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Does It Matter How Central Banks Accumulate Reserves? Evidence from Sovereign Spreads

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  • César Sosa-Padilla
  • Federico Sturzenegger
Abstract
There has been substantial research on the benefits of accumulating foreign reserves, but less on the relative merits of how these reserves are accumulated. In this paper we explore whether the form of accumulation affects country risk. We first present a model of endogenous sovereign debt defaults, where we show that reserve accumulation through the issuance of debt contingent on local output reduces spreads in a way that reserve accumulation with foreign borrowing does not. We confirm this model prediction when taking the theory to the data. These results suggest that attention should be placed on the way reserves are accumulated, a distinction that has important practical implications. In particular, our results call into question the benefits of programs of reserves strengthening through external debt such as those typically implemented by multilateral organizations.

Suggested Citation

  • César Sosa-Padilla & Federico Sturzenegger, 2021. "Does It Matter How Central Banks Accumulate Reserves? Evidence from Sovereign Spreads," NBER Working Papers 28973, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28973
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    1. Does It Matter How Central Banks Accumulate Reserves? Evidence from Sovereign Spreads
      by Christian Zimmermann in NEP-DGE blog on 2021-08-14 23:10:45

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    2. Eduardo Levy-Yeyati & Juan Francisco Gómez, 2022. "Leaning-Against-the-Wind Intervention and the “Carry-Trade” View of the Cost of Reserves," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 33(5), pages 853-877, November.
    3. Gallacher, Guillermo & Granados, Camilo & Mann, Janelle, 2024. "Exchange rate dynamics and the central bank's balance sheet," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    4. Corsetti, G. & Maeng, S. H., 2023. "The Theory of Reserve Accumulation, Revisited," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2370, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    5. Gautam Nair & Federico Sturzenegger, 2022. "The Global Distributive Impact of the US Inflation Shock," Working Papers 160, Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE).
    6. Gautam Nair & Federico Sturzenegger, 2022. "The Global Distributive Impact of the US Inflation Shock," Working Papers 165, Universidad de San Andres, Departamento de Economia, revised Aug 2022.
    7. Mihalache, Gabriel, 2024. "Comment on “On Wars, Sanctions, and Sovereign Default” by Javier Bianchi and César Sosa-Padilla," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 71-73.
    8. Benigno, Gianluca & Fornaro, Luca & Wolf, Martin, 2022. "Reserve accumulation, growth and financial crises," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    9. Samano, Agustin, 2022. "International reserves and central bank independence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    10. Corsetti, G. & Maeng, S. H., 2023. "The Theory of Reserve Accumulation, Revisited," Janeway Institute Working Papers 2319, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    11. Gautam Nair & Federico Sturzenegger, 2024. "Great Dilution: The Global Impact of the US Inflation Shock on Sovereign Debt," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 72(3), pages 1238-1277, September.
    12. Eduardo Levy Yeyati & Andrew Powell, 2023. "Sovereign Debt Management," IDB Publications (Book Chapters), in: Andrew Powell & Oscar Mauricio Valencia (ed.), Dealing with Debt, edition 1, chapter 6, pages 123-160, Inter-American Development Bank.
    13. Giancarlo Corsetti & Seung Hyun Maeng, 2023. "The Theory of Reserve Accumulation, Revisited," RSCAS Working Papers 2013_53, European University Institute.

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    JEL classification:

    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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