Inflation dynamics during the financial crisis

Gilchrist, Simon; Schoenle, Raphael; Sim, Jae W.; Zakrajšek, Egon

Working Paper

Inflation dynamics during the financial crisis

Abstract: Firms with limited internal liquidity significantly increased prices in 2008, while their liquidity unconstrained counterparts slashed prices. Differences in the firms' price-setting behavior were concentrated in sectors likely characterized by customer markets. The authors develop a model in which firms face financial frictions while setting prices in a customer-markets setting. Financial distortions create an incentive for firms to raise prices in response to adverse demand or financial shocks. These results reflect the firms' reaction to preserve internal liquidity and avoid accessing external finance, factors that strengthen the countercyclical behavior of markups and attenuate the response of inflation to fluctuations in output.

Keywords: missing deflation; sticky customer base; costly external finance; financial shocks; cost channel; inflation-output tradeoff;

JEL Classification: E31; E32; E44; E51;