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Sectoral dynamics of safe assets in advanced economies

Author

Listed:
  • Madalen Castells Jauregui
  • Dmitry Kuvshinov
  • Bjoern Richter
  • Victoria Vanasco

Abstract

What is the sectoral composition of the market for safety, and does it matter for economic stability? To address these questions, we construct a novel dataset of sectoral safe asset positions in 24 advanced economies since 1980. We document that the ratio of safe to total financial assets has remained stable in most countries, despite considerable growth in gross and net safe-asset positions relative to GDP. We find that fluctuations in safe-asset positions are mainly driven by the financial and the foreign sectors, with the real economy playing a muted role, indicating that financials in advanced economies have been increasingly intermediating safety within and across borders. We conclude by showing that increases in safe asset demand by foreigners -- or its counterpart, the supply by financials, -- are associated with expansions in domestic risky credit and lower subsequent output growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Madalen Castells Jauregui & Dmitry Kuvshinov & Bjoern Richter & Victoria Vanasco, 2024. "Sectoral dynamics of safe assets in advanced economies," Economics Working Papers 1884, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    • Handle: RePEc:upf:upfgen:1884
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    safe assets; Capital flows; financial accounts; Business cycles; financial stability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • E51 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Money Supply; Credit; Money Multipliers
    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions
    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

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