No-Arbitrage pricing of GDP-Linked bonds

Abstract

We develop a novel term-structure model for pricing GDP-linked bonds, hypothetical securities with cash-flows indexed to the level of U.S. GDP. For this purpose, we rely on a term-structure model of equity yields estimated using the prices of dividend swaps, which we assume span GDP growth. Our approach provides a novel way of estimating the relative cost of conventional and GDP-linked bonds, as well as measuring more general market-based expectations of (and risks around) GDP growth. Our model predicts that U.S. GDP-linked bonds would typically have yields lower than those on conventional Treasury bonds with the same maturity in our sample from 2010 to 2017. Positive expected future GDP growth lowers the yield on GDP-linked bonds relative to conventional bonds, which typically more than offsets the estimated GDP risk premium demanded by investors for holding GDP risk.