Richmond Business School
FNN 6210 FALL 2017 COURSEWORK
Objective: To look at the roles of the IMF and the roles and actions of one of the major central banks (ECB, Bank of England, the Bank of Japan or the Federal Reserve) since the Financial Crisis of 2007/8 up until the present, commenting on the impact of monetary policies in the UK, EU, Japan or the US.
1. Outline the aims and objectives of the IMF in the global financial system. (5 marks)
2. Outline the aims and objectives of the four major central banks (listed above) and highlight any national differences in approach between them. (5 marks)
3. Describe the measures taken by one of the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan or the Bank of England since the financial crisis. Candidates should look at inflation, unemployment rates, economic growth, bond yields and equity markets. (25 marks)
4. Download from Yahoo! Finance (https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/) adjusted monthly closing indices levels for the S&P 500, Nikkei 225, FTSE 250 and the STOXX Europe 600 for 5 years to September 2017. Comment on the performance of each index in relation to your observations in Part 3. (15 marks)
5. Plot the currency exchange rates of the US Dollar vs the euro and sterling in the same period. Comment on the graph and any particular implications for global trade. (10 marks)
6. Based on the charts in Sections 4 & 5 and recent newspaper commentary, discuss the following:
Is conventional monetary policy working? (15 marks)
Will lower long-term interest rates lead to inflation? (10 marks)
The risks facing the global economy. (15 marks)
Important details
· To find the data you need, you should use the indices and currency data on sites such as Yahoo! Finance.
· You should prepare your report in Microsoft Word or in another word processing software.
· In each section of the report, you should also include details about the data you used.
· You should submit your coursework electronically using the coursework submission system.
· If you have any questions related to the coursework, please contact Charlie Dove-Edwin to arrange office hours.
Submission deadline: 25/11/2017 (midnight)
Word limit: 2500 words
Coursework Assessment Criteria
| In preparing your coursework, you should be aware that you will be assessed by reference to the extent to which your answers meet the following criteria: Identification and application of knowledge to the question asked |
| Capacity to find data from online resources |
| Ability to apply theories related to the questions asked |
| Presentation of work in a clear and coherent way |
| Evidence of reading and research |
| Clear and accurate expression |
The assignment will be done in groups of two students.
Sections 1 & 2, should be jointly written.
Each student should choose one central bank and then individually work on sections 3, 4 & 5; producing, no more than 1,200 words plus the charts.
Section 6 should also be done jointly with clear evidence of contribution from each student, evidenced by particular reference to the four countries. 1,200 words maximum
