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Journal of Finance Vol. 79 No. 3 2024

A Portfolio Approach to Global Imbalances

Zhengyang Jiang; Robert J. Richmond1; Tony Zhang2

1 New York University · 2 Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University

Abstract

We use a portfolio‐based framework to understand what drives the decline of the U.S. net foreign asset (NFA) position and the reversal in returns earned on the U.S. NFA (exorbitant privilege). We show that global savings gluts and monetary policies widened the U.S. NFA position, while investor demand shifts partially offset this widening. Moreover, U.S. privilege declined after 2010, in line with increasing foreign demand for U.S. equity. We also highlight a quantity dimension of the U.S. privilege: The U.S. can issue substantially more debt than other countries for a given yield increase.

DOI
10.1111/jofi.13333
Volume
79
Issue
3
Pages
2025-2076
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib crossref openalex

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