An Analysis of Central Bank Intervention in Foreign Exchange Market Using the Markov Switching and Probit Models

The literature on international economics and finance shows that the exchange rate regime is an important factor in macroeconomic performance through its effects on the balance of payments and inflation. In this paper, we analyze the exchange rate regime in Iran and estimate the degree of the central bank’s intervention in the exchange rate market. The paper follows three steps as follows: First, we calculate an index for the exchange rate intervention of the central bank. Second, we use the Markov Switching Model to identify the periods of interventions, and finally, we estimate the determinants of the interventions using a probit model. Our quarterly data covers the period 1378:01-1387:04 (1999-2008). The estimation results show that central bank intervention has increased in the periods 1378:01-1380:08, 1382:01-1383:04 and 1386:01-1387:12. Furthermore, the probit model estimation results indicate that inflation, domestic credit and the foreign exchange liabilities as a ratio of foreign exchange reserves are significant determinants of increasing intervention in the Iranian exchange rates market.