Financial Globalization, International Business Cycles and Consumption Risk Sharing

34 Pages Posted: 28 Dec 2004

See all articles by Michael J. Artis

Michael J. Artis

The University of Manchester - Institute for Political & Economic Governance (IPEG)

Mathias Hoffmann

University of Zurich - Department of Economics; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: October 2004

Abstract

Consumption based measures of international risk sharing seem to defy the effects of more than two decades of ongoing financial globalization. We put forward an explanation of this puzzle: under incomplete risk sharing and if there are several sources of risk, consumption based measures of risk sharing will also be a function of the structure of business cycles, i.e., their degree of synchronization and persistence. We argue that permanent and transitory shocks to output constitute such qualitatively different sources of risk. Using OECD data, we then illustrate that countries have indeed become more insured against permanent shocks, in line with the ever better integration of financial markets. Basic measures of risk sharing have however not picked up this change because globalization has also affected the structure of business cycles. In particular, our results are consistent with the observation recently made by several authors that the globalization period has seen the emergence of less volatile and internationally more synchronized business cycles among industrialized countries.

Keywords: Consumption risk sharing, capital flows, home bias, international and regional business cycles

JEL Classification: C23, E21, F36

Suggested Citation

Artis, Michael J. and Hoffmann, Mathias, Financial Globalization, International Business Cycles and Consumption Risk Sharing (October 2004). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=639202

Michael J. Artis (Contact Author)

The University of Manchester - Institute for Political & Economic Governance (IPEG) ( email )

Oxford Road
Manchester, M13 9PL
United Kingdom

Mathias Hoffmann

University of Zurich - Department of Economics ( email )

Zuerich, 8006
Switzerland

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

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