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INTEREST RATE PARITY Explain the concept of interest rate parity. Provide therationale for its possible existence

Question

INTEREST RATE PARITY

Explain the concept of interest rate parity.
Provide the rationale for its possible existence.

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Solution

Interest Rate Parity (IRP) is a fundamental concept in the foreign exchange market where the differential between the interest rates of two countries is equal to the differential between the forward exchange rate and the spot exchange rate.

Here's a step-by-step explanation:

  1. Interest Rate Parity is based on an arbitrage argument. Arbitrage is the practice of taking advantage of a price difference between two or more markets. In this case, the markets are the foreign exchange market and the domestic and foreign money markets.

  2. According to the Interest Rate Parity, the return on a domestic investment should be equal to the return on a foreign investment. This is because if the returns were not equal, there would be an arbitrage opportunity.

  3. Let's say you have two countries, Country A and Country B. If the interest rate in Country A is higher than in Country B, investors would want to invest in Country A to take advantage of the higher interest rate.

  4. However, this would lead to an increase in demand for Country A's currency (as investors need this currency to invest), and a decrease in demand for Country B's currency. This would lead to an appreciation of Country A's currency and a depreciation of Country B's currency.

  5. This change in exchange rates would continue until the point where the return on investment in both countries is equal when considering both the interest rate and the change in exchange rates. This is the point of Interest Rate Parity.

  6. The rationale for its existence is that in a free and efficient market, there should be no arbitrage opportunities. Therefore, the difference in interest rates between two countries should be offset by the change in exchange rates, leading to equal returns on investments in both countries.

  7. However, in reality, there are often deviations from Interest Rate Parity due to factors such as transaction costs, political risks, and different tax laws in different countries.

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