The Inflation Hedging Characteristics of US and UK Investments: A Multi-Factor Error Correction Approach

Historic analysis of the inflation hedging properties of stocks has produced anomalous results, with stocks often appearing to offer a perverse hedge. This has been attributed to the impact of real and monetary shocks to the economy, which influence both inflation and asset returns. It has been argued that real estate should provide a better hedge: however, empirical results have been mixed. This paper explores the relationship between commercial real estate returns and economic, fiscal and monetary factors and inflation for US and UK markets. Comparative analysis of general equity and small capitalization stock returns is carried out with inflation divided into expected and unexpected components. The analyses are undertaken using an error correction approach. In the long run, once real and monetary variables are included, asset returns are positively linked to anticipated inflation but not to inflation shocks. Adjustment processes are, however, gradual and not within period. Real estate returns, particularly private market returns, exhibit characteristics that differ from those of stocks.

通货膨胀预期与企业银行债务融资

本文采用2003-2013年沪深两市A股上市公司的季度数据,研究通货膨胀预期如何影响企业银行债务融资。研究结果表明:第一,预期通货膨胀率降低实际利率,因此预期通货膨胀率与银行债务水平正相关,说明预期通货膨胀率是资本结构的重要决定因素。第二,当预期未来将发生通货膨胀时,商业银行“惜贷”,信贷歧视更为明显,因此国有企业更容易获得借款。所以在国有企业中,通货膨胀预期与银行债务水平的正相关关系更为显著。第三,通货膨胀预期对企业银行债务偏离具有显著影响,表现为保守型企业优化债务结构,而激进型企业偏离程度更大。进一步研究发现,预期通货膨胀率与企业银行债务融资的调整额正相关,并且在国有企业更为显著;如果企业更容易获得银行借款,通货膨胀预期对银行债务融资的影响更显著。本研究丰富了资本结构决定因素的文献和宏观经济政策与微观企业行为的文献,拓展了资本结构宏观影响因素的研究,有助于政府和企业更好地应对通货膨胀。     

Owner-occupied homes,income-producing properties,and REITs as inflation hedges: Empirical findings

New evidence on the correlation patterns of various real estate returns with inflation is presented. Returns on a wide array of real estate, nonresidential as well as residential, are investigated. Stock and bond returns are also analyzed for comparison purposes. Extensive heterogeneity is found in real estate return correlations with inflation. Nonresidential property returns are most strongly positively correlated with inflation, although the appreciation in owner-occupied homes is also positively associated with inflation. However, REIT returns tend to be strongly negatively correlated with inflation. In this respect, they look more like traditional stocks and bonds than any other type of real estate. Finally, new evidence on return correlations with energy prices is also presented. Nonresidential real estate performs best here, too, although no real estate asset fully compensates investors for adverse energy price shocks.     

The Asymmetric Response of Equity REIT Returns to Inflation

This paper posits that the failure of past studies to document a positive relationship between REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) returns and inflation is an artifact of the empirical framework that has predominated in these studies. Applying a pooled estimation methodology to an expansive data set containing 195 publicly traded equity REITs for the period 1981–2002, the study documents a strong asymmetry in the response of equity REIT returns to inflation. Specifically, when expected and unexpected inflation are separated into positive and negative changes, results indicate that equity REIT returns rise in response to both increases and decreases in inflation. The evidence, which is partly contingent on the prevailing monetary policy environment, carries important policy implications for portfolio management and provides insights into the observed anomalous relationship between REITs and inflation.     

Can real options explain financing behavior?

Trade-off models commonly invoke financial transaction costs in order to explain observed leverage fluctuations. This paper offers an alternative explanation based on real options. The model is frictionless on the financing side but incorporates irreversibility and fixed costs of investment. Results obtained from simulating the model are broadly consistent with observed financing patterns. Market leverage ratios are negatively related to profitability, mean-reverting, and depend on past stock returns. The gradual and lumpy leverage adjustments can occur in the absence of financial transaction costs. This evidence shows that incorporating real frictions into structural models increases their explanatory power.     

货币政策目标规则的研究现状及评述

货币政策规则研究的进展是近年来货币政策研究的重要突破。本文对货币政策目标规则研究领域的代表性文献进行了系统的分类梳理和总结,并展望国际上相关研究的发展方向,作为我们进一步研究的基础和借鉴。借鉴西方货币政策规则的理论和实践,建立适应新形势的货币政策框架是我国货币政策的发展方向。对中国货币政策目标规则的研究尚处于刚刚起步阶段,今后的相关研究应更多地考虑中国作为新兴市场和转轨国家的经济和金融特征。     

Market conditions,risk, and real estate portfolio returns: Some empirical evidence

This research examined the return behavior of a portfolio of American and New York Stock Exchange real estate firms. A dummy variable procedure was used to test for excess return and/or change in risk behavior across market conditions. The findings were as follows. First, no excess return was found for any model specification. Second, no changes in beta were found using the benchmark approach. The beta shifted when an up market was defined as a nonrecessionary period; the beta behaved procyclically. However, the subperiod tests indicated that effect was transitory and period specific.     

A real options approach for evaluating the implementation of a risk-sensitive capital rule in banks

I evaluate a bank's incentives to implement a risk-sensitive regulatory capital rule. The decision making is analyzed within a real options framework where optimal policies are derived in terms of threshold levels of credit risk. I provide a numerical example for the implementation of internal ratings based models for credit risk (the IRB approach) under the new Basel Accord (Basel II).     

通货膨胀的惯性特征及其货币政策启示

通货膨胀惯性是指通货膨胀在受到随机扰动因素冲击后偏离其长期均衡水平的趋势会持续很久,通常用通胀自回归模型中滞后项系数之和来度量。混合的新凯恩斯主义菲利普斯曲线令人信服地解释了通货膨胀惯性的微观基础,即价格粘性和经济参与人的后视行为。高通货膨胀惯性会削弱货币政策调控的效果,提高中央银行反通胀的社会成本。中央银行承诺在较长时期内钉住一个稳定的名义锚(例如明确或隐性的通货膨胀目标制)则是降低通货膨胀惯性的有效途径。     

通货膨胀与房地产市场的相关性分析

本文通过对我国居民消费价格指数与房地产市场的价格指数之间的相关性进行统计分析,结果表明两者之间存在显著的正相关。文章进而分析了我国近年来房地产市场的发展对CPI的主要影响渠道,并指出房地产市场的理性调整有利于控制当前的通货膨胀。     

Investment-based financing constraints and debt renegotiation

We consider how equity holders’ bargaining power during financial distress influences the interactions between financing and investment decisions when the firm faces the upper limit of debt issuance. We obtain four results. First, weaker equity holders’ bargaining power is more likely that the firm is financially constrained. Second, the investment quantity is independent of equity holders’ bargaining power. Third, the constrained credit spreads are increasing with equity holders’ bargaining power, contrary to the unconstrained ones. Fourth, higher volatility and weaker equity holders’ bargaining power are likely that the firm prefers to issue debt with renegotiation, compared with debt without renegotiation.     

Who hedges more when leverage is endogenous? A testable theory of corporate risk management under general distributional conditions

This paper develops a theory of a firm’s hedging decision with endogenous leverage. In contrast to previous models in the literature, our framework is based on less restrictive distributional assumptions and allows a closed-form analytical solution to the joint optimization problem. Using anecdotal evidence of greater benefits of risk management for firms selling “credence goods” or products that involve long-term relationships, we prove that those optimally leveraged firms, which face more convex indirect bankruptcy cost functions, will choose higher hedge ratios. Moreover, we suggest a new approach to test this relationship empirically.