TY  - JOUR
AU  - Cheung,Yin-Wong
AU  - Chinn,Menzie D.
TI  - Macroeconomic Implications of the Beliefs and Behavior of Foreign Exchange Traders
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 7417
PY  - 1999
Y2  - November 1999
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w7417
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w7417.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Yin-Wong Cheung
Department of Economics
University of California
Santa Cruz, CA  95064
E-Mail: cheung@ucsc.edu

Menzie D. Chinn
Dept. of Economics
University of Wisconsin
1180 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Tel: 608/262-7397
Fax: 608/262-2033
E-Mail: mchinn@lafollette.wisc.edu
AB  - We report findings from a survey of United States foreign exchange traders. Our results indicate that (i) technical trading best characterizes about 30% of traders, with this proportion rising from five years ago; (ii) news about macroeconomic variables is rapidly incorporated into exchange rates; (iii) the importance of individual macroeconomic variables shifts over time, although interest rates always appear to be important, and; (iv) economic fundamentals are perceived to be more important at longer horizons. The short run deviations of exchange rates from their fundamentals are attributed to excess speculation and institutional customer/hedge fund manipulation. Speculation is generally viewed positively, as enhancing market efficiency and liquidity, even though it exacerbates volatility. Central bank intervention does not appear to have a substantial effect, although there is general agreement that it increases volatility. Finally, traders do not view purchasing power parity as a useful concept, even though a significant proportion (40%) believe that it affects exchange rates at horizons of over six months.
ER  -