Search Results
Journal Article
Monetary policy actions and long-term interest rates
It is generally believed that monetary policy actions are transmitted to the economy through their effect on market interest rates. According to this standard view, a restrictive monetary policy by the Federal Reserve pushes up both short-term and long-term interest rates, leading to less spending by interest-sensitive sectors of the economy such as housing, consumer durable goods, and business fixed investment. Conversely, an easier policy results in lower interest rates that stimulate economic activity. Unfortunately, empirical studies and the observed behavior of interest rates appear to ...
Journal Article
Federal debt management policy: a re-examination of the issues
Working Paper
Market reaction to monetary policy nonannouncements
This paper examines how Treasury security yields, stock prices, and federal funds futures rates respond on Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting dates when expected policy actions do not occur. The empirical results support the existence of nonannouncement effects on short- and intermediate-term yields. In particular, part of an expected policy action, measured using federal funds futures rates, is unwound when the action does not materialize. This partial unwinding is consistent with markets reacting to the surprise by postponing, but not eliminating, the possibility of a future ...
Journal Article
Federal deficits and the stock market
Empirical evidence shows that federal budget deficits have historically tended to increase stock market prices. Because deficits rose to unprecedented levels in the 1980s, however, increasing concern about their impact on interest rates and inflation may have contributed to the October 1987 decline in stock prices.
Journal Article
The demand for M1 by households: an evaluation of its stability