In our 2004 study “The Dollar vs. the Euro: How Low Will It Go?” we discussed three reasons for the decline in the value of the dollar—short-term interest rates, the trade deficit, and the budget deficit. Eight years later the global economy has experienced the deepest downturn since the Great Depression. The U.S. economy is finally showing signs of life, but the forecast for the next few years is slow economic growth. Given this environment, let’s re-examine the future of the dollar.
Photo: Andrea Danti
Low Interest Rate
The FED set its target for the federal funds rate at a rock-bottom 0 to 0.25 percent to stimulate the economy. But the FED did not stop there, it pumped trillions of dollars into the financial system. This caused the FED’s Balance Sheet to balloon and many worry about the FED’s ability to safely unwind its programs.
Trade Deficit
As the economy began to recover and consumers have begun to spend, the deficit has started to grow. The government must raise funds to finance the deficit. In the past, Asian Central Banks have financed the deficit to support the dollar against their currencies, however there are signs that this support may decrease in the future.
Fiscal Deficit
The U.S. budget deficit continues to rise and shows little sign of diminishing. While individual and corporate income taxes should increase with economic growth, government expenditures continue to increase due to the lingering recession and continuing terrorism threat. But the federal government isn’t the only one facing budget strains. Many states face gaping holes between revenue and expenses. After three bad years in the economy, many of the “easy fixes” have been closed and states face large cuts in education and services. In addition, government-sponsored agencies (GSA), particularly Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, face large deficits.
So, what does this mean for the future of the dollar? The euro has lost much of its shine given the continuing worries about the ability of the Eurozone to survive in its present form. However, this does not guarantee support for the dollar or the U.S. economy. Risk adverse investors are currently parking their money into U.S. Treasury bills because they are the safest, most liquid, short-term instruments available. But when the appetite for risk returns, investors tend to sell the dollar. And if Europe solves its financial crisis, the euro may rise again to challenge the dollar.
To return to our original question, how low will it go? The U.S. faces several significant challenges as the economy slowly emerges from the Great Recession. New asset bubbles encouraged by low interest rates and the growing trade and budget deficits must be addressed to sustain the economic growth. This will determine the value of the dollar in the future.
Peggy J. Crawford, PhD, joined the faculty of Pepperdine’s Graziadio School in 1997 after serving on the faculties of the University of Houston, Fordham University, and George Mason University. She has published in a variety of journals on topics such as leasing, mortgages, closed-in mutual funds, the depreciation of the dollar, the trade and federal deficits, and the price of oil. She has served as a consultant for such firms as Sprint, AT&T, various state CPA societies, and the Washington Redskins (her favorite client!).
Linnea B. McCord, JD, MBA, Associate Professor of Business Law at the Graziadio School of Business and Management, Pepperdine University. Dr. McCord started teaching business law and ethics more than 30 years ago, first as an in-house corporate counsel and later as the General Counsel of a division that was part of a high-tech Fortune 500 multinational corporation, headquartered in New York and Paris. Her area of expertise is the critical role Rule of Law plays in the long-term success of economies and countries and why American Rule of Law is unique in the world.
Terry Young, PhD, has over 15 years of business experience in Asia and the United States. Thoroughly versed in international economics, Dr. Young has extensive knowledge of the global marketplace, with primary emphasis on Asia. Her consulting expertise includes global sourcing, business start-ups and management in such industries as food distribution, the textile and garment industries, agriculture, electronics, and real estate development. Dr. Young’s 20-year university teaching experience includes assignments at the University of Southern California, at two California State University campuses, and a full-time professorship at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management where she received the Luckman Distinguished Teaching Award in 1994.
SCCO International in association with Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and the Graziadio Business Review presents the 2nd annual report of CEO Performance of 100 of Southern California’s Largest Companies.
In July 2002, Sarbanes-Oxley Act was enacted in response to fraud scandals at companies such as Enron and WorldCom; however, today the law is highly controversial and a target for frequent criticism from both business executives and politicians.
Darrol J. Stanley, DBA revisits his 2008 article “Top 10 U.S. Economic Issues to Monitor” with new insights on key economic, social, and political issues.
Fourteen years later, what have we learned about leadership? Have the predictions held true regarding management skills necessary for effective enterprise?
The COVID-19 crisis is one event that has intensified the need for urgent action by developing countries to utilize technologies like AI to drive economic growth.
Although it appears that the pandemic caused the disruption, when examining each disrupted supply chain carefully, it instead exposed the excessive risk of each supply chain.
With the vast ecosystem of information technology systems available to management along with the wide-ranging analytical techniques that can be applied to data, knowing where to start the journey toward a data-driven decision-making approach can be daunting to management.
