IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ise/remwps/wp03332024.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Echoes of Instability: How Geopolitical Risks Shape Government Debt Holdings

Author

Listed:
  • António Afonso
  • José Alves
  • Sofia Monteiro

Abstract

Recognizing the profound influence of geopolitical risks and world uncertainty on financial investment behaviour, this study uses a comprehensive approach to assess the impact of rising geopolitical risk on sovereign debt holdings for a panel of 24 OECD economies from Q1 2004 to Q4 2023. To do so, we employ Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) fixed effects and Quantile Regression techniques within a panel data framework to capture the nuanced effects on both domestic and foreign entities. We find that escalating geopolitical tension decreases government debt holdings among domestic entities, notably domestic Banks, while foreign investors increase their ownership. This phenomenon is more pronounced for high proportion levels of debt in investor’s portfolios. Our results allow us to conclude that while domestic economic agents display clearer risk aversion, foreign economic agents have a more risk-taking behaviour in what concerns the financial investment on government debt.

Suggested Citation

  • António Afonso & José Alves & Sofia Monteiro, 2024. "Echoes of Instability: How Geopolitical Risks Shape Government Debt Holdings," Working Papers REM 2024/0333, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    • Handle: RePEc:ise:remwps:wp03332024
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://rem.rc.iseg.ulisboa.pt/wps/pdf/REM_WP_0333_2024.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fernando Broner & Daragh Clancy & Aitor Erce & Alberto Martin, 2022. "Fiscal Multipliers and Foreign Holdings of Public Debt," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 89(3), pages 1155-1204.
    2. Trang Thi Thuy Nguyen & Binh Thai Pham & Hector Sala, 2023. "World uncertainty and national fiscal balances," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 2242110-224, December.
    3. Wolswijk, Guido & de Haan, Jakob, 2005. "Government debt management in the euro area - recent theoretical developments and changes in practices," Occasional Paper Series 25, European Central Bank.
    4. Guntram B. Wolff, 2011. "Is recent bank stress really driven by the sovereign debt crisis?," Policy Contributions 622, Bruegel.
    5. Emmanuel Farhi & Jean Tirole, 2018. "Deadly Embrace: Sovereign and Financial Balance Sheets Doom Loops," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 85(3), pages 1781-1823.
    6. Dario Caldara & Matteo Iacoviello, 2022. "Measuring Geopolitical Risk," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(4), pages 1194-1225, April.
    7. Kyle Handley & Nuno Limão, 2018. "Trade and Investment under Policy Uncertainty: Theory and Firm Evidence," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Policy Externalities and International Trade Agreements, chapter 4, pages 89-122, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    8. Fang, Xiang & Hardy, Bryan & Lewis, Karen K., 2022. "Who Holds Sovereign Debt and Why It Matters," CEPR Discussion Papers 17338, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Chiara Angeloni & Guntram B. Wolff, 2012. "Are banks affected by their holdings of government debt?," Working Papers 717, Bruegel.
    10. Thorsten Beck & Ross Levine (ed.), 2018. "Handbook of Finance and Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 16685.
    11. Jesús Fernández-Villaverde & Pablo Guerrón-Quintana & Keith Kuester & Juan Rubio-Ramírez, 2015. "Fiscal Volatility Shocks and Economic Activity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(11), pages 3352-3384, November.
    12. Luca Guerrieri & Matteo Iacoviello & Raoul Minetti, 2013. "Banks, Sovereign Debt, and the International Transmission of Business Cycles," NBER International Seminar on Macroeconomics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(1), pages 181-213.
    13. Naif Alsagr & Stefan F. Van Hemmen Almazor, 2020. "Oil Rent, Geopolitical Risk and Banking Sector Performance," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 10(5), pages 305-314.
    14. Rangan Gupta & Giray Gozgor & Huseyin Kaya & Ender Demir, 2019. "Effects of geopolitical risks on trade flows: evidence from the gravity model," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 9(4), pages 515-530, December.
    15. De Santis, Roberto A., 2020. "Impact of the Asset Purchase Programme on euro area government bond yields using market news," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 192-209.
    16. Viral Acharya & Itamar Drechsler & Philipp Schnabl, 2014. "A Pyrrhic Victory? Bank Bailouts and Sovereign Credit Risk," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(6), pages 2689-2739, December.
    17. Matthew W. Clance & Rangan Gupta & Mark E. Wohar, 2019. "Geopolitical risks and recessions in a panel of advanced economies: evidence from over a century of data," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(16), pages 1317-1321, September.
    18. Molyneux, Philip & Pancotto, Livia & Reghezza, Alessio, 2021. "A new measure for gauging the riskiness of European Banks’ sovereign bond portfolios," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).
    19. Bordo, Michael D. & Duca, John V. & Koch, Christoffer, 2016. "Economic policy uncertainty and the credit channel: Aggregate and bank level U.S. evidence over several decades," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 90-106.
    20. Crosignani, Matteo, 2021. "Bank capital, government bond holdings, and sovereign debt capacity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(2), pages 693-704.
    21. Pavot, Jeanne & Valenta, Vilém, 2021. "The role of households in financing government debt in euro area," Economic Bulletin Articles, European Central Bank, vol. 3.
    22. Nicholas Bloom, 2009. "The Impact of Uncertainty Shocks," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 77(3), pages 623-685, May.
    23. Maria-Eleni K. Agoraki & Georgios P. Kouretas & Nikiforos T. Laopodis, 2022. "Geopolitical risks, uncertainty, and stock market performance," Economic and Political Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(3), pages 253-265, July.
    24. Markus K. Brunnermeier & Luis Garicano & Philip R. Lane & Marco Pagano & Ricardo Reis & Tano Santos & David Thesmar & Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh & Dimitri Vayanos, 2016. "The Sovereign-Bank Diabolic Loop and ESBies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(5), pages 508-512, May.
    25. Zhukov, Yuri M., 2023. "Near-real time analysis of war and economic activity during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(4), pages 1232-1243.
    26. António Afonso & José Alves & Sofia Monteiro, 2024. "The Pressure Is On: How Geopolitical Tensions Impact Institutional Fiscal and External Stability Responses," CESifo Working Paper Series 11067, CESifo.
    27. Johnson, Simon & Rachel, Lukasz & Wolfram, Catherine, 2023. "Design and implementation of the price cap on Russian oil exports," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(4), pages 1244-1252.
    28. Machado, José A.F. & Santos Silva, J.M.C., 2019. "Quantiles via moments," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 213(1), pages 145-173.
    29. de Haan, Leo & Vermeulen, Robert, 2021. "Sovereign debt ratings and the country composition of cross-border holdings of euro area sovereign debt," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    30. Hoang, Dung Phuong & Chu, Lan Khanh & To, Trung Thanh, 2023. "How do economic policy uncertainty, geopolitical risk, and natural resources rents affect economic complexity? Evidence from advanced and emerging market economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    31. Khoo, Joye & Cheung, Adrian (Wai Kong), 2021. "Does geopolitical uncertainty affect corporate financing? Evidence from MIDAS regression," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    32. Nicola Gennaioli & Alberto Martin & Stefano Rossi, 2014. "Sovereign Default, Domestic Banks, and Financial Institutions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(2), pages 819-866, April.
    33. Phan, Dinh Hoang Bach & Tran, Vuong Thao & Iyke, Bernard Njindan, 2022. "Geopolitical risk and bank stability," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    34. Shen, Lihua & Hong, Yanran, 2023. "Can geopolitical risks excite Germany economic policy uncertainty: Rethinking in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    35. De Marco, Filippo, 2019. "Bank Lending and the European Sovereign Debt Crisis," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 54(1), pages 155-182, February.
    36. Bergman, U. Michael & Hutchison, Michael M. & Hougaard Jensen, Svend E., 2019. "European policy and markets: Did policy initiatives stem the sovereign debt crisis in the euro area?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 3-21.
    37. Salma Mokdadi & Zied Saadaoui, 2023. "Geopolitical uncertainty and the cost of debt financing: the moderating role of information asymmetry," Journal of Risk Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(5), pages 684-720, September.
    38. Nguyen, Thanh Cong & Thuy, Tien Ho, 2023. "Geopolitical risk and the cost of bank loans," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    39. Shrestha, Keshab & Philip, Sheena Sara Suresh & Khaw, Karren Lee-Hwei, 2024. "Impact of geopolitical risk on target debt ratio," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    40. Serkan Arslanalp & Takahiro Tsuda, 2014. "Tracking Global Demand for Advanced Economy Sovereign Debt," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 62(3), pages 430-464, August.
    41. Silvia Merler & Jean Pisani-Ferry, 2012. "Sudden Stops in the Euro Area," Review of Economics and Institutions, Università di Perugia, vol. 3(3).
    42. Alexander Popov & Neeltje van Horen, 2013. "The impact of sovereign debt exposure on bank lending: Evidence from the European debt crisis," DNB Working Papers 382, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    43. Khan, Khalid & Khurshid, Adnan & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier, 2023. "Investigating the relationship between geopolitical risks and economic security: Empirical evidence from central and Eastern European countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    44. Demir, Ender & Danisman, Gamze Ozturk, 2021. "The impact of economic uncertainty and geopolitical risks on bank credit," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    45. Cao, Yuqiang & Li, Chenglin & Liu, Xinghe & Lu, Meiting & Shan, Yaowen, 2022. "Economic policy uncertainty and debt allocation within business groups," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. António Afonso & José Alves & Sofia Monteiro, 2024. "The pressure is on: how geopolitical tensions impact institutional fiscal and external stability responses," Working Papers REM 2024/0318, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    2. Afonso, António & Alves, José & Monteiro, Sofia, 2024. "Beyond borders: Assessing the influence of Geopolitical tensions on sovereign risk dynamics," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. Gori, Filippo, 2018. "Dissecting the ‘doom loop’: the bank-sovereign credit risk nexus during the US debt ceiling crisis," MPRA Paper 87994, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. António Afonso & José Alves & Sofia Monteiro, 2023. "Banks’ Portfolio of Government Debt and Sovereign Risk," CESifo Working Paper Series 10692, CESifo.
    5. Vivek Sharma & Edgar Silgado-Gómez, 2019. "Sovereign Spread Volatility and Banking Sector," CEIS Research Paper 454, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 08 Mar 2019.
    6. Crosignani, Matteo & Faria-e-Castro, Miguel & Fonseca, Luís, 2020. "The (Unintended?) consequences of the largest liquidity injection ever," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 97-112.
    7. Baṣkaya, Yusuf Soner & Hardy, Bryan & Kalemli-Özcan, Ṣebnem & Yue, Vivian, 2024. "Sovereign risk and bank lending: Evidence from 1999 Turkish Earthquake," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    8. Carlo Altavilla & Marco Pagano & Saverio Simonelli, 2017. "Bank Exposures and Sovereign Stress Transmission," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 21(6), pages 2103-2139.
    9. Yaghoubi, Mona, 2024. "Executive characteristics as moderators: Exploring the impact of geopolitical risk on capital structure decisions," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    10. Hristov, Nikolay & Hülsewig, Oliver & Kolb, Benedikt, 2024. "Macroprudential capital regulation and fiscal balances in the euro area," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    11. Ari, Anil, 2018. "Gambling traps," Working Paper Series 2217, European Central Bank.
    12. Occhino, Filippo, 2017. "The 2012 eurozone crisis and the ECB’s OMT program: A debt-overhang banking and sovereign crisis interpretation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 337-363.
    13. Anil Ari, 2015. "Sovereign Risk and Bank Risk-Taking," Working Papers 202, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank).
    14. D’Erasmo, Pablo & Livshits, Igor & Schoors, Koen, 2024. "Banking regulation with risk of sovereign default," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    15. Yusuf Soner Başkaya & Bryan Hardy & Ṣebnem Kalemli-Özcan & Vivian Z. Yue, 2023. "Sovereign Risk and Bank Lending: Theory and Evidence from a Natural Disaster," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2023-01, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    16. Irina Balteanu & Aitor Erce, 2018. "Linking Bank Crises and Sovereign Defaults: Evidence from Emerging Markets," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 66(4), pages 617-664, December.
    17. Pancotto, Livia & ap Gwilym, Owain & Molyneux, Philip, 2023. "Deal! Market reactions to the agreement on the EU Covid-19 recovery fund," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    18. Fiorillo, Paolo & Meles, Antonio & Pellegrino, Luigi Raffaele & Verdoliva, Vincenzo, 2024. "Geopolitical risk and stock price crash risk: The mitigating role of ESG performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    19. Crosignani, Matteo, 2021. "Bank capital, government bond holdings, and sovereign debt capacity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(2), pages 693-704.
    20. Adediran, Idris A. & Swaray, Raymond, 2023. "Carbon trading amidst global uncertainty: The role of policy and geopolitical uncertainty," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sovereign Debt; Geopolitical Risk; World Uncertainty; OLS; Quantile Regression.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ise:remwps:wp03332024. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sandra Araújo (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rem.rc.iseg.ulisboa.pt/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.