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Rational speculators and exchange rate volatility
This paper examines whether rational, fully informed speculators will smooth exchange rates. Friedman's (1953) claim that they must do so is challenged, based on the exclusion of interest rate differentials from his interpretation of speculator behavior. Once one recognizes that interest rates matter to speculators, it becomes apparent that rational speculators could sometimes violate Friedman's description of their behavior, and buy currency when its value is relatively high or sell currency when its value is low. For this reason the presence of rational, fully informed speculators may ...
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Determinants of current risk premiums
This paper presents a theoretical model of exchange-rate determination intended to address the forward premium puzzle. It also explains the empirical observation that risk premiums depend on interest differentials. The model's closed-form solution indicates that currency risk premiums depend on two factors: interest differentials and the current deviation of the exchange rate from its long-run equilibrium. If speculators have an alternative to exchange-rate speculation, then there is no presumption that uncovered interest parity holds even approximately in long-run equilibrium. The model is ...