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The corporate saving glut and the current account in Germany

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  • Klug, Thorsten
  • Mayer, Eric
  • Schuler, Tobias

Abstract

We investigate, in the case of Germany, the positive correlation between the cyclical components of the corporate saving glut in the non-financial corporate sector and the current account surplus from a capital account perspective. Employing sign restrictions, our findings suggest that mostly labor supply, world demand and financial friction shocks account for the joint dynamics of excess corporate saving and the current account surplus. Household saving shocks, by contrast, cannot explain the correlation. We conclude that, explained through these factors, the corporate saving glut is an important driver of the cyclical component of the current account. JEL Classification: E32, F32, F45

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  • Klug, Thorsten & Mayer, Eric & Schuler, Tobias, 2021. "The corporate saving glut and the current account in Germany," Working Paper Series 2586, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20212586
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    Cited by:

    1. Lucia Granelli & Martin Habet & Guergana Stanoeva & Gaetano D’Adamo & Robert Gampfer, 2020. "Puzzles in Non-Financial Corporate Sector Savings across the G20," European Economy - Economic Briefs 063, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    2. Schuler, Tobias & Sun, Yiqiao, 2022. "The current account and monetary policy in the euro area," Working Paper Series 2696, European Central Bank.
    3. Ruppert, Kilian & Stähler, Nikolai, 2022. "What drives the German current account? Household savings, capital investments and public policies," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Ruppert, Kilian & Stähler, Nikolai, 2020. "Household savings, capital investments and public policies: What drives the German current account?," Discussion Papers 41/2020, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    5. Demary, Markus & Hasenclever, Stefan & Hüther, Michael, 2020. "How will the COVID-19-crisis affect the trend in corporate saving?," IW-Reports 61/2020, Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW) / German Economic Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    corporate saving; current account; macro shocks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F45 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Macroeconomic Issues of Monetary Unions

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