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An unintended consequence of holding dollar assets

Author

Listed:
  • Czech, Robert

    (Bank of England)

  • Huang, Shiyang

    (University of Hong Kong)

  • Lou, Dong

    (London School of Economics)

  • Wang, Tianyu

    (Tsinghua University)

Abstract

We study investor trading behaviour and yield patterns in the UK government bond market during the recent Covid crisis. We show that the yield spike in mid-March 2020 was accompanied by heavy selling of gilts by UK-based insurance companies and pension funds (ICPFs), which we argue was an indirect result of the US dollar’s global prominence. Non-US institutions invest a large portion of their capital in dollar assets and hedge their dollar exposures by selling dollars forward through FX derivatives. In crisis periods, dollars appreciate against other currencies. To meet margin calls on these short-dollar FX positions, non-US institutions sell their domestic safe assets, thereby contributing to the yield spikes in domestic markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Czech, Robert & Huang, Shiyang & Lou, Dong & Wang, Tianyu, 2021. "An unintended consequence of holding dollar assets," Bank of England working papers 953, Bank of England.
    • Handle: RePEc:boe:boeewp:0953
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jukonis, Audrius & Letizia, Elisa & Rousová, Linda, 2022. "The impact of derivatives collateralisation on liquidity risk: evidence from the investment fund sector," Working Paper Series 2756, European Central Bank.
    2. Kristy Jansen & Sven Klingler & Angelo Ranaldo & Patty Duijm, 2024. "Pension Liquidity Risk," Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper Series 24-16, Swiss Finance Institute.
    3. Maddalena Ghio & Linda Rousova & Dilyara Salakhova & Mr. German Villegas Bauer, 2023. "Derivative Margin Calls: A New Driver of MMF Flows," IMF Working Papers 2023/061, International Monetary Fund.
    4. Cesa-Bianchi, Ambrogio & Eguren-Martin, Fernando, 2021. "Dash for dollars," Bank of England working papers 932, Bank of England.
    5. Yannis Dafermos & Daniela Gabor & Jo Michell, 2023. "FX swaps, shadow banks and the global dollar footprint," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 55(4), pages 949-968, June.
    6. Bardoscia, Marco & Caccioli, Fabio & Gao, Haotian, 2022. "Efficiency of central clearing under liquidity stress," Bank of England working papers 1002, Bank of England.
    7. Leonie Bräuer & Harald Hau, 2022. "Can Time-Varying Currency Risk Hedging Explain Exchange Rates?," CESifo Working Paper Series 10065, CESifo.
    8. Jordan Barone & Alain P. Chaboud & Adam Copeland & Cullen Kavoussi & Frank M. Keane & Seth Searls, 2023. "The Global Dash for Cash: Why Sovereign Bond Market Functioning Varied across Jurisdictions in March 2020," Economic Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, vol. 29(3), pages 1-29, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Covid crisis; gilt yields; variation margin; FX derivatives; global reserve currency; currency hedging;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

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