A New Index of Currency Mismatch and Systemic Risk

28 Pages Posted: 21 Feb 2011

See all articles by Romain G. Rancière

Romain G. Rancière

University of Southern California

Aaron Tornell

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Athanasios Vamvakidis

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - European Department

Date Written: February 2011

Abstract

This paper constructs a new measure of currency mismatch in the banking sector that controls for bank lending to unhedged borrowers. This measure explicitly takes into account the indirect exchange rate risk that banks undertake when they lend to borrowers that will not be able to repay in the event of a sharp depreciation. Such systemic risk taking is not captured by indicators that are based only on banks' balance sheet data. The new measure is constructed for 10 emerging European economies and for a broader sample that includes 19 additional emerging economies, for the period 1998-2008. Comparisons with previous currency mismatch measures that do not adjust for unhedged foreign currency borrowing illustrate the advantages of the new approach. In particular, the new measure flagged the indirect currency mismatch vulnerabilities that were building up in a number of emerging economies before the recent global crisis. Measuring currency mismatch more accurately can help country authorities in their efforts to address vulnerabilities at the right time, avoiding hurting growth prospects.

Keywords: Currency Mismatch, Emerging Economies, Financial Crises, Systemic Risk

JEL Classification: E44, F34, G15

Suggested Citation

Rancière, Romain G. and Tornell, Aaron and Vamvakidis, Athanasios, A New Index of Currency Mismatch and Systemic Risk (February 2011). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP8250, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1763659

Romain G. Rancière (Contact Author)

University of Southern California ( email )

2250 Alcazar Street
Los Angeles, CA 90089
United States

Aaron Tornell

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Department of Economics ( email )

Box 951477
Bunche Hall 8387
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1477
United States
310-794-1686 (Phone)
310-825-9528 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
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CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

Athanasios Vamvakidis

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - European Department ( email )

700 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20431
United States

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