Sequential Information Flow and Real-Time Diagnosis of Swiss Inflation: Intra-Monthly DCF Estimates for a Low-Inflation Environment

The timely release of macroeconomic data imposes a distinct structure on the panel: the clustering and sequential ordering of real and nominal variables. We call this orderly release of economic data sequential information flow. The ordered panel generates a new class of restrictions that are helpful in interpreting the real-time estimates of monthly core inflation through the identification of turning points and structural shocks. After establishing the sought-after properties (of smoothness, stability, and forecasting) for core inflation, we turn to the discussion of real-time diagnosis for a low inflation environment. This is done in the context of weekly estimates of Swiss inflation. The intra-monthly estimates for core inflation find that it is worthwhile to update this measure at least twice a month.

Shock Identification of Macroeconomic Forecasts based on Daily Panels

This paper proposes a new procedure for shock identification of macroeconomic forecasts based on factor analysis. Our identification scheme for information shocks relies on data reduction techniques for daily panels and the recognition that macroeconomic releases exhibit a high level of clustering. A large number of data releases on a single day is of considerable practical interest not only for the estimation but also for the identification of the factor model. The clustering of cross-sectional information facilitates the interpretation of the forecast innovations as real or as nominal information shocks. An empirical application is provided for Swiss inflation. We show that (i) the monetary policy shocks generate an asymmetric response to inflation, (ii) the pass-through for consumer price index inflation is weak, and (iii) that the information shocks to inflation are not synchronized.

The oil price and monetary policy – a new paradigm

The oil price hit a low of around USD 10 at the end of 1999. Since then it has moved upwards in a series of steps. In recent years it has been one of the most closely monitored components of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is a leading inflation indicator. When it topped the USD 50 mark in October 2004 and in March 2005 and, even more clearly, when it passed USD 60 in mid-2005, it brought back painful memories of the severe economic consequences of the 1970s oil crisis. However, in real terms – after adjusting for inflation – the oil price is still lower now than it was then. Another striking factor is that between the mid 1980s and the turn of the millennium the oil price fluctuated around an average of about USD 20. Since then, the average price level and volatility have greatly increased. Although a few years do not provide sufficient evidence to validate a trend, they do raise questions about the background to the oil price hike and its implications for monetary policy. This paper looks at the fundamental factors which suggest that oil prices are likely to remain both high and volatile. It also discusses the implications for monetary policy. Since maintaining price stability is the principal objective of monetary policy, this paper focuses primarily on the impact of oil prices on inflation; the effects on growth are considered insofar as they affect inflation. Section 2 outlines some of the reasons why oil prices are expected to remain high and volatile. Section 3 looks at forecasting oil prices while Section 4 outlines the possible implications of higher oil prices for economic growth and inflation. Finally, Section 5 examines the monetary policy implications of sustained high oil prices. The final section presents our conclusions.oil price; monetary policy

Monetary policy implementation: common goals but different practices

While the goals that guide monetary policy in different countries are very similar, central banks diverge in their methods of implementing policy. This study of the policy frameworks of four central banks—the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, and the Swiss National Bank—focuses on two notable areas of difference. The first is the choice of an interest rate target, a standard feature of conventional monetary policy. The second is the choice of instruments for managing the central banks’ expanded balance sheets—a decision made necessary by the banks’ unconventional practice of acquiring large quantities of assets during the financial crisis.Banks and banking, Central ; Monetary policy ; European Central Bank ; Federal Reserve System ; Bank of England ; Swiss National Bank ; Interest rates ; Assets (Accounting)

Are Weekly Inflation Forecasts Informative?

Are weekly inflation forecasts informative? Although several central banks review and discuss monetary policy issues on a bi-weekly basis, there have been few attempts by analysts to construct systematic estimates of core inflation that supports such a decision-making schedule. The timeliness of news releases and macroeconomic revisions are recognized to be an important information source in real-time estimation. We incorporate real-time information from macroeconomic releases and revisions into our weekly updates of monthly Swiss core inflation using a common factor procedure. The weekly estimates for Swiss core inflation find that it is worthwhile to update the forecast at least twice a month.Inflation, Common Factors, Sequential Information Flow

Search theory and applied economic research

In the summer of 2002, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) hosted the “SNB-Fed Cleveland Workshop on Monetary Economics”. Recent years have seen the development of the search-theoretic approach to monetary theory. It has established itself as an important strand of monetary theory in a very short space of time, although it has yet to exert a significant influence on the empirical models that are typically used for monetary policy analysis. This is why the conference organisers, David Altig (Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland), Aleksander Berentsen (University of Basel) and Thomas Jordan (SNB) decided that the event should focus on linking search theory with applied economic research. This summary article first briefly examines the objectives and challenges of search theory before discussing briefly the conference papers.Search Theory; Monetary Policy; Applied Economic Research

Time-Varying Pass-Through from Import Prices to Consumer Prices: Evidence from an Event Study with Real-Time Data

This paper analyzes the pass-through from import prices to CPI inflation in real time. Our strategy follows an event-study approach, which compares inflation forecasts before and after import price releases. Inflation forecasts are modelled using a dynamic factor procedure that relies on daily panels of Swiss data. We find strong evidence that monthly import price releases provide important information for CPI inflation forecasts and that the behavior of updated forecasts is consistent with a time-varying pass-through. The robustness of this latter result is underpinned in two ways: an alternative CPI measure that excludes price components subject to administered pricing and panels capturing different levels of information breadth. Besides implying a time-varying pass-through, our empirical findings cast doubt on a prominent role of sticky prices for the low pass-through findings.Common Factors, Pass-Through, Daily Panels

Monthly pass-through ratios

This paper estimates monthly pass-through ratios from import prices to consumer prices in real time. Conventional time series methods impose restrictions to generate exogenous shocks on exchange rates or import prices when estimating pass-through coefficients. Instead, a natural experiment based on data releases defines our shock to foreign prices. Our estimation strategy follows an event-study approach based on monthly releases in import prices. Projections from a dynamic common factor model with daily panels before and after monthly releases of import prices define the shock. This information shock allows us to recover a monthly pass-through ratio. We apply our identification procedure to Swiss prices and find strong evidence that the monthly pass-through ratio is around 0.3. Our real-time estimates yield higher pass-through ratios than time series estimates.Monetary policy ; Econometric models ; Foreign exchange rates ; Prices

Do macroeconomic announcements move inflation forecasts?

This paper presents an empirical strategy that bridges the gap between event studies and macroeconomic forecasts based on common-factor models. Event studies examine the response of financial variables to a market-sensitive "surprise" component using a narrow event window. The authors argue that these features - narrow event window and surprise component - can be easily embedded in common-factor models that study the real-time impact of macroeconomic announcements on key policy variables such as inflation or gross domestic product growth. Demonstrative applications are provided for Swiss inflation that show that (i) the communication of monetary policy announcements generates an asymmetric response for inflation forecasts, (ii) the pass-through effect of import price releases on inflation forecasts is weak, and (iii) macroeconomic releases of real and nominal variables generate nonsynchronized effects for inflation forecasts.Inflation (Finance) ; Forecasting

Kompetenzraster Mathematik im Übergang Volksschuloberstufe/berufliche Ausbildung und weiterführende Schulen

In Anlehnung an das europäische Sprachenportfolio ESP entstanden unter der Begleitung von Mathematik-Didaktikern Kompetenzumschreibungen für das Fach Mathematik im Übergang zwischen der Volksschuloberstufe und der beruflichen Grundbildung respektive weiterführenden Schulen