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A new look at economic convergence in Europe: a common factor approach

Author

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  • Bettina Becker

    (Department of Economics, Loughborough University, UK)

  • Stephen G. Hall

    (Department of Economics, University of Leicester, UK)

Abstract

We propose a common factor approach to analyse convergence, which we implement using principal components analysis. We show that this method provides a useful new way of approaching the convergence debate. We apply this technique to a data set of monthly exchange rates of the 12 member countries of the European Monetary Union (EMU) over 1970-2001. Our empirical results neatly capture the convergence patterns related to the various regimes from Bretton Woods towards EMU. The UK's Pound Sterling has been on a gradual convergence path to the Euro, although convergence is less progressed than it was for the EMU countries by 1999. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Bettina Becker & Stephen G. Hall, 2009. "A new look at economic convergence in Europe: a common factor approach," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(1), pages 85-97.
    • Handle: RePEc:ijf:ijfiec:v:14:y:2009:i:1:p:85-97
    DOI: 10.1002/ijfe.364
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    9. Iikka Korhonen, 2003. "Some empirical tests on the integration of economic activity between the euro area and the accession countries," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 11(1), pages 177-196, March.
    10. T. Anderson, 1963. "The use of factor analysis in the statistical analysis of multiple time series," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 28(1), pages 1-25, March.
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    12. Mario Forni & Lucrezia Reichlin, 1998. "Let's Get Real: A Factor Analytical Approach to Disaggregated Business Cycle Dynamics," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 65(3), pages 453-473.
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    Cited by:

    1. M. J. Aziakpono & S. Kleimeier & H. Sander, 2012. "Banking market integration in the SADC countries: evidence from interest rate analyses," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(29), pages 3857-3876, October.
    2. B Harrison & W Moore, 2010. "Stock Market Co-Movement in the Caribbean," Economic Issues Journal Articles, Economic Issues, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, March.
    3. Becker, Bettina & Hall, Stephen G., 2009. "How far from the Euro Area? Measuring convergence of inflation rates in Eastern Europe," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 788-798, July.
    4. Stephen Hall & Sérgio Lagoa, 2014. "Inflation and Business Cycle Convergence in the Euro Area: Empirical Analysis Using an Unobserved Component Model," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 885-908, November.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange

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