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Foreign exposure to asset-backed securities of U.S. origin

Author

Listed:
  • Laurie Pounder Demarco
  • Daniel O. Beltran
  • Charles P. Thomas

Abstract

The financial turmoil which began in August 2007 originated, in part, because investors reassessed the quality of the assets underlying many asset-backed securities (ABS), particularly U.S. mortgages. The prominence of European banks in the early stages of the turmoil created the perception that foreigners held an outsized share of risky U.S. securities and prompted questions of why Europeans were so exposed. This paper evaluates that perception by quantifying foreign exposure to ABS with U.S. underlying collateral. Using the latest survey data on foreign portfolio holdings of U.S. securities, we find that the ultimate losses that foreigners could incur arising from U.S. underlying assets are small relative to most scale variables, although initial total mark-to-market losses are estimated to be significantly larger. Among other reasons for this difference between ultimate and initial losses, we demonstrate that the securitization chain can amplify mark-to-market price declines in the presence of uncertainty or illiquidity. Finally, we show that, relative to the size of the market, foreigners' holdings of U.S. mortgage-backed securities do not appear to be elevated compared with their holdings of other U.S. assets.

Suggested Citation

  • Laurie Pounder Demarco & Daniel O. Beltran & Charles P. Thomas, 2008. "Foreign exposure to asset-backed securities of U.S. origin," International Finance Discussion Papers 939, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedgif:939
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Markus K. Brunnermeier & Lasse Heje Pedersen, 2009. "Market Liquidity and Funding Liquidity," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(6), pages 2201-2238, June.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Patrick Honohan, 2008. "Risk Management and the Costs of the Banking Crisis," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 206(1), pages 15-24, October.
    2. Emmanuel Farhi & Ricardo Caballero & Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, "undated". "Financial Crash, Commodity Prices and Global Imbalances," Working Paper 20933, Harvard University OpenScholar.
    3. Eric van Wincoop, 2013. "International Contagion through Leveraged Financial Institutions," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(3), pages 152-189, July.
    4. Kamin, Steven B. & DeMarco, Laurie Pounder, 2012. "How did a domestic housing slump turn into a global financial crisis?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 10-41.
    5. Philip R. Lane, 2008. "The Macroeconomics of Financial Integration: A European Perspective," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp265, IIIS.
    6. Erika Brandner & Fang Cai & Ruth Judson, 2012. "Improving the measurement of cross-border securities holdings: the Treasury International Capital SLT," Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), issue May.
    7. Patrick Honohan, 2009. "Bank Failures: The Limitations of Risk Modeling," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Douglas D Evanoff & Philipp Hartmann & George G Kaufman (ed.), The First Credit Market Turmoil Of The 21st Century Implications for Public Policy, chapter 8, pages 103-123, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    8. Ricardo J. Caballero & Emmanuel Farhi & Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, 2008. "Financial Crash, Commody Prices, and Global Inbalances," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 39(2 (Fall)), pages 1-68.
    9. Erika Brandner & Fang Cai & Ruth Judson, 2012. "Improving the measurement of cross-border securities holdings: the Treasury International Capital SLT," Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), vol. 98(May), pages 1-28.
    10. Carol C. Bertaut & Ruth Judson, 2014. "Estimating U.S. Cross-Border Securities Positions: New Data and New Methods," International Finance Discussion Papers 1113, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), revised 13 Aug 2014.
    11. Bertaut, Carol & DeMarco, Laurie Pounder & Kamin, Steven & Tryon, Ralph, 2012. "ABS inflows to the United States and the global financial crisis," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 219-234.
    12. Chaipat Poonpatpibul & Vasuveerapat Ramdecha & Krittinan Wiengwangchai & Pawinee Jitmongkolsa-mer, 2008. "Border of Monetary Policy in the New Financial State," Working Papers 2008-01, Monetary Policy Group, Bank of Thailand.
    13. Carol Bertaut & Laurie Pounder DeMarco & Steven B. Kamin & Ralph W. Tryon, 2011. "ABS Inflows to the United States and the Global Financial Crisis," NBER Working Papers 17350, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Laurie Pounder Demarco & Carol C. Bertaut & Steven B. Kamin & Ralph W. Tryon, 2011. "ABS inflows to the United States and the global financial crisis," International Finance Discussion Papers 1028, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).

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