This paper presents a survey of two basic puzzles in international finance. The first puzzle is the `predictable excess return puzzle.' The returns on foreign currency deposits relative to domestic currency deposits should be equalized based upon uncovered interest parity. However, not only do researchers find that deviations from uncovered interest parity are predictable ex ante, but their variance exceeds the variance in expected exchange rate changes. In the paper, I describe different explanations of this phenomenon including the view that excess returns are driven by a foreign exchange risk premium, peso problems or learning, and market inefficiencies. While the research to date has been able to better define the `predictable excess return puzzle' and to suggest the most likely directions for future progress, no one explanation has provided a full answer to the puzzle. The second puzzle is the `home bias puzzle.' Empirical evidence shows that domestic residents do not diversify sufficiently into foreign stocks. This evidence is clear whether looking at models based on portfolio holdings or outcomes of consumption realizations across countries. In this paper, I examine several possible explanations including non-traded goods and market inefficiencies, although even after considering these possibilities, the puzzle remains.

Mit einigen wichtigen Theorien muß jeder Finanzexperte vertraut sein, wenn er die Grundlagen der Finanzanalyse verstehen will. In der Regel jedoch, werden diese Theorien nur unzureichend verstanden. "Puzzles of Finance" befaßt sich eingehend mit diesen komplizierten Finanzthemen und liefert dem Leser verständliche Erklärungen und Definitionen, die sich auf ein absolutes Minimum an Terminologie und Mathematik beschränken.

The NBER Macroeconomics Annual presents, extends, and applies pioneering work in macroeconomics and stimulates work by macroeconomists on important policy issues. Each paper in the Annual is followed by comments and discussion.

This book poses the important question of whether exchange rates are ultimately tied down by economic fundamentals. In a unique approach the subject is analysed from an asset holder's perspective and Streissler takes the reader through an authoritative and wide-ranging study including:*Friedman's case for flexible exchange rates*interest parity and

Want to get the most out of your International Finance course? Nowadays the value of daily foreign exchange trading is more than one hundred times the value of annual international trade in goods and services. As result of the great importance of international financial transactions, the subject of international finance continues to develop as fast as—or faster than—any other field in economics and finance. International Finance For Dummies sheds light on this increasingly important subject for the growing number of students required to take this course. If you're an undergraduate or MBA student enrolled in an international finance course, this hands-on, friendly guide gives you everything you need to succeed. Plus, it includes up-to-date information on the latest changes to International Finance Reporting Standards, its impact on a company's overall finances, and the various currencies and institutions available worldwide. Serves as an excellent supplement to your international finance texts Provides easy-to-understand explanations of complex material Brings you up-to-speed on the concepts and subject matter you need to know International Finance For Dummies is your ticket to scoring your highest in your international finance course.

Handbook of International Economics

Financial Markets and the Real Economy reviews the current academic literature on the macroeconomics of finance.

Home bias - the empirical phenomenon that investors assign anomalously high weights to their own domestic assets - has puzzled academics for decades: financial theory predicts that an internationally well diversified portfolio of stocks and short-term bonds can reduce risk significantly without affecting expected return. Although the globalization of international equity markets has increased international investments, equity portfolios remain severely home biased today, and no single explanation seems to solve the puzzle completely. In this paper, we first provide a thorough description of the equity home bias phenomenon by defining, discussing, and applying the competing measures and presenting some estimates of the costs of under-diversification. Second, we evaluate the explanations for the equity home bias proposed in the literature such as information asymmetries, behavioral aspects, barriers to foreign investment, and governance issues, and conclude that each explanation on its own falls short, suggesting that the equity home bias probably reflects a combination of factors. Lastly, we review the implications of international under-diversification for portfolio formation and the cost of capital of companies.

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