Risk Management in Volatile Financial Markets

In a thirteen country case study of the bond market turbulence of 1994, Bo­ rio and McCauley of the BIS pin the primary causes of the market decline on the market's own dynamics rather than on variations in market participants' apprehensions about economic fundamentals. The rapidly changing structure of financial markets is leading to a radical shift in the way in which private-sector financial institutions and firms, and public regulators, are coping with risk. Faced with innovation and volatility, the task of risk management is being passed to the private sector. Following assessments of the extent of market volatility and risk in financial markets, this volume presents examples of how private institutions are developing new risk-management techniques and case studies from specific markets, including securities markets and retail banking. In addition, senior central bankers discuss their changing attitude to risk and regulation and the implications for exchange-rate and monetary policies. The papers are written by authors from a large number of countries covering a wide range of country experiences: by players in leading banks and companies; by public officials; and by academics, providing three differing perspectives on the financial markets of the 1990s. The four main sections address central bank perspectives, volatility and risk, institutional issues and practices, and the policy implications. The volume includes the 1995 Prix Marjolin essay and concludes with the 1995 Marjolin Lecture, given at the 19th Colloquium of the Societe Universitaire Europeenne de Recherches Financieres (SUERF) in Thun, Switzerland, from which the papers are selected. The contributions are intended for those in banks, securities houses, company treasuries, central banks and regulatory bodies, as well as to academics.