Risk Management in Volatile Financial Markets

intense competition on banks and other financial institutions, as a period of oligopoly ends: more rather than less innovation is needed to help share undi­ versifiable risks, with more attention to correlations between different risks. Charles Goodhart of the London School of Economics (LSE), while ques­ tioning the idea that volatility has increased, concludes that structural changes have made regulation more problematic and calls for improved information availability on derivatives transactions. 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. Colm Kearney of the Univer­ sity of Western Sydney, after a six country study of volatility in economic and financial variables, concludes that more international collaboration in man­ aging financial volatility (other than in foreign exchange markets) is needed in Europe. Finally, Stokman and Vlaar of the Dutch central bank investigate the empirical evidence for the interaction between volatility and international transactions in real and financial assets for the Netherlands, concluding that such influence depends on the chosen volatility measure. The authors sug­ gest that there are no strong arguments for international restrictions to reduce volatility. INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES AND PRACTICES The six papers in Part C focus on what market participants are doing to manage risk.

The rapidly changing structure of financial markets is leading to a radical shift in the way in which privates sector financial institutions and firms, and public regulators, are coping with risk. With markets displaying a high degree of innovation and volatility, the responsibility for risk management is being placed increasingly on private sector operators. Following assessments of the extent of market volatility and risk 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 many 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 will be of considerable interest to those in banks, securities houses, company treasuries, central banks and regulatory bodies as well as to academics.