The Japanese Deflation: Has It Had Real Effects? Could It Have Been Avoided?

Has deflation contributed to the long lasting stagnation of the Japanese economy? Could the Bank of Japan have stopped deflation by implementing a more expansionary monetary policy? Our tentative answers are probably not to the first question, and probably yes to the second question. We find that the total cost of deflation over the period 1995-2003 has been close to a 1.1% rate of lost GDP. Yet, on the basis of statistical significance and robustness to specification choices, this evidence is not compelling. On the other hand, the estimated positive linkage between nominal base money growth and inflation is significant and robust, even given current economic conditions. However, in order to be inflationary, monetary policy should have been more expansionary than what actually observed, even since the launch of the quantitative easing in 2001.deflation; monetary policy; Friedman's rule; Japan; generalised flexible least squares; time-varying parameter VAR; thick modelling

Heteroskedastic Factor Vector Autoregressive Estimation of Persistent and Non Persistent Processes Subject to Structural Breaks

In the paper the fractionally integrated heteroskedastic factor vec- tor autoregressive (FI-HF-VAR) model is introduced. The proposed approach is characterized by minimal pretesting requirements and sim- plicity of implementation also in very large systems, performing well independently of integration properties and sources of persistence, i.e. deterministic or stochastic, accounting for common features of di¤erent kinds, i.e. common integrated (of the fractional or inte- ger type) or non integrated stochastic factors, also featuring condi- tional heteroskedasticity, and common deterministic break processes. The proposed approach allows for accurate investigation of economic time series, from persistence and copersistence analysis to impulse responses and forecast error variance decomposition. Monte Carlo results strongly support the proposed methodology. Key words: long and short memory, structural breaks, fractionally integrated heteroskedastic factor vector autoregressive model.

Realized Betas and the Cross-Section of Expected Returns

What explains the cross section of expected returns for the 25 size/value Fama-French portfolios? It is found that modelling time-varying betas is important to explain the cross-section of expected returns, as well as to comply with the time series restriction on Jensen-alpha. Support for a modi?ed version of the conditional Jagannathan and Wang (1996) CAPM model is found, where implementation is carried out in the realized beta framework proposed in the paper. About 63% of the cross-sectional variability of the expected returns for the 25 Fama-French size and value sorted portfolios is then found to be explained by this parsimonious two-variable model.realized regression, time-varying beta, conditional CAPM

Measuring core inflation in the euro area

We propose a measure of core inflation which is derived from a Markov switching ARFIMA model. The Markov switching ARFIMA model generalises the standard ARFIMA model allowing mean reversion to take place with respect to a changing unconditional mean. By imposing a coswitching restriction for nominal money growth and HICP inflation we are able to identify three regimes and establish a linkage between the long-run dynamics of inflation and money growth. The last regime has been found to be coherent with the objective of price stability and can be tentatively named EMU regime. The core inflation model has been contrasted with other models suggested in the literature and found to be superior in terms of forecasting power. JEL Classification: C22, E31, E52Measuring core inflation

International Stock Markets Comovements: the Role of Economic and Financial Integration

In this paper the contributions of economic and financial integration to international stock markets comovements are investigated by means of a large scale macroeconometric model, set in the factor vector autoregressive framework (FVAR). The findings point to a key role of both economic and financial integration in determining stock markets comovements among the G-7 countries. While the former exercises its effects through the common response to global economic shocks, the latter operates through financial shocks spillovers, particularly at the regional level.stock markets, ?financial integration, economic integration, factor vector autoregressive models, G-7.

On the macroeconomic causes of exchange rates volatility

What are the causes of exchange rate volatility? When second moments implications of theories of exchange rates determination are considered, long-term fundamental linkages between macroeconomic and exchange rate volatility can be envisaged. Moreover, as the exchange rate is an important determinant of aggregate demand, bidirectional causality should be expected. The results of the paper support the above intuitions pointing to important linkages and trade-offs relating exchange rate and macroeconomic volatility, with causality direction stronger from macroeconomic volatility to exchange rate volatility than the other way around. In particular, with a long-term perspective, Friedman (1953) conclusions on the macroeconomic sources of exchange rates instability and the impossibility of eliminating systemic volatility find full support in the empirical findings.exchange rates volatility, macroeconomic volatility, long memory, structural change, fractional cointegration, cobreaking, fractionally integrated factor vector autoregressive model, G-7 area

Realized portfolio selection in the euro area

A new approach to mean-variance efficient portfolio selection is introduced. The method is based on realized regression theory and the regression based portfolio selection approach of Britten-Jones (1999), yielding a conditional version of the Britten-Jones (1999) method. Application to euro area stock markets diversi?cation, differently from other standard approaches, actually yields a balanced and stable allocation of wealth, free from the problem of corner solutions, suggesting that diversi?cation among euro area stock markets is still be feasible and desirable. Evidence that the monetary union may have had a much less important impact on the integration of euro area equity markets, as well as that the latter is still in progress, is provided.asset allocation, portfolio choice, stock market integration, international diversi?cation, euro area, realized regression.

The End of the Japanese Stagnation: an Assessment of the Policy Solutions

After more than a decade of stagnant growth, the Japanese economy is showing signs of full recovery, with deflation also having come to an end. Since the mid 1990s both supply side and demand side policy solutions to the Japanese stagnation have been suggested. By means of a Factor Vector Autoregressive Model, the paper aims to assess whether the real depreciation of the yen and the quantitative easying implemented by the Bank of Japan have contributed to the recovery of the Japanese economy and to halt deflationary dynamics. The results of the paper point to the effectiveness of these latter policies, as well as to the role exercised by domestic productivity improvements and the expansion of world economic activity.factor vector autoregression, large scale macroeconometric model, Japan, monetary policy.

Monetary policy and the stock market in the euro area

In this paper we study the role of the stock market in the transmission mechanism in the euro area and evaluate whether price stability and financial stability are mutually consistent and complementary objectives. Four major conclusions can be drawn from our work. First, stock prices and more generally, relative asset prices seem to play an important role in the transmission mechanism in the euro area. Second, we do not find any significant, direct impact of stock prices on inflation. These two findings taken together support the view that stock market prices may be important for monetary policy, independently of their direct impact on inflation. Third, permanent productivity shocks are the driving force of the stock market in the long-run and contribute significantly to its cyclical behaviour. Nevertheless, the bulk of cyclical dynamics in the stock market is explained by transitory shocks. Fourth, a monetary policy focused on maintaining price stability in the long-run can contribute also to stock market stability. JEL Classification: C32, O11financial stability, Monetary policy transmission mechanism, price stability

Modelling short-term interest rate spreads in the euro money market

In the framework of a new money market econometric model, we assess the degree of precision achieved by the European Central Bank ECB) in meeting its operational target for the short-term interest rate and the impact of the U.S. sub-prime credit crisis on the euro money market during the second half of 2007. This is done in two steps. Firstly, the long-term behaviour of interest rates with one-week maturity is investigated by testing for co-breaking and for homogeneity of spreads against the minimum bid rate (MBR, the key policy rate). These tests capture the idea that successful steering of very short-term interest rates is inconsistent with the existence of more than one common trend driving the one-week interest rates and/or with nonstationarity of the spreads among interest rates of the same maturity (or measured against the MBR). Secondly, the impact of several shocks to the spreads (e.g. interest rate expectations, volumes of open market operations, interest rate volatility, policy interventions, and credit risk) is assessed by jointly modelling their behaviour. We show that, after August 2007, euro area commercial banks started paying a premium to participate in the ECB liquidity auctions. This puzzling phenomenon can be understood by the interplay between, on the one hand, adverse selection in the interbank market and, on the other hand, the broad range of collateral accepted by the ECB. We also show that after August 2007, the ECB steered the “risk-free” rate close to the policy rate, but has not fully off-set the impact of the credit events on other money market rates. JEL Classification: C32, E43, E50, E58, G15co-breaking, Credit risk, euro area, fractional co-integration, fractionally integrated factor vector autoregressive model, liquidity risk, long memory, money market interest rates, Structural change, sub-prime credit crisis