Interest Rates, Convenience Yields, and Inflation Expectations: Drivers of US Dollar Exchange Rates

Abstract

Using a data-driven approach to identify structural vector autoregressive models, we examine key factors influencing the US dollar exchange rate across eight advanced economies from 1980 to 2022. We find that shocks to inflation expectations, which are closely tied to unfunded government transfer payments, have a pronounced effect on the US dollar’s value. This underscores the fiscal dimension of exchange rates. External shocks, related to the convenience yield investors forgo to hold US dollar assets, have emerged over time as the most powerful driver of US dollar exchange rate fluctuations. These findings provide new insights into the complex interplay of monetary policy, fiscal dynamics, and global market forces in shaping US dollar exchange rates.