Open AccessThe COVID-19 Economic Crisis in Mexico through the Lens of a Financial Conditions Index
Author(s) -
Julio A. Carrillo,
Ana Laura García
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
latin american economic review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.391
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 2198-3526
pISSN - 2196-436X
DOI - 10.47872/laer.v30.41
Subject(s) - index (typography) , financial crisis , economics , covid-19 , shock (circulatory) , pandemic , financial market , development economics , monetary economics , financial system , finance , macroeconomics , medicine , disease , pathology , world wide web , computer science , infectious disease (medical specialty)
The COVID-19 pandemic not only generated real shocks affecting economic activity severely, but also a broad uncertainty that unleashed an extreme shock to financial markets. In this paper, we focus on the financial dimension of the pandemic from the viewpoint of an emerging market economy. Accordingly, we estimate a financial conditions index for Mexico since 1993 and find that the acute turmoil generated by the pandemic stands among the four largest episodes of financial distress experienced by the country. In addition, we find evidence suggesting that real variables have responded differently to shocks that worsen financial conditions than to shocks that improve them.