Working Paper

Credit Migration and Covered Interest Rate Parity

Abstract: This paper examines the connection between deviations in covered interest rate parity and differences in the credit spread of bonds of similar risk but different currency denomination. These two pricing anomalies are highly aligned in both the time series and the cross-section of currencies. The composite of these two pricing deviations ? the corporate basis ? represents the currency-hedged borrowing cost difference between currency regions and explains up to a third of the variation in the aggregate corporate debt issuance flow. I show that arbitrage aimed at exploiting one type of security anomaly can give rise to the other.

Keywords: Covered interest rate parity; Limits of arbitrage; Credit market segmentation; debt issuances; Dollar convenience yield; Foreign exchange rate hedge;

JEL Classification: E44; F3; F55; G12; G15; G23; G28; G32;

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17016/IFDP.2019.1255

Bibliographic Information

Provider: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.)

Part of Series: International Finance Discussion Papers

Publication Date: 2019-08

Number: 1255

Pages: 52 pages