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Hoarding for stormy days—Test of international reserves adjustment providing financial buffer stock services

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  • Joshua Aizenman
  • Yothin Jinjarak

Abstract

This paper outlines a tractable cost‐benefit analysis of the buffer stock financial services provided by international reserves (IR) and applies it to eight of the largest Emerging Markets (BRICS, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey) during 2000–2019. The efficient management of IR generates sizable benefits for countries characterized by hard‐currency external debt. These benefits increase with the volatility of the real exchange rates and sovereign spreads. While the first‐best policy calls for prudential regulations, counter‐cyclical management of hoarding reserves in good times and selling them in bad times provides buffers stock financial services adding up to about 3% of the gross domestic product during our sample period.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua Aizenman & Yothin Jinjarak, 2020. "Hoarding for stormy days—Test of international reserves adjustment providing financial buffer stock services," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(3), pages 656-675, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:reviec:v:28:y:2020:i:3:p:656-675
    DOI: 10.1111/roie.12466
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Luigi Bocola & Guido Lorenzoni, 2017. "Financial Crises and Lending of Last Resort in Open Economies," Staff Report 557, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    2. Joshua Aizenman & Nancy Marion, 2004. "International Reserve Holdings with Sovereign Risk and Costly Tax Collection," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 114(497), pages 569-591, July.
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    8. Aizenman, Joshua & LEE, JAEWOO, 2005. "International Reserves: Precautionary versus Mercantilist Views, Theory and Evidence," Santa Cruz Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt44g3n2j8, Department of Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
    9. Qian, Xingwang & Steiner, Andreas, 2017. "International reserves and the maturity of external debt," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(PB), pages 399-418.
    10. Aizenman, Joshua & LEE, JAEWOO, 2005. "International Reserves: Precautionary versus Mercantilist Views, Theory and Evidence," Santa Cruz Center for International Economics, Working Paper Series qt44g3n2j8, Center for International Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
    11. Joshua Aizenman & Yothin Jinjarak, 2019. "Hoarding for Stormy Days - Test of International Reserves Providing Financial Buffer Services," NBER Working Papers 25909, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Laura Alfaro & Fabio Kanczuk, 2019. "Debt Redemption and Reserve Accumulation," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 67(2), pages 261-287, June.
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    14. Aizenman, Joshua & LEE, JAEWOO, 2005. "International Reserves: Precautionary versus Mercantilist Views, Theory and Evidence," Santa Cruz Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt2tn4w8x6, Department of Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
    15. Joshua Aizenman & Jaewoo Lee, 2007. "International Reserves: Precautionary Versus Mercantilist Views, Theory and Evidence," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 191-214, April.
    16. Rina Bhattacharya & Katja Mann & Mwanza Nkusu, 2019. "Estimating the demand for reserve assets across diverse groups of countries," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 822-853, August.
    17. Aizenman, Joshua & Marion, Nancy P., 2003. "International Reserve Holdings with Sovereign Risk and Costly Tax Collection," Santa Cruz Center for International Economics, Working Paper Series qt9s7978n1, Center for International Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
    18. Aizenman, Joshua & Marion, Nancy P., 2003. "International Reserve Holdings with Sovereign Risk and Costly Tax Collection," Santa Cruz Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt9s7978n1, Department of Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
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    Cited by:

    1. Aizenman, Joshua & Ho, Sy-Hoa & Huynh, Luu Duc Toan & Saadaoui, Jamel & Uddin, Gazi Salah, 2024. "Real exchange rate and international reserves in the era of financial integration," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    2. Fatum, Rasmus & Hattori, Takahiro & Yamamoto, Yohei, 2023. "Reserves and risk: Evidence from China," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    3. Lu, Dong & Qian, Xingwang & Zhu, Wenyu, 2024. "External debt currency denomination and the currency composition of foreign exchange reserves," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    4. Chokri Zehri, 2023. "Macro‐management policies: A supporting role to company' capital expenditure," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 3846-3864, October.
    5. Ahmed, Rashad & Aizenman, Joshua & Jinjarak, Yothin, 2021. "Inflation and Exchange Rate Targeting Challenges Under Fiscal Dominance," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).

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