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Global or Regional Safe Assets: Evidence from Bond Substitution Patterns

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  • Tsvetelina Nenova

Abstract

This paper provides novel empirical evidence on portfolio rebalancing in international bond markets through the prism of investors' demand for bonds. Using a granular dataset of global government and corporate bond holdings by mutual funds domiciled in the world's two largest currency areas, I estimate heterogeneous and time varying demand elasticities for bonds. Safe assets such as US Treasuries or German Bunds face especially inelastic demand from investment funds compared to riskier bonds. But spillovers from these safe assets to global bond markets are strikingly different. Funds substitute US Treasuries with global bonds, including risky corporate and emerging market bonds, whereas German Bunds are primarily substitutable within a narrow set of euro area safe government bonds. Substitutability deteriorates in times of stress, impairing the transmission of monetary policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsvetelina Nenova, 2025. "Global or Regional Safe Assets: Evidence from Bond Substitution Patterns," BIS Working Papers 1254, Bank for International Settlements.
    • Handle: RePEc:bis:biswps:1254
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    international finance; portfolio choice; safe assets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F30 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - General
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

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