Money, Bubbles and Crashes: Should a Central Bank Target Asset Prices?

2015 ◽  
pp. 123-140
Author(s):  
Gordon T. Pepper ◽  
Michael J. Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Central Bank ◽  
Asset Prices

scholarly journals Should Monetary Policy Respond To Asset Price Bubbles? Revisiting the Debate

2008 ◽  
Vol 206 ◽  
pp. 25-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sushil Wadhwani
Keyword(s):  
Monetary Policy ◽  
Central Bank ◽  
Asset Prices ◽  
Asset Price ◽  
Financial System ◽  
Central Banks ◽  
Macroeconomic Performance ◽  
Asset Price Bubbles ◽  
Price Bubbles ◽  
Inflation Forecasts

Recent events have highlighted the importance of asset prices to central bank decisions. We argue that, in response to asset price bubbles, central banks should ‘lean against the wind’ (LATW hereafter). Even if the bubbles themselves are not significantly affected by LATW, macroeconomic performance can be improved if monetary policy reacts to asset price misalignments over and above the reaction to fixed horizon inflation forecasts. In addition, it might reduce the probability of bubbles arising at all. This article restates the case for LATW, and reviews the debate. In particular I respond to various criticisms that have been made against LATW and briefly consider alternative policies designed to make the financial system less cyclical.

scholarly journals Quantitative Easing, Collateral Constraints, and Financial Spillovers

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 180-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Geanakoplos ◽  
Haobin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Central Bank ◽  
Capital Flows ◽  
Asset Prices ◽  
Quantitative Easing ◽  
Collateral Constraints ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Portfolio Shifts ◽  
Nonmonotonic Effects ◽  
Foreign Assets

The steady application of quantitative easing (QE ) has been followed by big and nonmonotonic effects on international asset prices and capital flows. We rationalize these observations in a model in which a central bank buys domestic assets that serve as the best collateral for investors worldwide. The crucial insight is that domestic private agents adjust their portfolios of domestic and foreign assets in different ways to offset QE, conditional on whether they are (i) fully leveraged, (ii ) partially leveraged, or (iii) unleveraged. These portfolio shifts can diminish or even reverse the impact of ever-larger QE interventions on asset prices. (JEL E31, E32, E43, E44, E52, E58, F34)

scholarly journals Financial Instability

2021 ◽  
pp. 67-78
Author(s):  
Ulrich Bindseil ◽  
Alessio Fotia
Keyword(s):  
Central Bank ◽  
Asset Prices ◽  
Financial Instability ◽  
Lender Of Last Resort ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Bid Ask Spread ◽  
Subsequent Chapter ◽  
Bank Funding ◽  
Dealer Market ◽  
The Stability

AbstractIn this chapter, the central bank is put aside and we review simple models of financial instability, which will be the basis for the subsequent chapter to explain the role of the central bank as lender of last resort. We first recall that financial instability is mostly triggered by a negative shock on asset prices, and thereby on the solvency of debtors, which in turn worsens access to credit and can set in motion a liquidity crisis with vicious circles. We develop the concepts of solvency “conditional” and “unconditional” on liquidity: a decline in asset prices can lead an unconditionally solvent debtor to become only conditionally solvent, such that sufficient liquidity becomes decisive for preventing its default. We then apply these concepts to the stability of bank funding and introduce the problem of bank runs. We subsequently show why asset liquidity in a dealer market deteriorates during a financial crisis (increased volatility and uncertainty increase the required bid-ask spread); how asymmetric information can lead to a freeze of credit markets in a simple adverse selection model; how declining and more volatile asset prices drive increases of haircut, and how these can force fire sales and defaults of borrowers. We finally discuss the interaction between these various crisis channels.

ON THE MACROECONOMIC AND WEALTH EFFECTS OF UNCONVENTIONAL MONETARY POLICY

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1189-1204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fredj Jawadi ◽  
Ricardo M. Sousa ◽  
Raffaella Traverso
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Monetary Policy ◽  
Central Bank ◽  
Stock Prices ◽  
Asset Prices ◽  
Housing Prices ◽  
Wealth Effects ◽  
Unconventional Monetary Policy ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Bank Reserves

This paper focuses on the macroeconomic and wealth effects of unconventional monetary policy. To this end, we estimate a Bayesian structural vector autoregression (B-SVAR) using U.S. monthly data for the post-Lehman Brothers' collapse period. We show that a positive shock to the growth rate of central bank reserves does not have a substantial impact on industrial production or consumer prices. However, it also gives a strong boost to asset prices, which is larger in magnitude for stock prices than for housing prices. Thus, unconventional monetary policy typically operates via portfolio-rebalancing effects. A VAR counterfactual exercise confirms the role of the shocks to the growth rate of central bank reserves in explaining the dynamics of the variables included in the system, especially in the case of asset prices. Finally, additional empirical assessments uncover an important change in the conduct of monetary policy from “standard” to “exceptional” times and the suitability of our model to capture such a structural transformation.

scholarly journals Amplification Mechanisms in Liquidity Crises

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arvind Krishnamurthy
Keyword(s):  
Central Bank ◽  
Asset Prices ◽  
Capital Requirements ◽  
Knightian Uncertainty ◽  
Balance Sheets ◽  
Financial Innovations ◽  
Liquidity Provision ◽  
Ex Ante ◽  
Liquidity Crises ◽  
Negative Shock

I describe two amplifications mechanisms that operate during crises and discuss the benefits of policy given each mechanism. The first mechanism involves asset prices and balance sheets. A negative shock to agents' balance sheets causes them to liquidate assets, lowering prices, further deteriorating balance sheets and amplifying the shock. The second mechanism involves investors' Knightian uncertainty. Unusual shocks to untested financial innovations increase agents' uncertainty about their investments, causing them to disengage from markets and amplifying the crisis. Liquidity provision by the central bank alleviates the crisis in both mechanisms. Ex ante policies such as liquidity/capital requirements may also be beneficial. (JEL E32, E44, G01, G21, G32)

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