Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: András Komáromi
Author-Email: komaromia@mnb.hu
Author-Workplace-Name: Magyar Nemzeti Bank (central bank of Hungary)
Title: The structure of external financing: Is there a reason to worry about financing through debt?
Abstract: Hungary’s external balance indicators improved a great deal in 2007. Simultaneously, however, the external debt ratio also rose which, in an international climate of uncertainty stemming from the sub-prime crisis, drew investors’ attention to the structure of the country’s external financing. This study argues that the recent increase in debt-creating external financing does not necessarily increase risks associated with sustainability. On the one hand, the record rise in debt-creating financing in 2007 is largely due to one-off items. On the other hand, the waning significance of non-debt-creating financing is not attributable to declining inflows but rather mostly to residents’ stepped up capital exports, which is partly a result of the development in the institutional investor sector, and partly of the foreign expansion of a few large resident companies. The picture becomes even more intricate as according to recent research, the advantages generally associated with non-debt-creating financing are not always supported by findings, and empirical experience indicates that more developed countries are often characterised by a higher share of debt-type external liabilities. Naturally, and irrespectively of the structure of financing, Hungary’s high level of net foreign liabilities in an international comparison continues to be a strong risk factor. 
Classification-JEL: F21, F30, F34.
Keywords: foreign direct investment, portfolio shares, structure of external financing, debt-creating and non-debt-creating financing.
Journal: MNB Bulletin
Pages: 14-23
Volume: 3
Issue: 1
Year: 2008
Month: April
File-URL: http://www.mnb.hu/letoltes/mnb-bull-2008-04-andras-komaromi-en.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf

Handle: RePEc:mnb:bullet:v:3:y:2008:i:1:p:14-23