Long-term Bond Yields, Monetary Policy and the Expectations Hypothesis of the Term Structure of Interest Rates

Author(s):  
Peter Kugler
Author(s):  
Uwe Hassler ◽  
Dieter Nautz

SummaryCritics of the Bundesbank's monetary policy recently suggested the abandonment of monetary targeting in favour of the term structure of interest rates as the main indicator of central bank policy. However, a term structure oriented policy requires a reliable link between short- and long-term interest rates. Our analysis clearly suggests that there is no stable relationship between German short- and long-term interest rates, in particular not after the German monetary union. Consequently, the empirical results of this paper indicate that this policy has not much chance of success.


Author(s):  
Efthymios Argyropoulos ◽  
Elias Tzavalis

AbstractThis paper suggests a new empirical methodology of testing the predictions of the term spread between long and short-term interest rates about future changes of the former allowing for term premium effects, according to the rational expectations hypothesis of the term structure. To capture the effects of a time-varying term premium on the term spread, the paper relies on an empirically attractive affine Gaussian dynamic term structure model which assumes that the term structure of interest rates is spanned by three unobserved state variables. To retrieve accurate values of these variables from interest rates series, the paper suggests a new method which can overcome the effects of measurement (or pricing) errors inherent in these series on the estimates of the model. This method is assessed by a Monte Carlo study. Ignoring these errors will lead to biased estimates of term structure models. The empirical results of the paper provide support for the suggested term structure model. They show that this model can efficiently capture the time-varying term premium effects embodied in long-term interest rates, which can explain the failures of term spread to forecast future changes in long-term rates.


2003 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Benjamin Miranda Tabak ◽  
Sandro Canesso de Andrade

We test the Expectations Hypothesis (EH) plus Rational Expectations (RE) in the Brazilian term-structure of interest rates, using maturities ranging from 1 month to 12 months, and daily data from 1995 to 2000. We rely on two methodologies based on single-equation regressions. Our results indicate a rejection of the EH plus RE, specially at the longer maturity. This may have important implications for the rational expectations macro-modeling currently being used to evaluate the conduct of monetary policy in Brazil. We also show the risk premium in the yield curve are positively related to the covered interest rate differential and to the volatility of interest rates.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 484-496
Author(s):  
Jun Lou ◽  

This paper proposes a term structure of interest rates model that modifies and extends the Campbell and Cochrane (1999) surplus consumption framework. The distinguishing contributions are tractable, continuous-time analytical solutions for the term structure of interest rate generating a realistic upward sloping yield curve. Despite the focus on the term structure, the model matches plausible equity quantities. For the interest rate, the model is able to account for the moments of bond yields at numerous maturities and produce countercyclical bond risk premia as seen in the data. Moreover, the model captures reasonable time series fluctuation on real interest rates. However, the model has difficulties reproducing empirical deviations from the expectations hypothesis.


1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Y Campbell

This paper reviews the literature on the relation between short- and long-term interest rates. It summarizes the mixed evidence on the expectation hypothesis of the term structure: when long rates are high relative to short rates, short rates tend to rise as implied by the expectations hypothesis, but long rates tend to fall, which is contrary to the expectations hypothesis. The paper discusses the response of the U.S. bond market to shifts in monetary policy in the spring of 1994 and reviews the debate over the optimal maturity structure of the U.S. government debt.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nizar Harrathi ◽  
Hamed M. Alhoshan

AbstractWe examine and test the validity of the expectation hypothesis of the term structure (EHTS) of interest rates in Saudi Arabia using the traditional single equation approach, Campbell and Shiller methodology, Error Correction Model, and monthly data over the period June 1983 to December 2014. The results of the single equation approach indicate that the test of validity of the expectation hypothesis cannot be rejected for all maturities. We also find that the validity of the EHTS of interest rates is supported through the stationarity of the term spreads between short- and long-term interest rates. Moreover, the cointegration test reveals the existence of a cointegration relationship between short- and long-term interest with $\left(1-1\right)$ cointegrating vector, suggesting the validity EHTS of interest rates. Policy implications based on the empirical results suggest that the transparency of monetary policy in Saudi Arabia and the effective role of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) in conducting monetary policy increase the predictive power of market participants of future movements of short-term interest rates.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (03) ◽  
pp. 1750011 ◽  
Author(s):  
TANWEER AKRAM ◽  
ANUPAM DAS

This paper investigates the determinants of nominal yields of government bonds in the euro zone. The pooled mean group (PMG) technique of cointegration is applied on both monthly and quarterly datasets to examine the major drivers of nominal yields of long-term government bonds in a set of 11 euro zone countries. Furthermore, the autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) methods are used to address the same question for individual countries. The results show that short-term interest rates are the most important determinants of long-term government bonds’ nominal yields. These results support Keynes’s view that short-term interest rates and other monetary policy measures have a decisive influence on long-term interest rates on government bonds.


2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Refet S Gürkaynak ◽  
Jonathan H Wright

This paper provides an overview of the analysis of the term structure of interest rates with a special emphasis on recent developments at the intersection of macroeconomics and finance. The topic is important to investors and also to policymakers, who wish to extract macroeconomic expectations from longer-term interest rates, and take actions to influence those rates. The simplest model of the term structure is the expectations hypothesis, which posits that long-term interest rates are expectations of future average short-term rates. In this paper, we show that many features of the configuration of interest rates are puzzling from the perspective of the expectations hypothesis. We review models that explain these anomalies using time-varying risk premia. Although the quest for the fundamental macroeconomic explanations of these risk premia is ongoing, inflation uncertainty seems to play a large role. Finally, while modern finance theory prices bonds and other assets in a single unified framework, we also consider an earlier approach based on segmented markets. Market segmentation seems important to understand the term structure of interest rates during the recent financial crisis. (JEL E31, E43, E52, E58)


2006 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Durré

Abstract This paper investigates to what extent the expectations hypothesis of the term structure (EHTS) of interest rates receives some support since the launch of the European single currency. Empirical evidence shows that in general this theory applies to most European countries, and to Germany in particular. The objective of this paper thus is twofold. First, the EHTS for the German money market and for a larger sample including the German mark period and the euro money market is tested in order to check whether the results for the former are affected by the new financial environment since January 1999. Second, the implications of the results for the monetary policy assessment are discussed. We estimate cointegrating vector autoregressive models in order to quantify the level of the liquidity premium. The results suggest that financial markets do not consider the monetary policy of the European Central Bank simply as the one prevailing during the German period.


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