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The Exchange Rate Effect of Multi-Currency Risk Arbitrage

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  • Hau, Harald

Abstract

This paper documents how currency speculators trade when international capital flows generate predictable exchange rate movements. The redefinition of the MSCI world equity index in December 2000 provides an ideal natural experiment identifying exogenous capital flows of index tracking equity funds. Currency speculators are shown to front-run international capital flows. Furthermore, they actively manage the portfolio risk of their speculative positions through hedging positions in correlated currencies. The exchange rate effect of separate risk hedging is economically significant and amounts to a return difference of 3.6 percent over a 5 day event window between currencies with high and low risk hedging value. The results of the classical event study analysis are confirmed by a new and more powerful spectral inference isolating the high frequency cospectrum of currency pairs. The evidence supports the idea that international currency arbitrage is limited by the speculators' risk aversion.

Suggested Citation

  • Hau, Harald, 2009. "The Exchange Rate Effect of Multi-Currency Risk Arbitrage," CEPR Discussion Papers 7348, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:7348
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Limited arbitrage; Speculative trading; Multi-currency risk hedging; Spectral inference; Cospectrum;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

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