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The Corporation of Foreign Bondholders

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  • Mr. Paolo Mauro
  • Yishay Yafeh

Abstract

This paper analyzes the Corporation of Foreign Bondholders (CFB), an association of British investors holding bonds issued by foreign governments. The CFB played a key role during the heyday of international bond finance, 1870-1913, and in the aftermath of the defaults of the 1930s. It fostered coordination among creditors, especially in cases of default, arranging successfully for many important debt restructurings, though failing persistently in a few cases. While a revamped creditor association might once again help facilitate creditor coordination, the relative appeal of defection over coordination is greater today than it was in the past. The CFB may have had an easier time than any comparable body would have today.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Paolo Mauro & Yishay Yafeh, 2003. "The Corporation of Foreign Bondholders," IMF Working Papers 2003/107, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2003/107
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mauricio Drelichman & Joachim Voth, 2007. "Lending to the borrower from hell: Debt and default in the age of Philip II, 1556-1598," Economics Working Papers 1164, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Nov 2009.
    2. Amrita Dhillon & Javier García‐Fronti & Sayantan Ghosal & Marcus Miller, 2006. "Debt Restructuring and Economic Recovery: Analysing the Argentine Swap," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 377-398, April.
    3. Schumacher, Julian & Trebesch, Christoph & Enderlein, Henrik, 2021. "Sovereign defaults in court," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    4. Julian Franks & Colin Mayer & Stefano Rossi, 2009. "Ownership: Evolution and Regulation," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(10), pages 4009-4056, October.
    5. Flores Zendejas, Juan, 2020. "Explaining Latin America's persistent defaults: an analysis of the debtor–creditor relations in London, 1822–1914," Financial History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 27(3), pages 319-339, December.
    6. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/6881 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Mauricio Drelichman & Hans‐Joachim Voth, 2011. "Lending to the Borrower from Hell: Debt and Default in the Age of Philip II," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 121(557), pages 1205-1227, December.
    8. Rui Pedro Esteves, 2007. "Quis custodiet quem? Sovereign Debt and Bondholders` Protection Before 1914," Economics Series Working Papers 323, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    9. Alquist, Ron & Chabot, Benjamin, 2011. "Did gold-standard adherence reduce sovereign capital costs?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 262-272.
    10. Serbini, Bénédicte, 2012. "L’adoption des clauses d’actions collectives dans les obligations souveraines européennes," L'Actualité Economique, Société Canadienne de Science Economique, vol. 88(4), pages 479-497, Décembre.
    11. Ghosal, Sayantan & Thampanishvong, Kannika, 2013. "Does strengthening Collective Action Clauses (CACs) help?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 68-78.
    12. repec:bdi:opques:qef_143_01 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Jérôme Sgard, 2004. "IMF in Theory: Sovereign Debts, Judicialisation and Multilateralism," Working Papers hal-01065546, HAL.
    14. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/6881 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/6881 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Mr. Marco Committeri & Francesco Spadafora, 2013. "You Never Give Me Your Money? Sovereign Debt Crises, Collective Action Problems, and IMF Lending," IMF Working Papers 2013/020, International Monetary Fund.
    17. Kris James Mitchener & Marc D. Weidenmier, 2007. "The Baring Crisis and the Great Latin American Meltdown of the 1890s," NBER Working Papers 13403, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/6881 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Flores Zendejas, Juan, 2015. "Capital Markets and Sovereign Defaults: A Historical Perspective," Working Papers unige:73325, University of Geneva, Paul Bairoch Institute of Economic History.
    20. Kris James Mitchener & Marc D. Weidenmier, 2005. "Supersanctions and Sovereign Debt Repayment," NBER Working Papers 11472, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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