Working Paper
FOMC communication and interest rate sensitivity to news
Abstract: In this paper, I examine whether communications by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) play a role in determining the types of macroeconomic news that financial markets pay attention to. To do so, I construct novel measures of the intensity with which FOMC statements and meeting minutes discussed labor relative to other topics. I find that these labor topic intensity measures are related to the amount by which interest rates? response to labor-related news exceeds their response to all other news. This relationship is especially strong for interest rates of longer maturities and is also present for short-term interest rate expectations over various horizons.
Keywords: Federal Reserve; FOMC; central bank communications; interest rates;
JEL Classification: E43; E52; E58; G12;
Access Documents
File(s):
File format is text/html
https://www.bostonfed.org/publications/research-department-working-paper/2017/fomc-communication-and-interest-rate-sensitivity-to-news.aspx
Description: Summary
File(s):
File format is application/pdf
https://www.bostonfed.org/-/media/Documents/Workingpapers/PDF/2017/wp1712.pdf
Description: Full text
Authors
Bibliographic Information
Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Part of Series: Working Papers
Publication Date: 2017-10-01
Number: 17-12
Pages: 44 pages