chi & Minoiu, Camelia & Ostry, Jonathan D., 2021. "Corporate investment and the real exchange rate," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:inecon:v:131:y:2021:i:c:s0022199621000143
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2021.103437
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    Cited by:

    1. Abdallah, Ali, 2022. "Dépréciation réelle de la monnaie et croissance économique [Can real currency depreciation lead growth?]," MPRA Paper 113183, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Palazzo, Gabriel & Rapetti, Martín, 2023. "From macro to micro and macro back: Macroeconomic trade elasticities in a developing economy," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 223-252.
    3. Ryan Banerjee & Boris Hofmann & Aaron Mehrotra, 2022. "Corporate investment and the exchange rate: The financial channel," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(3), pages 296-312, December.
    4. Bo Jiang & Tahsin Saadi Sedik, 2019. "The Turning Tide: How Vulnerable are Asian Corporates?," IMF Working Papers 2019/093, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Kuantan, Dhaha Praviandi & Siregar, Hermanto & Ratnawati, Anny & Juhro, Solikin M., 2021. "Corporate Investment Behavior and Level of Participation in the Global Value Chain: A Dynamic Panel Data Approach," MPRA Paper 115417, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 23 Oct 2021.
    6. Dao, Mai Chi & Minoiu, Camelia & Ostry, Jonathan D., 2021. "Corporate investment and the real exchange rate," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    7. Minsuk Kim, 2019. "Financial Development, Exchange Rate Fluctuations and Debt Dollarization: A Firm-Level Evidence," IMF Working Papers 2019/168, International Monetary Fund.
    8. Shesadri Banerjee & M S Mohanty, 2021. "US monetary policy and the financial channel of the exchange rate: evidence from India," BIS Working Papers 945, Bank for International Settlements.
    9. Beck, Thorsten & Bednarek, Peter & te Kaat, Daniel Marcel & von Westernhagen, Natalja, 2021. "Exchange rate depreciations and local business cycles: The role of bank loan supply," Discussion Papers 52/2021, Deutsche Bundesbank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corporate investment ; Labor share ; Real exchange rate ; Real effects of depreciation ; Financial constraints;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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