There is a global financial cycle in capital flows, asset prices and in credit growth. This cycle co moves with the VIX, a measure of uncertainty and risk aversion of the markets. Asset markets in countries with more credit inflows are more sensitive to the global cycle. The global financial cycle is not aligned with countries' specific macroeconomic conditions. Symptoms can go from benign to large asset price bubbles and excess credit creation, which are among the best predictors of financial crises. A VAR analysis suggests that one of the determinants of the global financial cycle is monetary policy in the centre country, which affects leverage of global banks, capital flows and credit growth in the international financial system. Whenever capital is freely mobile, the global financial cycle constrains national monetary policies regardless of the exchange rate regime.

We have received outstanding research assistance from Gino Cateau, Yonghyup Oh and Chris Walters, and additional help from HaYan Lee, Daniel Halmer, and Elisabetta Falcetti. Angela Cozzini of Cross Border Capital very kindly provided the data on equity investment flows.