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Emilio Siciliano

19 May 2025
FINANCIAL STABILITY REVIEW - BOX
Financial Stability Review Issue 1, 2025
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Abstract
Since 2023 the price of gold has reached record highs, underscoring its role as a safe haven during periods of financial and geopolitical stress. Unlike other assets, gold does not provide cash flow and carries no counterparty risk, making it appealing in uncertain times. Gold outperforms equities and bonds during crises, reaffirming its stabilising role in investors’ portfolios. Recent trends in gold futures markets highlight increased investor demand and a preference for physical delivery amid economic policy uncertainty and trade tensions. Euro area investors have exposure to gold through derivatives, with notable foreign counterparty risks, indicating potential vulnerabilities. Although aggregate exposure is limited, the concentrated and leveraged nature of commodity markets poses systemic risks. During extreme geopolitical or economic events, these risk factors could lead to liquidity stress and market disruptions, affecting financial stability. Gold markets thus reflect broader risk perceptions, with important implications for financial systems.
JEL Code
G11 : Financial Economics→General Financial Markets→Portfolio Choice, Investment Decisions
G15 : Financial Economics→General Financial Markets→International Financial Markets
E44 : Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics→Money and Interest Rates→Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
F13 : International Economics→Trade→Trade Policy, International Trade Organizations
F30 : International Economics→International Finance→General
19 November 2024
FINANCIAL STABILITY REVIEW - BOX
Financial Stability Review Issue 2, 2024
Details
Abstract
The continuing shift from active to passive investing in equity markets over the past decade raises questions about the implications for financial stability along three dimensions. First, empirical evidence suggests that passive investing may increase co-movement among stock returns, making markets more volatile. Second, passive funds may increase equity market concentration, potentially exposing investors to heightened idiosyncratic risks from the largest companies. And third, the ability of equity markets to absorb shocks may be inhibited by the growing concentration of liquidity at closing auctions impacted by passive investing. In summary, passive investing continues to provide benefits to individual investors but might also adversely affect market functioning, thus highlighting the importance of investor heterogeneity.
JEL Code
G11 : Financial Economics→General Financial Markets→Portfolio Choice, Investment Decisions
G12 : Financial Economics→General Financial Markets→Asset Pricing, Trading Volume, Bond Interest Rates
G14 : Financial Economics→General Financial Markets→Information and Market Efficiency, Event Studies, Insider Trading
G23 : Financial Economics→Financial Institutions and Services→Non-bank Financial Institutions, Financial Instruments, Institutional Investors