Interest risk and default risk: A conditional volatility study

The aim of this work is to measure the risk-price sensitivity to interest rate changes in the Spanish market and to see if sensitivity is lower with public debt. To contrast this hypothesis, this study presents a model that analyzes the sensitivity of the risky prices before variations in interest rates through duration and convexity, with the purpose of explaining the price of risky bonds. The main advantages of the analysis are the possibility to determine the sensibility of the risky prices before variations of risk-free interest rates in the Spanish market and the construction of a conditional volatility model that overcomes the linearity models of constant variance.     

运用久期模型进行利率风险管理的若干问题分析

利率的波动会给金融机构带来利率风险:重新定价风险和市场价值变动风险。传统的资产负债管理方法:缺口(gap)管理,只能解决前者而对后者无措。因而,后来理论界和业界并始广泛推崇和实行久期(duration)方法。久期充分考虑了与时间因素相关的现金流问题,可以同时兼顾利率变动对于收益和资本利得或损失的影响,从而实现利率免疫(interest immun ization)。巴塞尔委员会(2001年)推荐的监管银行利率风险的模型就是以久期模型为基础的。然而,也有些人认为该模型在金融机构资产负债管理中实际运用起来有种种困难,并对该模型提出了许多批评意见,本文将逐一分析这些问题及解决之道。     

Survey Data and the Interest Rate Sensitivity of US Bank Stock Returns

In this paper, we provide empirical evidence on the interest rate sensitivity of the stock returns of the twenty largest US bank holding companies. The main contribution of the paper is the use of survey data to model the unexpected interest rate variable, which is an alternative approach to the existing literature. We find evidence of significant negative interest rate sensitivity during the early 1980s, and evidence of declining significance in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This result is also obtained when using the forecast errors of ARIMA processes to model the unexpected movement in the interest rate.     

Macro effects of interest-sensitive aggregate supply

This paper investigates the implications of the negative effect of the real interest rate on aggregate supply. The micro foundations of this effect are first explained. The effect is then incorporated into a dynamic macro model with inflation and rational expectations. If the wealth effect on consumption is large, an increased interest sensitivity of aggregate supply enhances stability. If the wealth effect is small, increased interest sensitivity of supply is stabilizing up to a point, and destabilizing beyond that. Furthermore, an increased interest sensitivity of aggregate supply enhances the positive effect of the monetary growth rate upon steady-state output, and it enhances the negative effect of government spending upon steady-state output.     

Does Shariah compliance make interest rate sensitivity of Islamic equities lower? An industry level analysis under different market states

This paper examines the sensitivity of the Dow Jones Islamic market index and its corresponding industry equity indices to changes in the level, slope and curvature of the U.S. term structure of interest rates over the period 1996–2015 using the quantile regression approach. The empirical results reveal that the Islamic stock market has a considerable negative exposure to interest rate risk, although a declining time pattern of interest rate sensitivity is observed. The unexpected changes in the level factor of the U.S. yield curve, closely linked to long-term interest rates, are identified as the most important interest rate factor in explaining the variability of Islamic equity returns. Furthermore, the interest rate exposure tends to be stronger during extreme bearish conditions in the stock market, possibly due to the greater pessimism and risk aversion under these market circumstances. It is also shown that Islamic equities are not different from their mainstream counterparts in terms of interest rate sensitivity, indicating that the Islamic stock market does not provide a cushion against interest rate risk.     

The design of an interest rate rule with staggered contracting and costly transacting

We examine interest rate rules in a model in which agents plan their consumption decisions in the face of two rigidities. First, households need cash balances to aid trade. Second, today's price level is inherited from past contracting decisions so that changes in nominal aggregate demand fall on output in the short run. Given these rigidities, the central bank can set the nominal interest rate in the short run. However, a pure interest rate peg fails to uniquely determine nominal and real magnitudes. A reaction function constraining the nominal interest rate to be continuous and showing some sensitivity to inflation does not exhibit this indeterminacy.     

EXCHANGE RATE REGIME AND MONETARY POLICY INDEPENDENCE IN EAST ASIA

Abstract.  This paper investigates whether the choice of exchange rate regimes influences the sensitivity of domestic interest rates to international interest rates. We empirically analyse this issue in the context of East Asian economies by employing a regime switching model. We find that the sensitivity of local interest rates to international interest rates declined in Korea and Thailand after they adopted floating exchange rate regimes. We also find that Japan, with a floating exchange regime, has greater independence in monetary policy than a pegged economy such as Hong Kong. These empirical findings suggest that exchange rate flexibility provides greater monetary independence.     

Credit constraints,inelastic supply,and the housing boom

In this paper, I develop a dynamic general equilibrium model to study the sensitivity of house price changes with respect to credit constraints. I find that house prices are sensitive to changes of the down payment requirements if owner-occupied houses and rental houses are inelastically supplied. I then use the model to evaluate the housing boom during the 1995–2005 time period. I find that, under the assumption that owner-occupied housing and rental housing cannot be converted to each other, the increase in real household income and the decline in down payment requirements can explain a large fraction of the observed house price and price–rent ratio changes during the 1995–2005 time period. However, the model fails to match the interest rate changes during the 1995–2005 period.     

宏观共同因子、特质因子以及货币政策对中国各线城市房价的影响——基于FAVAR模型

运用FAVAR模型,将中国各线城市房价分离出宏观共同因子和特质因子部分,研究了各因子及货币政策对房价的影响。研究发现:大城市的房价更易受宏观共同因子和地区特质因子的影响,且变动的持续性更大;共同因子可在很大程度上解释房价变动的持续性和波动性;共同因子对房价的影响较为持久,而地区特质因子只在短期内影响房价;利率和货币供应量可以有效地影响房价;相比利率,货币供应量对一线和二线城市房价水平的影响更大,对各线城市房价波动的影响更为持久;一线城市的房价水平及其波动对货币政策冲击的敏感度较高,二线城市的敏感度居中,三线城市的敏感度较低;未发现货币政策的"价格之谜"现象,表明本文模型设定的合理性较强。     

Collateral Constraints and the Interest Rate

This paper develops a model in which an increase in financial frictions leads to a fall in the steady-state rate of interest. A perpetual youth overlapping generations (OLG) model is extended to incorporate a collateral constraint, this results in a transmission mechanism in which an interest rate fall occurs endogenously from a disruption to the credit market. It is found that that non-linearities exist in the relationship between changes in financial frictions and the interest rate. By specifying the mechanism by means of which this occurs, the model provides an explanation for why low interest rates have been observed with such persistence since the financial crisis.     

从财政主导转向货币政策工具：中国利率水平决定的转变*

本文基于利率市场化的角度,使用马尔科夫体制转换自回归模型（MS AR）研究我国利率市场化改革以来（1996—2017年）利率水平决定机制的非线性变化。通过计量模型识别出我国利率水平决定的两个体制,即“财政主导”（1996—2005年）和“货币主导”（2006—2017年）。我国利率决定机制改变的时间轨迹与利率市场化改革进程的关键时间节点相吻合。这表明我国的利率市场化改革取得了显著成效,利率调控方式由财政主导转向货币主导,为进一步的利率市场化打下了良好的基础。     

利率风险管理的重要免疫工具:持续期模型

利率市场化进程的加快凸现利率风险管理的重要性和迫切性.作为一种利率风险管理的重要免疫工具,持续期配比策略在近些年来有了较大发展.本文在深入探讨Macaulay持续期的三种重要含义的基础上,详细地分析和比较了近期提出的几种主要持续期即:方向持续期、 部分持续期和近似持续期,最后简单讨论了将这些持续期模型及其免疫策略用于中国市场应注意的问题.     

The structure of spot rates and immunization: Some further results

This paper estimates and tests a two-factor model of the term structure of interest rates based on the methodology developed by Elton, Gruber and Michaelly (1990) in an APT context. The model is then enlarged to allow its use for interest rate risk measurement through a duration vector. The results of the model using in-sample data are consistent with those obtained by Principal Components Analysis to explain the term structure behaviour. Finally, the model is tested using out-of-sample data, showing its superiority over a competing model based on the traditional Macaulay's duration.     

The Optimality of a Zero Inflation Rate with Menu Costs: Australia

This paper juxtaposes the policy trend towards a zero inflation rate against the theoretical standard of optimal deflation at the real interest rate. It extends an example monetary economy to include a simple form of nominal adjustment costs and calibrates the model with recent evidence on Australian money demand. There is a critical value that the calibrated parameter for menu costs must exceed in order for a zero inflation rate to be optimal. An inflation rate of –2 per cent to 0 per cent is found to be optimal. The quantitative results, of whether inflation-adjustment costs imply a zero inflation rate policy for Australia, are tempered by the abstraction of the model and its sensitivity to parameters. Qualitatively, the paper shows the effects of changes in the adjustment cost function and in the structural parameters.     

A forecasting model of the Kenyan economy

A demand-oriented macroeconometric model of the Kenyan economy is developed and estimated in line with the cointegration technique. The estimated structure of the model is used to perform policy simulation experiments to determine the sensitivity of key macroeconomic variables to changes in exchange rate, net government current expenditure and nominal interest rate. The results of policy simulation experiments reveal that the exchange rate and fiscal policies are relatively more effective than the monetary policy, i.e. changing the nominal interest rate, in influencing the level of economic activity. The results point to the possibility of devaluation improving the international trade balance.     

金融租赁公司的利率风险及管理对策

金融租赁公司所面临的诸多利率风险中,成熟期错配风险是最为关键的,久期模型是其通用的衡量方法。金融租赁公司的久期缺口分析是利用久期管理利率风险的主要方法,但久期模型运用中也存在着诸如久期对称成本高、利率风险免疫动态性及凸性等问题。金融租赁公司面对利率上升的风险,应采取设立风险管理部门、做好基础资料积累与分析、加强利率走势预测及对金融衍生工具的研究等对策措施。     

Exchange Rate Exposure of Sectoral Returns and Volatilities: Further Evidence From Japanese Industrial Sectors

In this paper we argue that the commonly employed exposure coefficient/beta is inadequate for capturing the entire impact of exchange rate changes on firms' future operating cash flows. Instead, we employ the bivariate Glosten–Jagannathan–Runkle generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity mean model to investigate four aspects of exchange rate exposure, including sensitivity of stock returns to exchange rate changes, sensitivity of stock returns to the volatility of exchange rate changes, sensitivity of conditional variance of returns to exchange rate volatility, and the dynamic conditional correlation between returns and exchange rate changes, respectively, using data from 10 industrial sectors in Japan. We find significant evidence of such exchange rate exposure which is not captured by the conventional measure. The diagnostic statistics confirm the adequacy of our model, and, hence, the robustness of the results.     

Real wages,real interest rates,and the Phillips curve

This article argues that any analysis of a Phillips curve should include the real interest rate in addition to inflation and real wages as any changes in the interest rate changes the labour–capital input mix in the production process leading to a change in the level of employment in the economy. To justify this argument a Phillips curve model is developed, which includes the real interest rate in addition to inflation and real wages. After the diagnosis of the time series properties of the data, an error correction model is developed and estimated using a set of US annual data from 1948 to 1996. The estimated parameters of the model do suggest that one should really take into consideration of the real interest rate while analysing the Phillips curve. A non-nested test (F-test) also suggests that the Phillips curve model with real interest rate as an additional variable performs better than the conventional method that does not include the real interest rate.     

Currency Crises, Monetary Policy and Corporate Balance Sheets

Abstract. This paper studies how the exposure of a country's corporate sector to interest rate and exchange rate changes affects the probability of a currency crisis. To analyze this question, we present a model that defines currency crises as situations in which the costs of maintaining a fixed exchange rate exceed the costs of abandonment. The results show that a higher exposure to interest rate changes increases the probability of crisis through an increased need for output loss compensation and an increased efficacy of monetary policy in stimulating output. A higher exposure to exchange rate changes also increases the need for output loss compensation. However, it lowers the efficacy of monetary policy in stimulating output through the adverse balance sheet effects of exchange rate depreciation. As a result, its effect on the probability of crisis is ambiguous.     

Convergence within the EU: Evidence from Interest Rates

The economic and political changes which are taking place in Europe affect interest rates. This paper develops a two-factor model for the term structure of interest rates specially designed to apply to EMU countries. In addition to the participant country's short-term interest rate, we include as a second factor a 'European' short-term interest rate. We assume that the 'European' rate follows a mean reverting process. The domestic interest rate also follows a mean reverting process, but its convergence is to a stochastic mean which is identified with the 'European' rate. Closed-form solutions for prices of zero coupon discount bonds and options on these bonds are provided. A special feature of the model is that both the domestic and the European interest rate risks are priced. We also discuss an empirical estimation focusing on the Spanish bond market. The 'European' rate is proxied by the ecu's interest rate. Through a comparison of the performance of our convergence model with a Vasicek model for the Spanish bond market, we show that our model provides a better fit both in-sample and out-of sample and that the difference in performance between the models is greater the longer the maturity of the bonds.
(J.E.L.: E43, C510).