Capital Flow Waves: Surges, Stops, Flights and Retranchment

59 Pages Posted: 14 Jan 2012

See all articles by Kristin J. Forbes

Kristin J. Forbes

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Sloan School of Management; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Francis E. Warnock

University of Virginia - Darden Business School; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: August 5, 2011

Abstract

This paper analyzes the drivers of international waves in capital flows. We build on the literature on “sudden stops” and “bonanzas” to develop a new methodology for identifying episodes of extreme capital flow movements using quarterly data on gross inflows and gross outflows, differentiating activity by foreigners and domestics. We identify episodes of “surge”, “stop”, “flight”, and “retrenchment” and show how our approach yields fundamentally different results than the previous literature that used measures of net flows. Global factors, especially global risk, are the most important determinants of these episodes. Contagion, especially through trade and the bilateral exposure of banking systems, is important in determining stop and retrenchment episodes. Domestic macroeconomic characteristics are generally less important, although changes in domestic economic growth influence episodes caused by foreigners. We find little role for capital controls in reducing capital flow waves. The results help provide insights for different theoretical approaches explaining crises and capital flow volatility.

Keywords: capital flows, sudden stops, bonanzas, surges, global financial crisis, risk, capital controls, pull versus push

JEL Classification: F21, F3, F4

Suggested Citation

Forbes, Kristin J. and Warnock, Francis E., Capital Flow Waves: Surges, Stops, Flights and Retranchment (August 5, 2011). MIT Sloan Working Paper No. 4927-11, Darden Business School Working Paper No. 1923259, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1923259 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1923259

Kristin J. Forbes (Contact Author)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Sloan School of Management ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://web.mit.edu/kjforbes/www

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

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Francis E. Warnock

University of Virginia - Darden Business School ( email )

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Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States
434-924-6076 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://faculty.darden.virginia.edu/warnockf/index.htm

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

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