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Optimal Reserves in Financially Closed Economies

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  • Jeanne, Olivier
  • Sandri, Damiano

Abstract

Financially closed economies insure themselves against current-account shocks using international reserves. We characterize the optimal management of reserves using an open-economy model of precautionary savings and emphasize several results. First, the welfare-based opportunity cost of reserves differs from the measures often used by practitioners. Second, under plausible calibrations the model is consistent with the rule of thumb that reserves should be close to three months of imports. Third, simple linear rules can capture most of the welfare gains from optimal reserve management. Fourth, policymakers should place more emphasis on how to use reserves in response to shocks than on the reserve target itself.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeanne, Olivier & Sandri, Damiano, 2016. "Optimal Reserves in Financially Closed Economies," CEPR Discussion Papers 11200, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:11200
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    Cited by:

    1. Flora Lutz & Leopold Zessner-Spitzenberg, 2019. "Sudden Stops and Reserve Accumulation in the Presence of International Liquidity Risk," Vienna Economics Papers vie1907, University of Vienna, Department of Economics.
    2. Paul Pichler & Flora Lutz, 2017. "Liquidity risk and financial stability regulation," Vienna Economics Papers 1701, University of Vienna, Department of Economics.
    3. Eduardo Levy-Yeyati & Juan Francisco Gómez, 2022. "Leaning-Against-the-Wind Intervention and the “Carry-Trade” View of the Cost of Reserves," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 33(5), pages 853-877, November.
    4. Fatum, Rasmus & Hattori, Takahiro & Yamamoto, Yohei, 2023. "Reserves and risk: Evidence from China," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    5. Paul Pichler & Flora Lutz, 2017. "Liquidity risk and financial stability regulation," Vienna Economics Papers vie1701, University of Vienna, Department of Economics.
    6. Flora Lutz & Leopold Zessner-Spitzenberg, 2019. "Sudden Stops and Reserve Accumulation in the Presence of International Liquidity Risk," Vienna Economics Papers 1907, University of Vienna, Department of Economics.
    7. Eduardo Levy-Yeyati & Juan Francisco Gómez, 2020. "The Cost of Holding Foreign Exchange Reserves," Springer Books, in: Jacob Bjorheim (ed.), Asset Management at Central Banks and Monetary Authorities, edition 1, chapter 0, pages 91-110, Springer.
    8. Samano, Agustin, 2022. "International reserves and central bank independence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    9. Lutz, Flora & Zessner-Spitzenberg, Leopold, 2023. "Sudden stops and reserve accumulation in the presence of international liquidity risk," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    10. Monnet, Eric & Puy, Damien, 2020. "Do old habits die hard? Central banks and the Bretton Woods gold puzzle," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    11. Lutz, Flora & Zessner-Spitzenberg, Leopold, 2020. "Sudden Stops and Reserve Accumulation in the Presence of International Liquidity Risk," VfS Annual Conference 2020 (Virtual Conference): Gender Economics 224520, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Galego Mendes,Arthur & Pennings,Steven Michael, 2017. "Consumption smoothing and shock persistence : optimal simple fiscal rules for commodity exporters," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8035, The World Bank.
    13. Chokri Zehri, 2020. "The Domestic Impacts And Spillovers Of Capital Controls," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 65(227), pages 31-66, October –.
    14. Eduardo Levy Yeyati, 2019. "The Cost of Holding Foreign Exchange Reserves," CID Working Papers 353, Center for International Development at Harvard University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Official reserves; Current account; Precautionary savings;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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