Technology capital and the U.S. current account

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Technology capital and the U.S. current account

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Ellen R. McGrattan
Edward C. Prescott

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Abstract

The rate of return on capital of U.S. foreign subsidiaries has been much higher than the rate of return on capital of U.S. affliates of foreign companies. Over the period 1982?2005, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) estimates that the difference in returns, after subtracting taxes, averaged 6.3 percent per year. One explanation explored in this paper is the fact that multinationals make large intangible investments that affect profits but are excluded from BEA capital stock measures. Differences in reported returns on foreign direct investment (FDI) could exist if there were differences in the timing and magnitude of these foreign intangible investments. We explore this possibility using a growth model with two types of intangible capital: plant-speciic intangible capital and technology capital. Technology capital is accumulated know-how from investments in research and development (R&D), brands, and organizations that can be used in as many available locations as firms choose. As countries open up, there are gains to foreign direct investment with more locations available in which to put technology capital. We choose parameters of our model to mimic the U.S. current accounts and find that the mismeasurement of incomes and capital stocks accounts for a little over half of the difference in reported returns.

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Paper provided by Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis in its series Working Papers with number 646.

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Date of creation: 2007
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Handle: RePEc:fip:fedmwp:646

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Paper
- Ellen R McGrattan & Edward C Prescott, 2008. "Technology Capital and the U.S. Current Account," Levine's Bibliography 122247000000001827, UCLA Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
- Ellen R. McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2008. "Technology Capital and the U.S. Current Account," NBER Working Papers 13983, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
- Ellen R. McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2008. "Technology capital and the U.S. current account," Staff Report 406, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

NEP-ALL-2007-01-02 (All new papers)
NEP-BEC-2007-01-02 (Business Economics)
NEP-CBA-2007-01-02 (Central Banking)
NEP-DGE-2007-01-02 (Dynamic General Equilibrium)

References listed on IDEAS
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Ellen R. McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2005. "Taxes, regulations, and the value of U.S. and U.K. corporations," Staff Report 309, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Ellen R. McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2004. "Taxes, Regulations, and the Value of U.S. and U.K. Corporations," Levine's Bibliography 122247000000000715, UCLA Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
- Ellen R. McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2005. "Taxes, Regulations, and the Value of U.S. and U.K. Corporations," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 72(3), pages 767-796, 07. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Ricardo Caballero & Emmanuel Farhi & Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, 2006. "An Equilibrium Model of "Global Imbalances" and Low Interest Rates," Center for International and Development Economics Research, Working Paper Series 1067, Center for International and Development Economics Research, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Caballero, Ricardo & Farhi, Emmanuel & Gourinchas, Pierre-Olivier, 2006. "An Equilibrium Model of 'Global Imbalances' and Low Interest Rates," CEPR Discussion Papers 5573, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
- Ricardo J. Caballero & Emmanuel Farhi & Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, 2006. "An Equilibrium Model of Global Imbalances and Low Interest Rates," 2006 Meeting Papers 894, Society for Economic Dynamics. [Downloadable!]
- Ricardo J. Caballero & Emmanuel Farhi & Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, 2006. "An Equilibrium Model of "Global Imbalances" and Low Interest Rates," NBER Working Papers 11996, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
- Ricardo J Caballero & Emmanuel Farhi & Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, 2006. "An equilibrum model of "global imbalances" and low interest rates," BIS Working Papers 222, Bank for International Settlements. [Downloadable!]
- Ricardo J. Caballero & Emmanuel Farhi & Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, 2008. "An Equilibrium Model of "Global Imbalances" and Low Interest Rates," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(1), pages 358-93, March.
Alessandra Fogli & Fabrizio Perri, 2006. "The "Great Moderation" and the US External Imbalance," NBER Working Papers 12708, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
- Alessandra Fogli & Fabrizio Perri, 2006. "The "Great Moderation" and the US External Imbalance," Working Papers CAS_RN_2007_5, Laboratory for Macroeconomic Analysis. [Downloadable!]
- Fogli, Alessandra & Perri, Fabrizio, 2006. "The 'Great Moderation' and the US External Imbalance," CEPR Discussion Papers 6010, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Ellen R. McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2003. "Average Debt and Equity Returns: Puzzling?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(2), pages 392-397, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
- Ellen R. McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2003. "Average Debt and Equity Returns: Puzzling?," Levine's Bibliography 506439000000000367, UCLA Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
- Ellen R. McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2003. "Average debt and equity returns: puzzling?," Staff Report 313, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
Enrique G. Mendoza & Vincenzo Quadrini & Jose-Victor Rios-Rull, 2007. "Financial Integration, Financial Deepness and Global Imbalances," NBER Working Papers 12909, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
- Mendoza, Enrique G & Quadrini, Vincenzo & Ríos-Rull, José-Víctor, 2007. "Financial Integration, Financial Deepness and Global Imbalances," CEPR Discussion Papers 6149, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Maurice Obstfeld & Kenneth Rogoff, 2006. "The Unsustainable US Current Account Position Revisited," Center for International and Development Economics Research, Working Paper Series 1063, Center for International and Development Economics Research, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Maurice Obstfeld & Kenneth Rogoff, 2004. "The Unsustainable US Current Account Position Revisited," NBER Working Papers 10869, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
- Obstfeld, Maurice & Rogoff, Kenneth, 2005. "The Unsustainable US Current Account Position Revisited," CEPR Discussion Papers 5416, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Andrew B. Bernard & J. Bradford Jensen & Peter K. Schott, 2006. "Transfer Pricing by U.S.-Based Multinational Firms," NBER Working Papers 12493, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Ellen R. McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2008. "Openness, technology capital, and development," Staff Report 396, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Ellen McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2007. "Openness, Technology Capital, and Development," NBER Working Papers 13515, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
- Ellen R. McGrattan & Edward C. Prescott, 2007. "Openness, technology capital, and development," Working Papers 651, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
Ricardo Hausmann and Federico Sturzenegger, 2006. "Global imbalances or bad accounting? The missing dark matter in the wealth of nations," Business School Working Papers globalimbal, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. [Downloadable!]
Hausmann, Ricardo & Sturzenegger, Federico, 2006. "Global Imbalances or Bad Accounting? The Missing Dark Matter in the Wealth of Nations," Working Paper Series rwp06-003, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. [Downloadable!]

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