Academic literature on the topic 'Credit risk measure'

Purpose This study aims to examine the association between predictive accounting downside risk measures and changes in credit spreads. Building upon the earnings downside risk (EDR) measure developed in prior literature, this paper introduces cash flow downside risk (CFDR). Design/methodology/approach This study modifies an existing empirical framework (root lower partial moment) to calculate CFDR and applies it to a sample of firms between 2002 and 2013 for which credit default swap data are available. Findings After validating the measure, this study identifies a positive association between CFDR and changes in credit spreads. This paper further shows the association between CFDR and credit spread changes is stronger than that between EDR and credit spread changes. Financial stability moderates the relationship between CFDR and credit spreads. Originality/value This study proposes a novel measure of accounting downside risk, CFDR and demonstrates a negative association between this measure and future cash flow and a positive association between this measure and future credit spreads.

Crediting in the banking sector plays an important role in all developed and developing countries. For this reason, it is monitored continuously by public authorities and measures are taken to control credit supply in economic growth periods. On the other hand, in an economic slowdown, when banks are reluctant to increase their credit portfolio, public credit guarantee programs are put into use to increase the credit supply. In this study, a sample covering 26 advanced and emerging economies was analyzed, and the effects of credit gap, credit guarantees and economic growth on credits and arising credit risks were investigated. The findings show that both credits and non-performing loans, an important measure of credit risk, are affected by credit gap, credit guarantees, and economic growth. On the one hand, public credit guarantees positively affect economic growth. On the other hand, though they are widely used for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, our findings suggest that such expansive credit policies might negatively affect the riskiness of the credit portfolios and soundness of the banking sector.

Purpose The creditworthiness of corporates is most visible in credit ratings. This paper aims to present an alternative credit rating measure independently of credit rating agencies. The credit rating score (CRS) is based on the credit default swap (CDS) market trading. Design/methodology/approach A CRS is developed which is a linear function of logarithmized CDS spreads. This new CRS is the first one that is completely independent of the rating agency. The estimated ratings are compared with ratings provided by Fitch Ratings for 310 European and US non-financial corporates. Findings The empirical analysis shows that logarithmized CDS spreads and issuer credit ratings by agencies have a linear relationship. The new CRS provides market participants with an alternative risk assessment, which is solely based on market factors, and does not rely on credit rating analysts. The results indicate that our CRS is able to anticipate agency ratings in advance. Moreover, the analysis shows that the trading volume has only a limited influence in the anticipation of rating changes. Originality/value This study shows a new approach to measure the creditworthiness of firms by analyzing CDS spreads. This is highly relevant for regulation, firm monitoring and investors.

In both financial theory and practice, Value-at-risk (VaR) has become the predominant risk measure in the last two decades. Nevertheless, there is a lively and controverse on-going discussion about possible alternatives. Against this background, our first objective is to provide a current overview of related competitors with the focus on credit risk management which includes definition, references, striking properties and classification. The second part is dedicated to the measurement of risk concentrations of credit portfolios. Typically, credit portfolio models are used to calculate the overall risk (measure) of a portfolio. Subsequently, Euler’s allocation scheme is applied to break the portfolio risk down to single counterparties (or different subportfolios) in order to identify risk concentrations. We first carry together the Euler formulae for the risk measures under consideration. In two cases (Median Shortfall and Range-VaR), explicit formulae are presented for the first time. Afterwards, we present a comprehensive study for a benchmark portfolio according to Duellmann and Masschelein (2007) and nine different risk measures in conjunction with the Euler allocation. It is empirically shown that—in principle—all risk measures are capable of identifying both sectoral and single-name concentration. However, both complexity of IT implementation and sensitivity of the risk figures w.r.t. changes of portfolio quality vary across the specific risk measures.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of third-party funds, credit risk, market risk, and operational risk on profitability in banking, especially on the banks included in BUKU 2 category simultaneously or partially. The sampling technique used in the study was saturated sampling. Therefore, a number of 54 banks was obtained as samples. The data in the study were quantitative data, namely in form of financial statements of banking companies included in BUKU 2 category for the period 2014–2017. The data were obtained from the websites of the concerned banks. The research method used was multiple linear regression analysis. In the study, to measure the third-party funds variable we used third-party fund (TPF) ratio, to measure the credit risk variable we used non-performing loan (NPL) and non-performing financing (NPF) ratio, to measure the market risk variable we used net interest margin (NIM) ratio, to measure the operational risk variable we used BOPO ratio, and to measure the profitability variable we used return on assets (ROA) ratio. The result of the study showed that partially third-party funds and credit risk had no significant effect on profitability, partially market risk had a significant positive effect on profitability, and partially credit risk had a significant negative effect on profitability. While simultaneously, third-party funds, credit risk, market risk, and operational risk had a significant effect on profitability.

In line with regulations and common risk management practice, the credit risk of a portfolio is managed via its potential future exposures (PFEs), expected exposures (EEs), and related measures, the expected positive exposure (EPE), effective expected exposure (EEE), and the effective expected positive exposure (EEPE). Notably, firms use these exposures to set economic and regulatory capital levels. Their values have a big impact on the capital that firms need to hold to manage their risks. Due to the growth of credit valuation adjustment (CVA) computations, and the similarity of CVA computations to exposure computations, firms find it expedient to compute these exposures under the risk neutral measure. Here, we show that exposures computed under the risk neutral measure are essentially arbitrary. They depend on the choice of numéraire, and can be manipulated by choosing a different numéraire. The numéraire can even be chosen in such a way as to pass backtests. Even when restricting attention to commonly used numéraires, exposures can vary by a factor of two or more. As such, it is critical that these calculations be carried out under the real world measure, not the risk neutral measure. To help rectify the situation, we show how to exploit measure changes to efficiently compute real world exposures in a risk neutral framework, even when there is no change of measure from the risk neutral measure to the real world measure. We also develop a canonical risk neutral measure that can be used as an alternative approach to risk calculations.

Credit rating bias would affect the capital funding of oil and gas companies, and thus influence the development of the whole economy. Credit rating bias has been mostly analyzed based on different quantitative data sources, and inconsistent results have been obtained. This study first analyzes credit rating bias from the perspective of qualitative textual risk disclosures. By comparing the external credit rating with the internal risk perception expressed in the textual risk disclosures of Form 10-K filings, we can study the consistency of risk assessment of the company by the company’s management and the third-party rating agency. To be specific, four internal textual risk measures and one external risk measure are constructed to quantify the internal risk perception and external risk assessment on oil and gas companies. Then, Spearman’s rho is applied to measure the direction and magnitude of credit rating bias. In the experiment, based on the 357 samples of 174 U.S. oil and gas companies, ranging from 2009 to 2018, we find that the credit ratings mostly overestimate the internal risks perceived by the company managers, and the bias is becoming larger with the credit ratings downgraded from AAA to D.

På en teknisk nivå utgör beräkningen av sektorkoncentrationsrisk ett särskilt utmanande problem. I befintlig teori är riktlinjer till såväl hur industrisektorer ska indelas som risknivån beräknas begränsade. Syftet med studien är att utvärdera och analysera olika tillvägagångssätt till sektorkoncentrationsrisk i kreditportföljer. Detta har utförts i två separata delar där både indelningen i sektorer och riskberäkningen behandlats. Sektorindelningen har utvärderats genom att jämföra korrelationsstrukturen mellan två speciellt intressanta indelningsmetodiker; enligt Morgan Stanely Capital Investment (MSCI) och den av Finansinspektionen föreslagna sektorindelningen (SFSA). Riskberäkningen har utvärderats genom att applicera en rad olika koncentrationsmått på portföljer av varierande koncentrationsgrad. Resultaten visar att en minimering av inter-sektoriella korrelationer samt en maximering av intra-sektoriella korrelation är av stor vikt då sektorer indelas. Med andra ord, för att koncentrationen ska generera en faktisk risk krävs det att sektorerna är tydligt särskilda samt internt homogena. Utöver detta ska individuella exponeringar tydligt kunna placeras inom en sektor och de behandlade sektorerna ska inte vara av diversifierad natur. Resultaten tyder vidare på att MSCI presterar bättre för att hantera sektorkoncentrationsrisk på alla dessa punkter. När det kommer till riskberäkningen, visar resultaten att förutom  ördelningen av exponeringar är även sektorspecifika kreditkvaliteter samt korrelationsstrukturer av vikt för att bestämma risknivån. Risken från koncentration är större om risknivån är hög eller om exponeringen är mot korrelerade sektorer. Men framförallt tyder resultaten på att en uniformt fördelat portfölj inte är att se som okoncentrerad. För att ta hänsyn till naturliga koncentrationer är det därför av yttersta vikt att koncentration istället ses i förhållande till den aggregerade kreditmarknaden.
On a technical level, the measurement of sector concentration risk poses a particularlychallenging problem. Existing literature lacks direct suggestions both regarding how sectors are to be divided and the risk-level measured. The purpose of the study is to evaluate and analyse different measures of - and approaches to sector concentration risk in credit portfolios. This has been addressed both by analysing sectorial division and which aspects that are of interest for determining the concentration imposed risk- level. The sectorial division has been addressed by comparing the correlation structures of two especially interesting sector classification methods; the standardised Morgan Stanley Capital Investment industry classification (MSCI) and the proposed sector classification of the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (SFSA).  The sector concentration risk measurement has been analysed through employing different risk-measures on portfolios with varying concentration levels. The results show that in order to capture the risk-level from concentration, the main approach for sectorial division should seek to minimise inter-sector correlations and maximise intra-sector correlations. I.e. sectors should be distinct from each other and internally homogeneous. Moreover, an unambiguous sorting of individual exposures towards one sector should be possible and the considered sectors should not be of a diversified nature. It is also found that MSCI outperforms SFSA for assessing  sector concentration risk on all fronts. When it comes to the risk measure, it is found that apart from exposure distribution; credit qualities and correlation structures are of great interest. The risk induced from a concentrated exposure is greater if credit qualities are low or if the exposure is high towards highly correlated sectors. But  above all, the results imply that a uniform distribution is not to be seen as unconcentrated. In order for concentration measurement to incorporate natural concentrations it is thereby greatly important that concentration instead is considered as relative towards the aggregate credit market.

La tesi comprende tre saggi sul ruolo della volatilità implicita per le banche. La tesi è organizzata in tre capitoli. Capitolo I - studia il ruolo di skew e spread della volatilità implicita nel determinare i rendimenti delle azioni bancarie. Capitolo II - analizza gli effetti degli skew della volatilità implicita e della realized volatility sulla leva finanziaria delle banche. Capitolo III - si focalizza sul rapporto tra il coefficiente di liquidità delle banche e le misure per il rischio estratte dalla volatilità (skew, spread, realized volatility).
The thesis comprehends three essays on option implied volatility risk measures for banks. The thesis is organized in three chapters. Chapter I - studies the informational content for banks' stock returns in option's implied volatilities skews and spread. Chapter II - analyzes the effect of volatility risk measures (volatility skew and realized volatility) on banks' leverage. Chapter III - studies the relationship between banks' liquidity ratio and volatility risk measures.

Credit models are essential to control credit risk and accurately predicting bankruptcy and financial distress is even more necessary after the recent global financial crisis. Although accounting and financial information have been the main variables in corporate credit models for decades, academics continue searching for new attributes to model the probability of default. This thesis investigates the use of corporate efficiency and corporate governance measures in standard statistical credit models using cross-sectional and hazard models. Relative efficiency as calculated by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) can be used in prediction but most previous literature that has used such variables has failed to follow the assumptions of Variable Returns to Scale and sample homogeneity and hence the efficiency may not be correctly measured. This research has built industry specific models to successfully incorporate DEA efficiency scores for different industries and it is the first to decompose overall Technical Efficiency into Pure Technical Efficiency and Scale Efficiency in the context of modelling financial distress. It has been found that efficiency measures can improve the predictive accuracy and Scale Efficiency is a more important measure of efficiency than others. Furthermore, as no literature has attempted a panel analysis of DEA scores to predict distress, this research has extended the cross sectional analysis to a survival analysis by using Malmquist DEA and discrete hazard models. Results show that dynamic efficiency scores calculated with reference to the global efficiency frontier have the best discriminant power to classify distressed and non-distressed companies. Four groups of corporate governance measures, board composition, ownership structure, management compensation and director and manager characteristics, are incorporated in the hazard models to predict financial distress. It has been found that state control, institutional ownership, salaries to independent directors, the Chair’s age, the CEO’s education, the work location of independent directors and the concurrent position of the CEO have significant associations with the risk of financial distress. The best predictive accuracy is made from the model of governance measures, financial ratios and macroeconomic variables. Policy implications are advised to the regulatory commission.

Dans cette thèse, nous examinons plusieurs méthodes d'approximations stochastiques à la fois pour le calcul de mesures de risques financiers et pour le pricing de produits dérivés.Comme les formules explicites sont rarement disponibles pour de telles quantités, le besoin d'approximations analytiques rapides,efficaces et fiables est d'une importance capitale pour les institutions financières.Nous visons ainsi à donner un large aperçu de ces méthodes d'approximation et nous nous concentrons sur trois approches distinctes.Dans la première partie, nous étudions plusieurs méthodes d'approximation Monte Carlo multi-niveaux et les appliquons à deux problèmes pratiques :l'estimation de quantités impliquant des espérances imbriquées (comme la marge initiale) ainsi que la discrétisation des intégrales apparaissant dans les modèles rough pour la variance forward pour le pricing d'options sur le VIX.Dans les deux cas, nous analysons les propriétés d'optimalité asymptotique des estimateurs multi-niveaux correspondants et démontrons numériquement leur supériorité par rapport à une méthode de Monte Carlo classique.Dans la deuxième partie, motivés par les nombreux exemples issus de la modélisation en risque de crédit, nous proposons un cadre général de métamodélisation pour de grandes sommes de variables aléatoires de Bernoulli pondérées, qui sont conditionnellement indépendantes par rapport à un facteur commun X. Notre approche générique est basée sur la décomposition en polynômes du chaos du facteur commun et sur une approximation gaussienne. Les estimations d'erreur L2 sont données lorsque le facteur X est associé à des polynômes orthogonaux classiques.Enfin, dans la dernière partie de cette thèse, nous nous intéressons aux asymptotiques en temps court de la volatilité implicite américaine et les prix d'options américaines dans les modèles à volatilité locale. Nous proposons également une approximation en loi de l'indice VIX dans des modèles rough pour la variance forward, exprimée en termes de proxys log-normaux et dérivons des résultats d'expansion pour les options sur le VIX dont les coefficients sont explicites
In this thesis, we investigate several stochastic approximation methods for both the computation of financial risk measures and the pricing of derivatives.As closed-form expressions are scarcely available for such quantities, %and because they have to be evaluated daily, the need for fast, efficient, and reliable analytic approximation formulas is of primal importance to financial institutions.We aim at giving a broad overview of such approximation methods and we focus on three distinct approaches.In the first part, we study some Multilevel Monte Carlo approximation methods and apply them for two practical problems: the estimation of quantities involving nested expectations (such as the initial margin) along with the discretization of integrals arising in rough forward variance models for the pricing of VIX derivatives.For both cases, we analyze the properties of the corresponding asymptotically-optimal multilevel estimatorsand numerically demonstrate the superiority of multilevel methods compare to a standard Monte Carlo.In the second part, motivated by the numerous examples arising in credit risk modeling, we propose a general framework for meta-modeling large sums of weighted Bernoullirandom variables which are conditional independent of a common factor X.Our generic approach is based on a Polynomial Chaos Expansion on the common factor together withsome Gaussian approximation. L2 error estimates are given when the factor X is associated withclassical orthogonal polynomials.Finally, in the last part of this dissertation, we deal withsmall-time asymptotics and provide asymptoticexpansions for both American implied volatility and American option prices in local volatility models.We also investigate aweak approximations for the VIX index inrough forward variance models expressed in termsof lognormal proxiesand derive expansions results for VIX derivatives with explicit coefficients

Dans ce travail de thèse le processus d'information concernant un instant de défaut τ dans un modèle de risque de crédit est décrit par un pont brownien sur l'intervalle stochastique [0, τ]. Un tel processus de pont est caractérisé comme plus adapté dans la modélisation que le modèle classique considérant l'indicatrice I[0,τ]. Après l'étude des formules de Bayes associées, cette approche de modélisation de l'information concernant le temps de défaut est reliée avec d'autres informations sur le marché financier. Ceci est fait à l'aide de la théorie du grossissement de filtration, où la filtration générée par le processus d'information est élargie par la filtration de référence décrivant d'autres informations n'étant pas directement liées avec le défaut. Une attention particulière est consacrée à la classification du temps de défaut par rapport à la filtration minimale mais également à la filtration élargie. Des conditions suffisantes, sous lesquelles τ est totalement inaccessible, sont discutées, mais également un exemple est donné dans lequel τ évite les temps d'arrêt, est totalement inaccessible par rapport à la filtration minimale et prévisible par rapport à la filtration élargie. Enfin, des contrats financiers comme, par exemple, des obligations privée et des crédits default swaps, sont étudiés dans le contexte décrit ci-dessus
In this PhD thesis the information process concerning a default time τ in a credit risk model is described by a Brownian bridge over the random time interval [0, τ]. Such a bridge process is characterised as to be a more adapted model than the classical one considering the indicator function I[0,τ]. After the study of related Bayes formulas, this approach of modelling information concerning the default time is related with other financial information. This is done with the help of the theory of enlargement of filtration, where the filtration generated by the information process is enlarged with a reference filtration modelling other information not directly associated with the default. A particular attention is paid to the classification of the default time with respect to the minimal filtration but also with respect to the enlarged filtration. Sufficient conditions under which τ is totally inaccessible are discussed, but also an example is given of a τ avoiding the stopping times of the reference filtration, which is totally inaccessible with respect to its own filtration and predictable with respect to the enlarged filtration. Finally, common financial contracts like defaultable bonds and credit default swaps are considered in the above described settings

碩士
東吳大學
會計學系
88
Accompanied with the bullish economy in the eighties, there was a narrow gap in the credit risk spread. In order to compete, banks had to unconsciously face a significantly high credit risk. The production of derived instrument have also widened and make credit risk more complicate. Investors were not able to easily profit through interest rates and in the exchange market, thus turned into expanding or trading credit risk to gain. Moreover, the fast growth of new-rising markets caused investors and banks to face higher credit risk in making decision. These factors have caused the setting of monitoring controls for credit risk, and increased the importance of credit risk guidelines. This study uses option model to measure credit risk of Taiwan companies in the market with a view to provide more information regarding credit risk. This study defines credit risk as the company can''t pay their liability when assets value less than debt. Thus, a company''s credit risk can be estimated by knowledge of the distribution of its asset value. Inasmuch as company to borrow money is like buying call, a company''s asset value may be measure by option pricing. This study emulates the credit risk computation model of KMV Company by the computation of company default probability in three steps: a. computation of company asset value b. computation of distant from default c. computation of expected default probable In the first step this study uses semi-standard deviation and standard deviation of unusual return in stead of standard deviation of stock return. Moreover, TCRI score is used in place of assets return standard deviation as well. In conclusion, this study finds out that prediction for default risk is more accurate if TCRI score is used in place of standard deviation of assets return.

The textbook highlights the theoretical and practical problems of banking supervision in Russia, including its goals, objects and forms. Special attention is paid to the requirements for bank risk management and enforcement measures applied by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation to credit institutions. For undergraduates of law schools, graduate students and teachers.

The backdrop of rapid growth of worldwide energy consumption and increasing concerns about global energy sustainability and environment protection, as well as an increasing uncertainty of commodity prices, require energy companies to use derivatives to hedge against risks related to energy trading. Over time, this situation has led to a more important role for energy risk management as part of a company’s core business operation. This chapter discusses the primary financial instruments used in the energy sector and risk management for energy companies. It reviews the application of several important quantitative methodologies, including Value at Risk and its variant risk metrics, to measure market risk. The chapter also examines credit risk measures and credit risk migration. Lastly, it discusses liquidity risk, operational risk, and legal risk. Overall, the chapter focuses more on the risk the commodity producer/deliverer faces and less on the end user.

The issue of risk-based pricing of credit loans has become crucial for banking companies, in a context characterized by severe restriction of profitability margins also in relation to a level of market interest rates which in the Euro area is at its lowest. historical, now firmly in the negative area. The same European Authorities urge the adoption of adequate and consistent adjusted pricing frameworks with respect to the business model, risk profile and overall risk governance of the bank. The methodological and organizational process for determining the risk-adjusted pricing is further complicated by the ongoing Covid19 pandemic which, through the highly asymmetrical impacts on customer segments and industrial sectors, makes the forward-looking and macroeconomic assessment of the sectors risk even more relevant.

This chapter discusses requirements for derivatives, clearing and exposures to CCPs. In September 2009, as one of the primary policy responses to the crisis, G20 leaders at the Pittsburgh summit decided to promote central clearing of derivatives, and legislation is now in place to provide a framework for compelling banks to do this. However, clearing increases the risk exposures of banks providing that clearing service, since the bank retains the risks arising from the original derivative transaction, and adds to them any risks arising from the clearing process. In general, a bank will measure its derivative exposures using one of three methods: the Internal Model Method; the Standardized Method; or the Current Exposure Method. The risk weight is that which applies to the counterparty under the Standardized Approach (SA) or internal ratings-based approach for credit risk. However, these approaches will be replaced by the SA-CCR under Basel 3.

This chapter studies calculative risk-assessment practices in credit rating agencies. It identifies two fundamentally different methodological approaches for producing ratings, which in turn shape the respective conceptions of credit risk. The traditional approach sees ‘risk’ as an only partially calculable and predictable set of hazards that should be avoided or minimized. This approach is particularly evident in the production of country credit ratings and gives rise to ordinal rankings of risk. By contrast, structured finance rating practices conceive of ‘risk’ as both fully calculable and controllable; they construct cardinal measures of risk by assuming that ontological uncertainty does not exist and that models can capture all possible events in a probabilistic manner. This assumption—that uncertainty can be turned into measurable risk—is a necessary precondition for structured finance securities and has become an influential imaginary in financial markets.

This chapter begins by discussing market risk in the Basel framework. Market risk was a relative latecomer to the Basel framework. Although the original Accord was signed in 1988, it was only in 1996 that the amendment to incorporate market risks was implemented. Market risk in the trading book is comprised of two significant components: position risk, which measures the risk of a change in the value of assets held; and counterparty credit risk, which measures the riskiness of counterparties to derivatives, options, and other trading positions. The remainder of the chapter covers trading book eligibility under Basel 2.5 and Basel 3.

Under IFRS9, Financial Institutions are required to implement impairment frameworks to determine the expected losses on their credit portfolio taking into account the current (so called “point in time”) and the prospective (so called “forward looking”) economic cycle. The Covid-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, has posed significant challenges for Financial Institutions in their ability to manage credit risk. Despite numerous guidelines given by regulators, estimating IFRS9 expected loss continues to be a considerable challenge. The challenge partly stems from the relationship between macro-economic scenarios and credit losses, the treatment of moratoriums inside the historical series for development and calibration of IFRS9 risk parameters, and the management of support measures defined at National and European levels (e.g. Next Generation EU) for the forward looking estimations.

This chapter examines the adaptation of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) framework by means of the 2014 ISDA Credit Derivatives Definitions (2014 Definitions) in addressing how the EU Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD) affects credit derivatives. Particularly, it analyses how the institution or obligation to which the credit derivative is referenced becomes subject to the measures. Financial derivatives are financial instruments which provide for an immediate or future exchange of a reference value. Its price inter alia derives from the underlying reference value. Credit Derivatives help transferring the risk of a referenced third party defaulting on its obligation from the buyer to the seller of the Credit Derivative. The chapter explores the documentation of Credit Derivatives and the adjustments made during the financial crisis. It concludes with an analysis of the BRRD from a Credit Derivatives’ perspective and illustrates experiences made during the financial crisis.

AbstractBy purchasing political risk insurance (PRI), investors can successfully strengthen their position in the host state, allocating the burden of political risk to third parties (insurance agencies). PRI is provided by international organisations, such as the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and state-sponsored insurance agencies, known as export credit agencies (ECAs) or public insurance agencies. This chapter focuses on the insurance schemes of NEXI, Japan’s officially sponsored ECA, which plays a dominant role in providing PRI to Japanese nationals. The benefits of insurance agencies providing PRI schemes go beyond cash indemnification. PRI mechanisms include various policy requirements, operational conditions, and performance standards that not only influence the engagement of the insured investors, but also shape the regulatory authority of host governments and affect local communities. PRI plays a particularly crucial role in the governance of energy projects due to the complexity of this sector and its importance to states and local communities. However, there are policy and operational implications of PRI provision in the governance of energy projects with an adverse effect on local communities. In response, most insurance agencies like NEXI, have taken measures for socially and environmentally responsible investments, requiring their insured clients to comply with various social and environmental standards and establishing surveillance mechanisms and in-house grievance facilities. Even if these practices are moving in the right direction, their true functionality and effectiveness have not yet been proved.

AbstractThis chapter introduces conventional monetary policy, i.e. monetary policy during periods of economic and financial stability and when short-term interest rates are not constrained by the zero lower bound. We introduce the concept of an operational target of monetary policy and explain why central banks normally give this role to the short-term interbank rate. We briefly touch macroeconomics by outlining how central banks should set interest rates across time to achieve their ultimate target, e.g. price stability, and we acknowledge the complications in doing so. We then zoom further into monetary policy operations and central bank balance sheets by developing the concepts of autonomous factor, monetary policy instruments, and liquidity-absorbing and liquidity providing balance sheet items. Subsequently we explain how these quantities relate to short-term interest rates, and how the central bank can rely on this relation to steer its operational target, and thereby the starting point of monetary policy transmission. Finally, we explain the importance of the collateral framework and related risk control measures (e.g. haircuts) for the liquidity of banks and for the conduct of central bank credit operations.

The present paper intends to serve as an introduction into the financial risk management universe. It starts with the basic assumption that performance of an organization is inseparable from the risks it is facing. Any organization should have in place the necessary tools to identify, assess and constantly measure the risks it is exposed to. The paper focuses in defining the basic principles in creating a viable risk management framework that keeps track of three major categories of identified financial risks: market risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. Emphasis is put on the models to measure these types of risks but also on the tools an organization can use in order to reduce them. The second part of the paper is dedicated to recent events that shaped and shocked financial markets and illustrate the consequences faced by organizations when risks are not properly assessed and the risk management models in place are based on dangerously unrealistic notions.

Purpose – to evaluate the efficiency of the credit provision process of Lithuanian banks, to submit suggestions for improvement. Research methodology – after the theoretical analysis of the efficiency of the credit granting process was developed, an empirical research using the methods of questionnaire survey and analysis of financial indicators was carried out. Findings – efficiency is usually lost at the stages of consideration of application, conclusion of credit portfolio and risk assessment. These factors were distinguished from all efficiency reducing factors: time consuming processes, not automatized stages, insufficiently informed customer. Research limitations – methods of analysis of scientific literature are limited, but they enable the analysis and identifi- cation of the efficiency of credit provision within the research. Practical implications – the article evaluates the efficiency of credit provision by selected banks and proposes measures to streamline the process. By applying the proposed measures, banks could increase the efficiency of the credit granting process. Originality/Value – previously, the effectiveness of credit granting process in Lithuanian banks has not been assessed.

iB1350 stands for an innovative, intelligent and inexpensive BWR 1350. It is the first Generation III.7 reactor after the Fukushima Daiichi accident, and has incorporated both the lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident and the WENRA safety objectives. It has a double cylinder RCCV (Mark W containment) and an in-depth hybrid safety system (IDHS). The IDHS currently consists of 4 division active safety systems for a DBA, and 2 division active safety systems as well as built-in passive safety systems (BiPSS) consisting of an isolation condenser (IC) and an innovative passive containment cooling system (iPCCS) for a Severe Accident (SA), which brings the total to 6 division active safety systems. Taking into account of excellent feature of the BiPSS, the IDHS has potential to optimize its 6 division active safety systems. The iPCCS that composes the BiPSS has been enhanced and has greater capability to remove decay heat than the conventional PCCS. While the conventional PCCS never can cool the S/P, the iPCCS can automatically cool the S/P directly with benefits from the structure of the Mark W containment. That makes it possible for the iB1350 to cool the core using only core inject systems and the iPCCS without RHR system: conventional active decay heat removal system. To make the most of this excellent feature of the iPCCS, it is under consideration to take credit for the iPCCS as safety systems for a DBA to optimize configuration of the IDHS. Currently, there are several proposed configurations of the IDHS that are expected to achieve cost reduction and enhance its reliability resulting from passive feature of the iPCCS. To compare those configurations of the IDHS, Level 1 Internal Events Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) and sensitivity analyses considering external hazards have been performed for each configuration to provide measure of plant safety.

As offshore oil & gas activities are currently evolving towards more productive yet complex situations, the availability of efficient safety metrics has become essential in the early stages of offshore oil & gas projects to underline potential major accidents hazards and clearly communicate safety criticalities. Inherent safety has demonstrated to be a widespread concept in offshore risk management strategies, but there are few preliminary studies in the existing literature about systemic indexing to orient the conceptual and basic design stages of the project lifecycle. In the present work, a methodology for the selection of inherently safer solutions was developed as a support tool for decision-making in early design activities of offshore oil & gas installations. The expected inherent safety performance of alternative design options is assessed by means of a comprehensive set of key performance indicators (KPIs) based on the simulation of consequences of offshore accident scenarios and credit factors of the possible loss of containment events from offshore equipment. The proposed KPIs aim to capture the hazard level of single units and to address selectively multiple targets of the potential threats than personnel and process equipment on the installation, such as marine organisms on the sea environment. Moreover, overall aggregated KPIs were introduced as a sound synthetic measure of the inherent safety performance of the offshore system. The method was applied to the assessment of alternative designs of an offshore production facility, particularly characterized by environmental and safety concerns. The results from the case study evidenced the capability of the proposed method in ranking the potential and credible critical units of each alternative configuration and identifying the relative magnitude of targets contributions to the global safety profile of the installation.

One of the aging issues of concern in the light-water reactor power plants is the fatigue degradation due to cyclic loads for which the updated regulatory guidelines have factored in the water environment effects that were not in the original design basis analyses. These guidelines are also applicable to newer plant designs not yet in operation. In both these cases, notably, the design/analysis is deterministic with several factors conservatively used as an engineering judgment to address various sources of uncertainty in the cumulative usage factor (CUF) based fatigue evaluation. The use of deterministic approach to an inherently statistical issue with large and unspecified uncertainty of analysis does not provide a consistent or quantifiable measure of actual safety margin, nor does it lend itself well to assess the impact of various conservative assumptions, or their potential reductions, on the gain/loss in the margin. While a probabilistic methodology is expected to be pertinent and useful it is also recognized that the deterministic approach has the simplicity and familiarity to its credit. These aspects of significance to the long-term assessment and management of fatigue degradation are addressed in this paper with a new approach focused on its engineering application. Presented in this paper is a rational basis that relates the results of a probabilistic assessment of CUF to the common notion of deterministic margins. The objective is to account for major sources of uncertainty in the evaluation of CUF and its allowable or performance criterion, with the goal of allowing for a more realistic assessment of fatigue damage and a consistent quantification of fatigue margins. The basis itself is developed using the stress–strength (or load–resistance) interference methodology that is probabilistic. The results of application of this methodology are expressed in the form of suitable margins that can be treated in the usual deterministic manner. The relation between application dependent acceptable risk level and the quantified fatigue margin is examined to further utilize the results of proposed approach in a simplified engineering manner. Limitations of the key assumptions in the development of this basis/approach, and their expected practical significance, are discussed with suggestions for further enhancements from the application point of view.

Assessing the dynamics of risk premium measures and its relationship with macroeconomic fundamentals is important for both macroeconomic policymakers and market practitioners. This paper analyzes the main determinants of CDS in Latin-America at different tenures, focusing on their volatility. Using a component GARCH model, we decompose volatility between permanent and transitory components. We find that the permanent component of CDS volatility in all tenors was higher and more persistent in the global financial crisis than during the recent COVID-19 shock. JEL Classification: C22, C58, G01, G15. Keywords: Credit default swaps (CDS), CDS in Latin-American countries, sovereign risk, volatility, crisis, component GARCH models

Regional banking systems in Asia and the Pacific are not only increasingly integrated but also tend to be concentrated to a few counterparties only, exposing the region to financial risk and policy spillovers. This study assesses the determinants and impacts of the region’s cross-border banking concentration. It constructs and analyzes cross-border bank concentration measures for 47 economies in Asia and the Pacific from 2000 to 2019. Results suggest that higher capital account, trade openness, and per capita income are significantly associated with lower cross-border bank concentration. Moreover, elevated cross-border bank concentration tends to lower domestic credit growth and nonperforming loans.

1.1 Macroeconomic summary Economic recovery has consistently outperformed the technical staff’s expectations following a steep decline in activity in the second quarter of 2020. At the same time, total and core inflation rates have fallen and remain at low levels, suggesting that a significant element of the reactivation of Colombia’s economy has been related to recovery in potential GDP. This would support the technical staff’s diagnosis of weak aggregate demand and ample excess capacity. The most recently available data on 2020 growth suggests a contraction in economic activity of 6.8%, lower than estimates from January’s Monetary Policy Report (-7.2%). High-frequency indicators suggest that economic performance was significantly more dynamic than expected in January, despite mobility restrictions and quarantine measures. This has also come amid declines in total and core inflation, the latter of which was below January projections if controlling for certain relative price changes. This suggests that the unexpected strength of recent growth contains elements of demand, and that excess capacity, while significant, could be lower than previously estimated. Nevertheless, uncertainty over the measurement of excess capacity continues to be unusually high and marked both by variations in the way different economic sectors and spending components have been affected by the pandemic, and by uneven price behavior. The size of excess capacity, and in particular the evolution of the pandemic in forthcoming quarters, constitute substantial risks to the macroeconomic forecast presented in this report. Despite the unexpected strength of the recovery, the technical staff continues to project ample excess capacity that is expected to remain on the forecast horizon, alongside core inflation that will likely remain below the target. Domestic demand remains below 2019 levels amid unusually significant uncertainty over the size of excess capacity in the economy. High national unemployment (14.6% for February 2021) reflects a loose labor market, while observed total and core inflation continue to be below 2%. Inflationary pressures from the exchange rate are expected to continue to be low, with relatively little pass-through on inflation. This would be compatible with a negative output gap. Excess productive capacity and the expectation of core inflation below the 3% target on the forecast horizon provide a basis for an expansive monetary policy posture. The technical staff’s assessment of certain shocks and their expected effects on the economy, as well as the presence of several sources of uncertainty and related assumptions about their potential macroeconomic impacts, remain a feature of this report. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, continues to affect the public health environment, and the reopening of Colombia’s economy remains incomplete. The technical staff’s assessment is that the COVID-19 shock has affected both aggregate demand and supply, but that the impact on demand has been deeper and more persistent. Given this persistence, the central forecast accounts for a gradual tightening of the output gap in the absence of new waves of contagion, and as vaccination campaigns progress. The central forecast continues to include an expected increase of total and core inflation rates in the second quarter of 2021, alongside the lapse of the temporary price relief measures put in place in 2020. Additional COVID-19 outbreaks (of uncertain duration and intensity) represent a significant risk factor that could affect these projections. Additionally, the forecast continues to include an upward trend in sovereign risk premiums, reflected by higher levels of public debt that in the wake of the pandemic are likely to persist on the forecast horizon, even in the context of a fiscal adjustment. At the same time, the projection accounts for the shortterm effects on private domestic demand from a fiscal adjustment along the lines of the one currently being proposed by the national government. This would be compatible with a gradual recovery of private domestic demand in 2022. The size and characteristics of the fiscal adjustment that is ultimately implemented, as well as the corresponding market response, represent another source of forecast uncertainty. Newly available information offers evidence of the potential for significant changes to the macroeconomic scenario, though without altering the general diagnosis described above. The most recent data on inflation, growth, fiscal policy, and international financial conditions suggests a more dynamic economy than previously expected. However, a third wave of the pandemic has delayed the re-opening of Colombia’s economy and brought with it a deceleration in economic activity. Detailed descriptions of these considerations and subsequent changes to the macroeconomic forecast are presented below. The expected annual decline in GDP (-0.3%) in the first quarter of 2021 appears to have been less pronounced than projected in January (-4.8%). Partial closures in January to address a second wave of COVID-19 appear to have had a less significant negative impact on the economy than previously estimated. This is reflected in figures related to mobility, energy demand, industry and retail sales, foreign trade, commercial transactions from selected banks, and the national statistics agency’s (DANE) economic tracking indicator (ISE). Output is now expected to have declined annually in the first quarter by 0.3%. Private consumption likely continued to recover, registering levels somewhat above those from the previous year, while public consumption likely increased significantly. While a recovery in investment in both housing and in other buildings and structures is expected, overall investment levels in this case likely continued to be low, and gross fixed capital formation is expected to continue to show significant annual declines. Imports likely recovered to again outpace exports, though both are expected to register significant annual declines. Economic activity that outpaced projections, an increase in oil prices and other export products, and an expected increase in public spending this year account for the upward revision to the 2021 growth forecast (from 4.6% with a range between 2% and 6% in January, to 6.0% with a range between 3% and 7% in April). As a result, the output gap is expected to be smaller and to tighten more rapidly than projected in the previous report, though it is still expected to remain in negative territory on the forecast horizon. Wide forecast intervals reflect the fact that the future evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant source of uncertainty on these projections. The delay in the recovery of economic activity as a result of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter appears to have been less significant than projected in the January report. The central forecast scenario expects this improved performance to continue in 2021 alongside increased consumer and business confidence. Low real interest rates and an active credit supply would also support this dynamic, and the overall conditions would be expected to spur a recovery in consumption and investment. Increased growth in public spending and public works based on the national government’s spending plan (Plan Financiero del Gobierno) are other factors to consider. Additionally, an expected recovery in global demand and higher projected prices for oil and coffee would further contribute to improved external revenues and would favor investment, in particular in the oil sector. Given the above, the technical staff’s 2021 growth forecast has been revised upward from 4.6% in January (range from 2% to 6%) to 6.0% in April (range from 3% to 7%). These projections account for the potential for the third wave of COVID-19 to have a larger and more persistent effect on the economy than the previous wave, while also supposing that there will not be any additional significant waves of the pandemic and that mobility restrictions will be relaxed as a result. Economic growth in 2022 is expected to be 3%, with a range between 1% and 5%. This figure would be lower than projected in the January report (3.6% with a range between 2% and 6%), due to a higher base of comparison given the upward revision to expected GDP in 2021. This forecast also takes into account the likely effects on private demand of a fiscal adjustment of the size currently being proposed by the national government, and which would come into effect in 2022. Excess in productive capacity is now expected to be lower than estimated in January but continues to be significant and affected by high levels of uncertainty, as reflected in the wide forecast intervals. The possibility of new waves of the virus (of uncertain intensity and duration) represents a significant downward risk to projected GDP growth, and is signaled by the lower limits of the ranges provided in this report. Inflation (1.51%) and inflation excluding food and regulated items (0.94%) declined in March compared to December, continuing below the 3% target. The decline in inflation in this period was below projections, explained in large part by unanticipated increases in the costs of certain foods (3.92%) and regulated items (1.52%). An increase in international food and shipping prices, increased foreign demand for beef, and specific upward pressures on perishable food supplies appear to explain a lower-than-expected deceleration in the consumer price index (CPI) for foods. An unexpected increase in regulated items prices came amid unanticipated increases in international fuel prices, on some utilities rates, and for regulated education prices. The decline in annual inflation excluding food and regulated items between December and March was in line with projections from January, though this included downward pressure from a significant reduction in telecommunications rates due to the imminent entry of a new operator. When controlling for the effects of this relative price change, inflation excluding food and regulated items exceeds levels forecast in the previous report. Within this indicator of core inflation, the CPI for goods (1.05%) accelerated due to a reversion of the effects of the VAT-free day in November, which was largely accounted for in February, and possibly by the transmission of a recent depreciation of the peso on domestic prices for certain items (electric and household appliances). For their part, services prices decelerated and showed the lowest rate of annual growth (0.89%) among the large consumer baskets in the CPI. Within the services basket, the annual change in rental prices continued to decline, while those services that continue to experience the most significant restrictions on returning to normal operations (tourism, cinemas, nightlife, etc.) continued to register significant price declines. As previously mentioned, telephone rates also fell significantly due to increased competition in the market. Total inflation is expected to continue to be affected by ample excesses in productive capacity for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, though less so than projected in January. As a result, convergence to the inflation target is now expected to be somewhat faster than estimated in the previous report, assuming the absence of significant additional outbreaks of COVID-19. The technical staff’s year-end inflation projections for 2021 and 2022 have increased, suggesting figures around 3% due largely to variation in food and regulated items prices. The projection for inflation excluding food and regulated items also increased, but remains below 3%. Price relief measures on indirect taxes implemented in 2020 are expected to lapse in the second quarter of 2021, generating a one-off effect on prices and temporarily affecting inflation excluding food and regulated items. However, indexation to low levels of past inflation, weak demand, and ample excess productive capacity are expected to keep core inflation below the target, near 2.3% at the end of 2021 (previously 2.1%). The reversion in 2021 of the effects of some price relief measures on utility rates from 2020 should lead to an increase in the CPI for regulated items in the second half of this year. Annual price changes are now expected to be higher than estimated in the January report due to an increased expected path for fuel prices and unanticipated increases in regulated education prices. The projection for the CPI for foods has increased compared to the previous report, taking into account certain factors that were not anticipated in January (a less favorable agricultural cycle, increased pressure from international prices, and transport costs). Given the above, year-end annual inflation for 2021 and 2022 is now expected to be 3% and 2.8%, respectively, which would be above projections from January (2.3% and 2,7%). For its part, expected inflation based on analyst surveys suggests year-end inflation in 2021 and 2022 of 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. There remains significant uncertainty surrounding the inflation forecasts included in this report due to several factors: 1) the evolution of the pandemic; 2) the difficulty in evaluating the size and persistence of excess productive capacity; 3) the timing and manner in which price relief measures will lapse; and 4) the future behavior of food prices. Projected 2021 growth in foreign demand (4.4% to 5.2%) and the supposed average oil price (USD 53 to USD 61 per Brent benchmark barrel) were both revised upward. An increase in long-term international interest rates has been reflected in a depreciation of the peso and could result in relatively tighter external financial conditions for emerging market economies, including Colombia. Average growth among Colombia’s trade partners was greater than expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. This, together with a sizable fiscal stimulus approved in the United States and the onset of a massive global vaccination campaign, largely explains the projected increase in foreign demand growth in 2021. The resilience of the goods market in the face of global crisis and an expected normalization in international trade are additional factors. These considerations and the expected continuation of a gradual reduction of mobility restrictions abroad suggest that Colombia’s trade partners could grow on average by 5.2% in 2021 and around 3.4% in 2022. The improved prospects for global economic growth have led to an increase in current and expected oil prices. Production interruptions due to a heavy winter, reduced inventories, and increased supply restrictions instituted by producing countries have also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, market forecasts and recent Federal Reserve pronouncements suggest that the benchmark interest rate in the U.S. will remain stable for the next two years. Nevertheless, a significant increase in public spending in the country has fostered expectations for greater growth and inflation, as well as increased uncertainty over the moment in which a normalization of monetary policy might begin. This has been reflected in an increase in long-term interest rates. In this context, emerging market economies in the region, including Colombia, have registered increases in sovereign risk premiums and long-term domestic interest rates, and a depreciation of local currencies against the dollar. Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in several of these economies; limits on vaccine supply and the slow pace of immunization campaigns in some countries; a significant increase in public debt; and tensions between the United States and China, among other factors, all add to a high level of uncertainty surrounding interest rate spreads, external financing conditions, and the future performance of risk premiums. The impact that this environment could have on the exchange rate and on domestic financing conditions represent risks to the macroeconomic and monetary policy forecasts. Domestic financial conditions continue to favor recovery in economic activity. The transmission of reductions to the policy interest rate on credit rates has been significant. The banking portfolio continues to recover amid circumstances that have affected both the supply and demand for loans, and in which some credit risks have materialized. Preferential and ordinary commercial interest rates have fallen to a similar degree as the benchmark interest rate. As is generally the case, this transmission has come at a slower pace for consumer credit rates, and has been further delayed in the case of mortgage rates. Commercial credit levels stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in March, following an increase resulting from significant liquidity requirements for businesses in the second quarter of 2020. The consumer credit portfolio continued to recover and has now surpassed February 2020 levels, though overall growth in the portfolio remains low. At the same time, portfolio projections and default indicators have increased, and credit establishment earnings have come down. Despite this, credit disbursements continue to recover and solvency indicators remain well above regulatory minimums. 1.2 Monetary policy decision In its meetings in March and April the BDBR left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75%.

In the face of the multiple shocks currently experienced by the domestic economy (resulting from the drop in oil prices and the appearance of a global pandemic), the Colombian financial system is in a position of sound solvency and adequate liquidity. At the same time, credit quality has been recovering and the exposure of credit institutions to firms with currency mismatches has declined relative to previous episodes of sudden drops in oil prices. These trends are reflected in the recent fading of red and blue tonalities in the performance and credit risk segments of the risk heatmaps in Graphs A and B.1 Naturally, the sudden, unanticipated change in macroeconomic conditions has caused the appearance of vulnerabilities for short-term financial stability. These vulnerabilities require close and continuous monitoring on the part of economic authorities. The main vulnerability is the response of credit and credit risk to a potential, temporarily extreme macroeconomic situation in the context of: (i) recently increased exposure of some banks to household sector, and (ii) reductions in net interest income that have led to a decline in the profitability of the banking business in the recent past. Furthermore, as a consequence of greater uncertainty and risk aversion, occasional problems may arise in the distribution of liquidity between agents and financial markets. With regards to local markets, spikes have been registered in the volatility of public and private fixed income securities in recent weeks that are consistent with the behavior of the international markets and have had a significant impact on the liquidity of those instruments (red portions in the most recent past of some market risk items on the map in Graph A). In order to adopt a forward-looking approach to those vulnerabilities, this Report presents a stress test that evaluates the resilience of credit institutions in the event of a hypothetical scenario thatseeks to simulate an extreme version of current macroeconomic conditions. The scenario assumes a hypothetical negative growth that is temporarily strong but recovers going into the middle of the coming year and has extreme effects on credit quality. The results suggest that credit institutions have the ability to withstand a significant deterioration in economic conditions in the short term. Even though there could be a strong impact on credit, liquidity, and profitability under the scenario being considered, aggregate capital ratios would probably remain at above their regulatory limits over the horizon of a year. In this context, the recent measures taken by both Banco de la República and the Office of the Financial Superintendent of Colombia that are intended to help preserve the financial stability of the Colombian economy become highly relevant. In compliance with its constitutional objectives and in coordination with the financial system’s security network, Banco de la República will continue to closely monitor the outlook for financial stability at this juncture and will make the decisions that are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the economy, facilitate the flow of sufficient credit and liquidity resources, and further the smooth functioning of the payment system. Juan José Echavarría Governor

The Colombian financial system has not suffered major structural disruptions during these months of deep economic contraction and has continued to carry out its basic functions as usual, thus facilitating the economy's response to extreme conditions. This is the result of the soundness of financial institutions at the beginning of the crisis, which was reflected in high liquidity and capital adequacy indicators as well as in the timely response of various authorities. Banco de la República lowered its policy interest rates 250 points to 1.75%, the lowest level since the creation of the new independent bank in 1991, and provided ample temporary and permanent liquidity in both pesos and foreign currency. The Office of the Financial Superintendent of Colombia, in turn, adopted prudential measures to facilitate changes in the conditions for loans in effect and temporary rules for rating and loan-loss provisions. Finally, the national government expanded the transfers as well as the guaranteed credit programs for the economy. The supply of real credit (i.e. discounting inflation) in the economy is 4% higher today than it was 12 months ago with especially marked growth in the housing (5.6%) and commercial (4.7%) loan portfolios (2.3% in consumer and -0.1% in microloans), but there have been significant changes over time. During the first few months of the quarantine, firms increased their demands for liquidity sharply while consumers reduced theirs. Since then, the growth of credit to firms has tended to slow down, while consumer and housing credit has grown. The financial system has responded satisfactorily to the changes in the respective demands of each group or sector and loans may grow at high rates in 2021 if GDP grows at rates close to 4.6% as the technical staff at the Bank expects; but the forecasts are highly uncertain. After the strict quarantine implemented by authorities in Colombia, the turmoil seen in March and early April, which was evident in the sudden reddening of macroeconomic variables on the risk heatmap in Graph A,[1] and the drop in crude oil and coal prices (note the high volatility registered in market risk for the region on Graph A) the local financial markets stabilized relatively quickly. Banco de la República’s credible and sustained policy response played a decisive role in this stabilization in terms of liquidity provision through a sharp expansion of repo operations (and changes in amounts, terms, counterparties, and eligible instruments), the purchases of public and private debt, and the reduction in bank reserve requirements. In this respect, there is now abundant aggregate liquidity and significant improvements in the liquidity position of investment funds. In this context, the main vulnerability factor for financial stability in the short term is still the high degree of uncertainty surrounding loan quality. First, the future trajectory of the number of people infected and deceased by the virus and the possible need for additional health measures is uncertain. For that reason, there is also uncertainty about the path for economic recovery in the short and medium term. Second, the degree to which the current shock will be reflected in loan quality once the risk materializes in banks’ financial statements is uncertain. For the time being, the credit risk heatmap (Graph B) indicates that non-performing and risky loans have not shown major deterioration, but past experience indicates that periods of sharp economic slowdown eventually tend to coincide with rises in non-performing loans: the calculations included in this report suggest that the impact of the recession on credit quality could be significant in the short term. This is particularly worrying since the profitability of credit establishments has been declining in recent months, and this could affect their ability to provide credit to the real sector of the economy. In order to adopt a forward-looking approach to this vulnerability, this Report presents several stress tests that evaluate the resilience of the liquidity and capital adequacy of credit institutions and investment funds in the event of a hypothetical scenario that seeks to simulate an extreme version of current macroeconomic conditions. The results suggest that even though there could be strong impacts on the credit institutions’ volume of credit and profitability under such scenarios, aggregate indicators of total and core capital adequacy will probably remain at levels that are above the regulatory limits over the horizon of a year. At the same time, the exercises highlight the high capacity of the system's liquidity to face adverse scenarios. In compliance with its constitutional objectives and in coordination with the financial system's security network, Banco de la República will continue to closely monitor the outlook for financial stability at this juncture and will make the decisions that are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the economy, facilitate the flow of sufficient credit and liquidity resources, and further the smooth operation of the payment systems. Juan José Echavarría Governor

Banco de la República provides a comprehensive overview of Colombia’s finan¬cial infrastructure in its Payment Systems Report, which is an important product of the work it does to oversee that infrastructure. The figures published in this edition of the report are for the year 2020, a pandemic period in which the con¬tainment measures designed and adopted to alleviate the strain on the health system led to a sharp reduction in economic activity and consumption in Colom¬bia, as was the case in most countries. At the start of the pandemic, the Board of Directors of Banco de la República adopted decisions that were necessary to supply the market with ample liquid¬ity in pesos and US dollars to guarantee market stability, protect the payment system and preserve the supply of credit. The pronounced growth in mone¬tary aggregates reflected an increased preference for liquidity, which Banco de la República addressed at the right time. These decisions were implemented through operations that were cleared and settled via the financial infrastructure. The second section of this report, following the introduction, offers an analysis of how the various financial infrastructures in Colombia have evolved and per¬formed. One of the highlights is the large-value payment system (CUD), which registered more momentum in 2020 than during the previous year, mainly be¬cause of an increase in average daily remunerated deposits made with Banco de la República by the General Directorate of Public Credit and the National Treasury (DGCPTN), as well as more activity in the sell/buy-back market with sovereign debt. Consequently, with more activity in the CUD, the Central Securi¬ties Depository (DCV) experienced an added impetus sparked by an increase in the money market for bonds and securities placed on the primary market by the national government. The value of operations cleared and settled through the Colombian Central Counterparty (CRCC) continues to grow, propelled largely by peso/dollar non-deliverable forward (NDF) contracts. With respect to the CRCC, it is important to note this clearing house has been in charge of managing risks and clearing and settling operations in the peso/dollar spot market since the end of last year, following its merger with the Foreign Exchange Clearing House of Colombia (CCDC). Since the final quarter of 2020, the CRCC has also been re¬sponsible for clearing and settlement in the equities market, which was former¬ly done by the Colombian Stock Exchange (BVC). The third section of this report provides an all-inclusive view of payments in the market for goods and services; namely, transactions carried out by members of the public and non-financial institutions. During the pandemic, inter- and intra-bank electronic funds transfers, which originate mostly with companies, increased in both the number and value of transactions with respect to 2019. However, debit and credit card payments, which are made largely by private citizens, declined compared to 2019. The incidence of payment by check contin¬ue to drop, exhibiting quite a pronounced downward trend during the past last year. To supplement to the information on electronic funds transfers, section three includes a segment (Box 4) characterizing the population with savings and checking accounts, based on data from a survey by Banco de la República con-cerning the perception of the use of payment instruments in 2019. There also is segment (Box 2) on the growth in transactions with a mobile wallet provided by a company specialized in electronic deposits and payments (Sedpe). It shows the number of users and the value of their transactions have increased since the wallet was introduced in late 2017, particularly during the pandemic. In addition, there is a diagnosis of the effects of the pandemic on the payment patterns of the population, based on data related to the use of cash in circu¬lation, payments with electronic instruments, and consumption and consumer confidence. The conclusion is that the collapse in the consumer confidence in¬dex and the drop in private consumption led to changes in the public’s pay¬ment patterns. Credit and debit card purchases were down, while payments for goods and services through electronic funds transfers increased. These findings, coupled with the considerable increase in cash in circulation, might indicate a possible precautionary cash hoarding by individuals and more use of cash as a payment instrument. There is also a segment (in Focus 3) on the major changes introduced in regulations on the retail-value payment system in Colombia, as provided for in Decree 1692 of December 2020. The fourth section of this report refers to the important innovations and tech¬nological changes that have occurred in the retail-value payment system. Four themes are highlighted in this respect. The first is a key point in building the financial infrastructure for instant payments. It involves of the design and im¬plementation of overlay schemes, a technological development that allows the various participants in the payment chain to communicate openly. The result is a high degree of interoperability among the different payment service providers. The second topic explores developments in the international debate on central bank digital currency (CBDC). The purpose is to understand how it could impact the retail-value payment system and the use of cash if it were to be issued. The third topic is related to new forms of payment initiation, such as QR codes, bio¬metrics or near field communication (NFC) technology. These seemingly small changes can have a major impact on the user’s experience with the retail-value payment system. The fourth theme is the growth in payments via mobile tele¬phone and the internet. The report ends in section five with a review of two papers on applied research done at Banco de la República in 2020. The first analyzes the extent of the CRCC’s capital, acknowledging the relevant role this infrastructure has acquired in pro¬viding clearing and settlement services for various financial markets in Colom¬bia. The capital requirements defined for central counterparties in some jurisdic¬tions are explored, and the risks to be hedged are identified from the standpoint of the service these type of institutions offer to the market and those associated with their corporate activity. The CRCC’s capital levels are analyzed in light of what has been observed in the European Union’s regulations, and the conclusion is that the CRCC has a scheme of security rings very similar to those applied internationally and the extent of its capital exceeds what is stipulated in Colombian regulations, being sufficient to hedge other risks. The second study presents an algorithm used to identify and quantify the liquidity sources that CUD’s participants use under normal conditions to meet their daily obligations in the local financial market. This algorithm can be used as a tool to monitor intraday liquidity. Leonardo Villar Gómez Governor

In the second quarter, annual inflation (9.67%), the technical staff’s projections and its expectations continued to increase, remaining above the target. International cost shocks, accentuated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have been more persistent than projected, thus contributing to higher inflation. The effects of indexation, higher than estimated excess demand, a tighter labor market, inflation expectations that continue to rise and currently exceed 3%, and the exchange rate pressures add to those described above. High core inflation measures as well as in the producer price index (PPI) across all baskets confirm a significant spread in price increases. Compared to estimates presented in April, the new forecast trajectory for headline and core inflation increased. This was partly the result of greater exchange rate pressure on prices, and a larger output gap, which is expected to remain positive for the remainder of 2022 and which is estimated to close towards yearend 2023. In addition, these trends take into account higher inflation rate indexation, more persistent above-target inflation expectations, a quickening of domestic fuel price increases due to the correction of lags versus the parity price and higher international oil price forecasts. The forecast supposes a good domestic supply of perishable foods, although it also considers that international prices of processed foods will remain high. In terms of the goods sub-basket, the end of the national health emergency implies a reversal of the value-added tax (VAT) refund applied to health and personal hygiene products, resulting in increases in the prices of these goods. Alternatively, the monetary policy adjustment process and the moderation of external shocks would help inflation and its expectations to begin to decrease over time and resume their alignment with the target. Thus, the new projection suggests that inflation could remain high for the second half of 2022, closing at 9.7%. However, it would begin to fall during 2023, closing the year at 5.7%. These forecasts are subject to significant uncertainty, especially regarding the future behavior of external cost shocks, the degree of indexation of nominal contracts and decisions made regarding the domestic price of fuels. Economic activity continues to outperform expectations, and the technical staff’s growth projections for 2022 have been revised upwards from 5% to 6.9%. The new forecasts suggest higher output levels that would continue to exceed the economy’s productive capacity for the remainder of 2022. Economic growth during the first quarter was above that estimated in April, while economic activity indicators for the second quarter suggest that the GDP could be expected to remain high, potentially above that of the first quarter. Domestic demand is expected to maintain a positive dynamic, in particular, due to the household consumption quarterly growth, as suggested by vehicle registrations, retail sales, credit card purchases and consumer loan disbursement figures. A slowdown in the machinery and equipment imports from the levels observed in March contrasts with the positive performance of sales and housing construction licenses, which indicates an investment level similar to that registered for the first three months of the year. International trade data suggests the trade deficit would be reduced as a consequence of import levels that would be lesser than those observed in the first quarter, and stable export levels. For the remainder of the year and 2023, a deceleration in consumption is expected from the high levels seen during the first half of the year, partially as a result of lower repressed demand, tighter domestic financial conditions and household available income deterioration due to increased inflation. Investment is expected to continue its slow recovery while remaining below pre-pandemic levels. The trade deficit is expected to tighten due to projected lower domestic demand dynamics, and high prices of oil and other basic goods exported by the country. Given the above, economic growth in the second quarter of 2022 would be 11.5%, and for 2022 and 2023 an annual growth of 6.9% and 1.1% is expected, respectively. Currently, and for the remainder of 2022, the output gap would be positive and greater than that estimated in April, and prices would be affected by demand pressures. These projections continue to be affected by significant uncertainty associated with global political tensions, the expected adjustment of monetary policy in developed countries, external demand behavior, changes in country risk outlook, and the future developments in domestic fiscal policy, among others. The high inflation levels and respective expectations, which exceed the target of the world's main central banks, largely explain the observed and anticipated increase in their monetary policy interest rates. This environment has tempered the growth forecast for external demand. Disruptions in value chains, rising international food and energy prices, and expansionary monetary and fiscal policies have contributed to the rise in inflation and above-target expectations seen by several of Colombia’s main trading partners. These cost and price shocks, heightened by the effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have been more prevalent than expected and have taken place within a set of output and employment recovery, variables that in some countries currently equal or exceed their projected long-term levels. In response, the U.S. Federal Reserve accelerated the pace of the benchmark interest rate increase and rapidly reduced liquidity levels in the money market. Financial market actors expect this behavior to continue and, consequently, significantly increase their expectations of the average path of the Fed's benchmark interest rate. In this setting, the U.S. dollar appreciated versus the peso in the second quarter and emerging market risk measures increased, a behavior that intensified for Colombia. Given the aforementioned, for the remainder of 2022 and 2023, the Bank's technical staff increased the forecast trajectory for the Fed's interest rate and reduced the country's external demand growth forecast. The projected oil price was revised upward over the forecast horizon, specifically due to greater supply restrictions and the interruption of hydrocarbon trade between the European Union and Russia. Global geopolitical tensions, a tightening of monetary policy in developed economies, the increase in risk perception for emerging markets and the macroeconomic imbalances in the country explain the increase in the projected trajectory of the risk premium, its trend level and the neutral real interest rate1. Uncertainty about external forecasts and their consequent impact on the country's macroeconomic scenario remains high, given the unpredictable evolution of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, geopolitical tensions, the degree of the global economic slowdown and the effect the response to recent outbreaks of the pandemic in some Asian countries may have on the world economy. This macroeconomic scenario that includes high inflation, inflation forecasts, and expectations above 3% and a positive output gap suggests the need for a contractionary monetary policy that mitigates the risk of the persistent unanchoring of inflation expectations. In contrast to the forecasts of the April report, the increase in the risk premium trend implies a higher neutral real interest rate and a greater prevailing monetary stimulus than previously estimated. For its part, domestic demand has been more dynamic, with a higher observed and expected output level that exceeds the economy’s productive capacity. The surprising accelerations in the headline and core inflation reflect stronger and more persistent external shocks, which, in combination with the strength of aggregate demand, indexation, higher inflation expectations and exchange rate pressures, explain the upward projected inflation trajectory at levels that exceed the target over the next two years. This is corroborated by the inflation expectations of economic analysts and those derived from the public debt market, which continued to climb and currently exceed 3%. All of the above increase the risk of unanchoring inflation expectations and could generate widespread indexation processes that may push inflation away from the target for longer. This new macroeconomic scenario suggests that the interest rate adjustment should continue towards a contractionary monetary policy landscape. 1.2. Monetary policy decision Banco de la República’s Board of Directors (BDBR), at its meetings in June and July 2022, decided to continue adjusting its monetary policy. At its June meeting, the BDBR decided to increase the monetary policy rate by 150 basis points (b.p.) and its July meeting by majority vote, on a 150 b.p. increase thereof at its July meeting. Consequently, the monetary policy interest rate currently stands at 9.0% . 1 The neutral real interest rate refers to the real interest rate level that is neither stimulative nor contractionary for aggregate demand and, therefore, does not generate pressures that lead to the close of the output gap. In a small, open economy like Colombia, this rate depends on the external neutral real interest rate, medium-term components of the country risk premium, and expected depreciation. Box 1: A Weekly Indicator of Economic Activity for Colombia Juan Pablo Cote Carlos Daniel Rojas Nicol Rodriguez Box 2: Common Inflationary Trends in Colombia Carlos D. Rojas-Martínez Nicolás Martínez-Cortés Franky Juliano Galeano-Ramírez Box 3: Shock Decomposition of 2021 Forecast Errors Nicolás Moreno Arias