...Running head: International Financial Markets International Financial Markets Unit 1 Individual Project Michelle McCollough June 8, 2007 American InterContinental University Abstract The below paper will discuss starting an operation in a foreign country. I will compare and contrast the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. I will also explain which country would be best to begin a business in. International Financial Markets Introduction Acme is planning on having a greenfield production facility overseas. The two foreign countries that I have decided to compare for starting business in is the United Kingdom, which is part of the European Union and Hong Kong. Hong Kong is not part of the European Union. I will first analyze the UK and then Hong Kong. Analysis of the United Kingdom (UK): The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelane is a state that consists of the nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This is also under the UK sovereignty and is not apart of the UK itself, however are the “Crown dependencies of the Channel Island and the Isle of Man.” The said dependencies seek their own policies over taxes, employment, education, and health. They are subjected to UK control on matters such as defense (Doing Business in the UK, 2005). The UK has an island of 242,500km2. The UK’s population in 2002 was 59.2 million and in 2006 the population was 60.6 million. The languages...
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...MEXICAN PESO 1. Take a look at Mexico’s balance of payments over the past few years. Use the schedule I have attached – it is in the same format as we used to examine the U.S. balance of payments. What do the trade and current account balances suggest about the likelihood of a potential devaluation of the peso? Why? 2. What does the private capital account suggest about the need for a devaluation of the peso? Why? 3. What does the private transactions balance suggest about the valuation of the peso and whether a very large devaluation was imminent? Why? 4. Take a look at Exhibit 5 in the case – Mexico’s international reserves. What has happened to Mexico’s total foreign exchange reserves since 1970? How would you interpret this trend in terms of evaluating the strength or weakness of the peso in the foreign exchange market? Would you conclude that the peso was likely to be substantially devalued from this data? Why? 5. Take a look at Exhibit 7 and the forward discounts on the peso versus the dollar. On June 18, what did the market think the peso was likely to do over the next three months? On August 27, what did the market think the peso was likely to do versus the dollar over the next three months? Between June and August, what was the market saying about the magnitude and/or probability of a devaluation of the peso over the next three months? 6. Look at the commercial bank lending rates to prime borrowers in Exhibit 8. Based on these...
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...INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MARKETS Topic 1 THE STRUCTURE OF THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM Agenda Recent developments in international financial markets The components of the international financial market The eurocurrency market The international equity market The international debt market The foreign exchange (currency) market Globalisation of financial markets The global economy has undergone through a number of structural changes in the past few decades: Real changes liberalization of product and factor markets, allied with technological developments increased output in many countries and particularly in the previously centrally planned economies Monetary changes a global commitment to maintain low rates of inflation after the boost in inflation in the ’70s Financial changes growing completeness and integration of world financial markets, fueled by deregulation and technology 3 Globalisation of financial markets Realities of global financial markets: Short-term nature of capital flows High turnover in financial markets Multiplicity of agents High number and complexity of instruments High speed with which market participants react to new information Global reach of financial institutions Implications: Growing integration of financial markets, including emerging markets Better financing of current account deficits Financial contagion risks 4 How developed are the world’s...
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...International Financial Crisis and reasons The financial crisis of 2007–2008, also known as the Global Financial Crisis and 2008 financial crisis, is considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Many causes for the financial crisis have been suggested, with varying weight assigned by experts. The U.S. Senate's Levin–Coburn Report asserted that the crisis happened because of: 1-High risk 2 Complex financial products 3-Undisclosed conflicts of interest 4-The failure of regulators 5-The credit rating agencies 6-The market itself to rein in the excesses of Wall Street 7-Weak and fraudulent underwriting practices 8-Deregulation 9-Predatory lending 10-Increased debt burden or over-leveraging 11-Boom and collapse of the shadow banking system 12-Commodities boom Financial crisis in Pakistan and Reasons 1-One of the immediate causes is Political instability due to Musharaf’s position as president, delay in restoring judiciary and resultantly withdrawal of PML (N) from the alliance leaving behind ‘dead’ ministry of finance. In contrast the present government is not showing strong will to cope with the situation. Though some Positive Measures. To end Load Shedding till 14th August, 2009, Benazir income Scheme programmed, Distribution of Land in Sindh, tight Tariff System against luxury items 2-Suicide attacks in the industrial cities-fear among people, disinvestment and maximum outflow...
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...The Role and Influence of International Financial Institutions Danny Leipziger Abstract Development thinking has evolved from the early works of W. Arthur Lewis and Paul Rosenstein-Rodan and has been influenced by new and varied schools of thought. Emphases have shifted from capital accumulation and technical progress to human capital investment and social inclusion. Institutions have come into the equation, as has a prominent role for markets and for the state as drivers of development. Underlying these views were practicalities that shaped the way countries dealt with their need for foreign capital, the management of the macroeconomy, and their responses to economic and financial crises. There was a prominent role for the so-called Bretton Woods institutions, namely, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, in shaping prevailing views of development and putting them into practice. This Danny Leipziger The Role and Influence of IFIs has been important, both directly and indirectly, in affecting policy choices made by developing country governments over past decades. Keywords: Bretton Woods Institutions; World Bank ideology toward development; IMF ideology and development; changing development paradigms; international financial institutions; Bank-Fund Collaboration; Bank-Fund Concordat. Chapter 49 Page 2 Danny Leipziger The Role and Influence of IFIs Introduction International financial institutions (IFIs) have strongly influenced development...
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...INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ROLE OF GLOBAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS International financial institutions (IFIs) are financial institutions that have been established by more than one country, and hence are subjects of international laws. Their owners or shareholders are generally national governments, although other international institutions and other organizations occasionally figure as shareholders. The most prominent IFIs are creations of multiple nations, although some bilateral financial institutions exist and are technically IFIs. Many of these are multilateral development banks (MDB). WHAT ARE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (IFI’S)? World Bank Group (WBG): * International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) * International Development Association (IDA) * International Finance Corporation (IFC) * Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) * International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) International Monetary Fund (IMF) Regional development banks, such as: * African Development Bank (AFDB) * Asian Development Bank (ADB) * Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) * Bank of the South * European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Other regional financial institutions e.g. European Investment Bank (EIB) Export Credit Agencies of individual country governments, such as: 1. US Export Import Bank (EXIM) 2. Japan External Trade Organization Hermes Kreditversicherungs...
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...Summary: International Financial Markets (master blok 1) Book: Financial Markets and Institutions (a European perspective) – Haan et al. Author: Kim Cornelissen Chapter 1: Functions of the Financial System 1.1. Functions of a financial system The financial system Figure 1.1; page 5 – Working of the financial system Financial system: includes all financial intermediaries and financial markets, and their relations with respect to the flow of funds to and from households, governments, business firms, and foreigners, as well as the financial infrastructure. Main task is to channel funds from sectors that have a surplus to sectors that have a shortage of funds. Financial infrastructure: the set of institutions that enables effective operation of financial intermediaries and financial markets, including such elements as payment systems, credit information bureaus and collateral registries. * Direct finance: occurs if a sector in need of funds borrows from another sector via a financial market. Financial market: is a market where participants issue and trade securities. * Indirect finance: a financial intermediary obtains funds from savers and uses these savings to make loans to a sector in need of finance. financial intermediaries: coalitions of agents that combine to provide financial services, such as banks, insurance companies, finance companies, mutual funds, pension funds etc. Bank-based system: indirect finance is then the main route for moving funds...
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...Course Overview This course seeks to examine the major international financial organizations which have emerged and survived in the international system in the post World War II era. Emphasis will be placed on the Bretton Woods institutions, namely the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB). Course Objectives • To show the relationship between the theoretical and practical dimensions of International Financial Organizations in relation to mainstream IR theories and in the subfield of International Relations known as International Political Economy • To introduce students to the major international financial institutions which have impacted on world politics in the post World War II era • To critically assess the roles, contributions, operations and prescriptions of these organizations particularly in the context of developing countries • To locate these organizations within the theoretical realm of the development problematique of the Third World You can realize these objectives by • Regular and punctual lecture and tutorial attendance. • Tutorials are mandatory, roll will be taken and there will be no pandering to absenteeism. Students must attend 75% tutorials otherwise students will be debarred from writing exams. • Frequently assimilating and reviewing lecture notes • Reading all recommended articles and relevant chapters from the designated textbooks before attending class since lectures frequently make references to and offer perspectives...
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...INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS • 1 Types o 1.1 Multilateral development bank o 1.2 Bretton Woods institutions o 1.3 Regional development banks o 1.4 Bilateral development banks and agencies o 1.5 Other regional financial institutions International financial institutions (IFIs) are financial institutions that have been established (or chartered) by more than one country, and hence are subjects ofinternational law. Their owners or shareholders are generally national governments, although other international institutions and other organizations occasionally figure as shareholders. The most prominent IFIs are creations of multiple nations, although some bilateral financial institutions (created by two countries) exist and are technically IFIs. Many of these are multilateral development banks (MDB). TYPES Multilateral development bank A multilateral development bank (MDB) is an institution, created by a group of countries, that provides financing and professional advising for the purpose of development. MDBs have large memberships including both developed donor countries and developing borrower countries. MDBs finance projects in the form of long-term loans at market rates, very-long-term loans (also known as credits) below market rates, and through grants. The following are usually classified as the main MDBs: • World Bank • European Investment Bank(EIB) • Asian Development Bank (ADB) • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) • Inter-American...
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...The World Trade Organization (WTO) officially commenced on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). It is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade and to resolve trade disputes. Based on these objectives of WTO and our papers, we will divide our presentation into three parts. First, I will talk about economic sanctions and its impact on trade, then Lisa is going to impact of trade liberalization in developing countries, and finally Jessie will present developing country use of the WTO dispute settlement system. Economic sanctions was defined as economic pressures or punishments which are utilized by “sender countries” against the “target countries” And sanctions can be classified into three main types, which are “boycotts”, “embargoes” and “financial sanctions”, respectively. Economic sanctions are often directly associated with retaliatory action resulting from the conclusion of a WTO dispute settlement process (which will discuss further by my partner Jessie later). One example is the withdrawal of trade concessions by the United States in retaliation against the European Union’s banana regime, which was found to be inconsistent with WTO’s rule of trade liberalization. However, economic sanctions can also be adopted by countries under WTO provisions but which are unrelated to the WTO dispute settlement process. The legal basis of their justification under WTO rules...
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...International Financial Reporting Standards The application of IFRS is spreading all over the world as a result of the development of world economy and increasing transactions among countries and nations. For many years, even now, different countries have different account standards, such as U.S. GAAP, Japan GAAP, and IFRS are mainly adopted by European countries. In recent years, many countries accepted or acknowledged standards used in other countries. In America, for example, the SEC issued that it is possible to adopt IFRS in November 2008 and SEC stated that IFRS is the high quality global accounting standards in February 2010. IFRS, short for International Financial Reporting Standards, are the principles developed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). Nowadays, “it is becoming the global standard for the preparation of public company financial statements.”(Ervin Black) Parts of standards of IFRS are based on International Accounting Standards published by the Board of the International Accounting Standards Committee between 1973 and 2003. “On April 1st, 2001, the new IASB took over from the IASC the responsibility for setting International Accounting Standards. During its first meeting the new Board adopted existing IAS and SICs. The IASB has continued to develop standards calling the new standards IFRS.”(Geoffrey Whittington) U.S. GAAP, short for the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, is more widely accepted in United States...
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...1 Financial Reporting Case: Comparing Financial Reports Using the Form 20F Reconciliation Annie has been hired as an analyst for a relatively small investment company and has had several discussions with her new employer who is interested in expanding its investment options to include more international firms. One issue that Annie has brought up with her boss in their discussions is many investors’ unfamiliarity with financial reports prepared based on accounting standards other than US GAAP. While Annie’s employer seems to appreciate her concerns, Annie has asked you to help her prepare a report for her boss to examine and to use when he needs to explain the issues to the company’s clients. Annie has already located a number of popular press items that she will use to gain a general sense of where US GAAP and IFRS differ. However, she is concerned that she will need more direct information to provide to her employer in order to help him understand the issues at hand. She has examined a number of companies that report using IFRS, but is not sure how to use those reports to help her illustrate her concerns. She has asked you to help her prepare some information that she might use to help her boss better understand the impact on financial reports of using IFRS versus US GAAP. Given the importance of various ratios in financial ratios, you have decided to calculate several commonly used financial ratios using values taken from a company that prepares it financial ...
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...Roles of International Financial Institutions Marcus Jenkins MGT448 January 10, 2011 Paul Bogert Introduction When listening to the latest television report concerning global business news or world economics, names of financial institutions such as World Bank, International Monetary Funds, and Asian Development Bank may be the center of some discussion. A major player on the global forefront, international financial institutions function much differently from local neighborhood banks. In this paper the author will define the roles of international financial institutions and explain the role international financial institutions play in global financing operations. Also the author describes how international financial institutions can help in managing risks. Defining International Financial Institutions “The international financial institutions (IFIs) are global institutions established to promote economic development and trade” (Arvanitakis, 2001). Governed by international law, these financial institutions are generally established by more than one country. Funded by taxpayers these institutions are also very influential. Each year these institutions lend billions of dollars to help fund economic development and projects in some of the poorer nations in the world. The most prominent example of international financial institutions is the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were the first...
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...International Financial Reporting Standards vs. Generally Accepted Accounting Principals Over the last decade, the world has become increasingly connected. Businesses are embracing opportunities abroad and gathering investors from a progressively growing international market. Globalization has given rise to a number of questions regarding multicultural business practice. It has also created a need for universal financial reporting that is consistent and useful to all of its users, international and domestic alike. Due to this growing concern, the International Accounting Standards Board was established and has created a code of standards to facilitate such financial reporting. IFRS is an acronym for International Financial Reporting Standards. IFRS are a set of accounting standards that will establish a uniform financial statement accounting standard across the world (AICPA, “What is IFRS”). These standards will create a consistency among financial statements, and will allow external uses better comparability from one entity to another, regardless of the entity’s country of origin. IFRS was developed by the International Accounting Standards Board, IASB, a London based organization established in 2001. The AICPA was a founder member of this board, and, while not in direct affiliation thereof, has established a website to educate individuals and businesses on IFRS (AICPA, “What is the IASB”). The cost of the United States converting to IFRS is under scrutiny, many believe...
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...International financial reporting standards and India’s response “International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are designed as a common global language for business affairs so that company accounts are understandable and comparable across international boundaries.” TABLE OF CONTENT 1. Introduction 2. Objectives of financial statements 3. IFSR and India’s response 4. GAAP 5. Certain clarifications on IFRS roadmap 6. TransitionIFRS methodology Page | 2 1. International Financial Reporting Standards International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are designed as a common global language for business affairs so that company accounts are understandable and comparable across international boundaries. They are a consequence of growing international shareholding and trade and are particularly important for companies that have dealings in several countries. They are progressively replacing the many different national accounting standards. IFRS began as an attempt to harmonies accounting across the European Union but the value of harmonization quickly made the concept attractive around the world. They are sometimes still called by the original name of International Accounting Standards (IAS). IAS was issued between 1973 and 2001 by the Board of the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). On April 1, 2001, the new IASB took over from the IASC the responsibility for setting International Accounting Standards. During its first meeting the new Board adopted...
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