In countries without an explicit inflation targeting mechanism, a stable relationship between the monetary base and the money supply allows policymakers to implement changes in monetary policy with a reasonable degree of certainty about the impact on the money supply. The relationship can,...

This article examines the empirical link between mergers and investment using a panel of 61 developed and developing countries between 1987 and 2001. The results indicate that, on average, a rise in cross-border merger and acquisition activity tends to reduce investment. However, in high-income...

Estimates of the output gap are useful for identifying the sustainable level of noninflationary output growth in countries with a flexible exchange rate regime. For nations with a fixed exchange rate, however, domestic prices are inexorably linked to the prices of its main trading partners and...

This paper investigates the determinants of the high bank spreads observed in the Caribbean over the financially liberalised period of the 1990s. A theoretical model is formulated and tested using panel data. Among other factors, market power is found to be one of the main influences on these...

This paper analyses the dynamic investment and growth prospects of a financially constrained firm. Three types of financing constraints are examined: internal finance, debt ceiling and exponential interest costs. To study the growth dynamics of firms subject to the above constraints, numerical...

There have been numerous attempts at the formation of regional policy groupings within Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This paper analyses the similarities in macroeconomic policies pursued by member countries using realised correlation analysis on 26 LAC countries and observations...

Economic theory posits that in a fixed exchange rate regime with unrestricted capital flows, domestic interest rates must track closely those of the country to which the currency is pegged. This paper empirically tests this theory by investigating the sensitivity of interest rates in the Eastern...

Historically, the lack of competition in developing countries has resulted in highly concentrated domestic industries that suffer from diseconomies of scale but prosper behind high walls of protection. Liberalization is expected to reverse this trend but at what cost? This article utilizes an...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential link between remittances and economic volatility in small island developing states. Design/methodology/approach – The paper estimates a panel data model using a database containing 20 small island developing states (SIDS)...

The paper considers the role that socio-psychological and socio-cultural factors play in individual decisions to take risk. The study employs four main measures of risk propensity: the mean probability of engaging in an investment, insurance or everyday gamble and the amount that would be...