The International Capital Markets report is an integral part of the IMF’s surveillance of developments in international financial markets. The IMF has published the International Capital Markets report annually since 1980. The report draws, in part, on a series of informal discussions with commercial and investment
banks, securities firms, insurance companies, pension funds, stock and futures exchanges, regulatory and monetary authorities, finance ministries, credit rating agencies, and the staff of the Bank for International Settlements. The discussions leading up to the present report took place in Argentina, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States during the period November
2000–April 2001. The report reflects information available up to the end of May 2001.