Heterogeneous diffusion in comb and fractal grid structures

We give an exact analytical results for diffusion with a power-law position dependent diffusion coefficient along the main channel (backbone) on a comb and grid comb structures. For the mean square displacement along the backbone of the comb we obtain behavior $\langle x^2(t)\rangle\sim t^{1/(2-\alpha)}$, where $\alpha$ is the power-law exponent of the position dependent diffusion coefficient $D(x)\sim |x|^{\alpha}$. Depending on the value of $\alpha$ we observe different regimes, from anomalous subdiffusion, superdiffusion, and hyperdiffusion. For the case of the fractal grid we observe the mean square displacement, which depends on the fractal dimension of the structure of the backbones, i.e., $\langle x^2(t)\rangle\sim t^{(1+\nu)/(2-\alpha)}$, where $0<\nu<1$ is the fractal dimension of the backbones structure. The reduced probability distribution functions for both cases are obtained by help of the Fox $H$-functions

Price discovery on traded inflation expectations: does the financial crisis matter?

We analyze contributions of different markets to price discovery on traded inflation expectations and how it changed during the financial crisis. The quicker information is processed on one market and the less one market is disrupted by the financial crisis the more valuable is its information for central banks and market participants. We use a new high frequency data set on inflation-indexed and nominal government bonds as well as inflation swaps to calculate information shares of break-even inflation rates in the euro area and the US. For maturities up to 5 years new information comes from both the swap and the bond markets. For longer maturities the swap market provides less and less information in the euro area. In the US where the market volume of inflation-linked bonds is large the bond market dominates the price discovery process for all maturities. The severe financial crisis that spread out in Autumn 2008 drove a wedge between bond and swap break-even inflation rates in both currencies. Price discovery ceased to take place on the swap market. Disruptions coming from the short-end of the market even separated price formation on both segments for maturities of up to 6 years in the US. Against the backdrop of the most severe financial crisis in decades contributions to price formation concentrated a lot more on the presumably safest financial instrument: government bonds. --Inflation-linked bonds,inflation swaps,price discovery,financial crisis

Sovereign bond market integration: the euro, trading platforms and globalization

We disentangle different driving factors of sovereign bond market integration by studying yield co-movements of EMU countries, the UK, the US and 16 German Länder in the last 15 years. At a low frequency of weeks, bond market integration has increased gradually in the course of the last 15 years in EMU countries, as well as the UK, the US and the German Länder. The euro, as well as increasing international capital flows, appear to drive low frequency integration. In contrast, yield adjustments to changes of the German benchmark bond at high frequencies, i.e., 2 days, remain relatively low until October 2000, when a sharp increase in integration can be observed in all samples. The increase in high frequency integration can be attributed to electronic trading platforms becoming functional. The change-over from national currencies to the euro can not explain the dramatic increase in high frequency integration. --sovereign bond market,bond market integration,EMU,electronic trading

Sovereign bond market integration: the euro, trading platforms and globalisation

Study on sovereign bond market integration and the role of the euro, trading platforms and globalisation. We disentangle different driving factors of sovereign bond market integration by studying yield co-movements of EMU countries, the UK, the US and 16 German Lander in the last 15 years. At a low frequency of weeks, bond market integration has increased gradually in the course of the last 15 years in EMU countries, as well as the UK, the US and the German Lander. The euro, as well as increasing international capital flows, appear to drive low frequency integration. In contrast, yield adjustments to changes of the German benchmark bond at high frequencies, i.e., 2 days, remain relatively low until October 2000, when a sharp increase in integration can be observed in all samples. The increase in high frequency integration can be attributed to electronic trading platforms becoming functional. The change-over from national currencies to the euro can not explain the dramatic increase in high frequency integration.sovereign bond market, bond market integration, EMU, electronic trading, euro, globalisation, Wolff, Schulz

The German sub-national government bond market: evolution, yields and liquidity

The paper presents a comprehensive data set of all bonds issued by the sixteen German states (L¨ander) since 1992. It thus provides a complete picture of a capital market comparable in size to funds raised in the German fixed income market for corporations. The quantitative analysis reveals that L¨ander follow different issuing strategies: while some concentrate to a greater extend on large issues or issue joint bonds with other L¨ander (Jumbos), others rely more on comparatively small but frequent issues. Moreover, some L¨ander issue a significant volume-share of their bonds in foreign currencies. Suitable bonds are used to compute yields for the respective L¨ander at a daily frequency. In addition, we construct a measure of liquidity based on the standard deviation of yields of those bonds that are used to compute the average yield. --sovereign bond market,yields,liquidity,fiscal federalism,Germany