This paper proposes a new method of measuring the degree of currency misalignment through the use of offshore forward exchange rates. Using default risk adjusted no-arbitrage conditions for forward exchange contracts, we calculate the spot exchange ra...
This paper proposes a new method of measuring the degree of currency misalignment through the use of offshore forward exchange rates. Using default risk adjusted no-arbitrage conditions for forward exchange contracts, we calculate the spot exchange rates and the domestic interest rates that are implied from the observed forward exchange rates. The difference between the implied and the observed spot exchange rates is our measure of currency misalignment. Our methodology is based on the presumption that, during a currency crisis, offshore forward exchange rates reflect market fundamentals more closely than onshore spot and forward exchange rates. The latter are usually tightly regulated and heavily affected by government intervention during a non-normal event such as a financial crisis. We apply the method to the 1997 Korean currency crisis.