Structure and dynamics of the global financial network

In this paper, we study the evolution of the network topology for the global financial market. We evaluate the level of diversification and participation of developed and emerging economies in cross-border exposures and find that the gross exposure network is dense, the vulnerability matrix is sparse, and the network's fragility changes over time. Prior to the financial crisis in 2008, the network was relatively fragile, whereas it became more resilient afterwards, showing a reduction in financial institutions' risk appetite. Our results suggest that financial regulators should track down the network evolution in their systemic risk assessment. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.