Anchor Inflation Expectations Research Articles

Effects of trilemma policies patterns on monetary policy credibility

The open economy trilemma refers to the impossibility of a country fully and simultaneously achieving three political objectives: monetary policy independence, exchange rate stability and financial openness. However, corner configurations related to the three policies of the trilemma are increasingly rare. In fact, countries tend to choose a policy combination composed of partial financial integration, managed exchange rate flexibility and partial monetary independence. Given the possibility of intermediate choices, there exists an index able to measure the relative divergence (or convergence) regarding the policy choices of the trilemma. The index identifies whether countries are adopting similar (or divergent) policy mixes in relation to the trilemma policy options. However, the consequences of adopting a more (or less) convergent policy arrangement on monetary policy credibility are unknown. Hence, this study investigates the effects of trilemma policies convergence patterns on monetary policy credibility. The idea is to verify whether a more convergent arrangement of policies related to the trilemma in open economies helps build monetary policy credibility. Our database is formed by 94 (developed and developing) countries with different characteristics. Thus, we run estimates based on a family of Tobit models for different sub-samples of countries, and also considering different periods – before and after the Global Financial Crisis. The study brings important practical implications. In general, the findings show that a convergent strategy increases credibility. The estimates corroborate the idea that countries adopting divergent policies from the global standard tend to be more exposed to economic instability and, as a result, have difficulties in anchoring inflation expectations.

Disagreement About the Term Structure of Inflation Expectations

We develop a model of the individual term structure of inflation expectations across forecasting horizons. Using the Survey of Professional Forecasters, we decompose disagreement about inflation expectations into individuals' long-term beliefs, private information, and public information. We find that in normal times, long-horizon disagreement is predominantly driven by individuals' long-term beliefs, while short-horizon disagreement stems from private information. During economic downturns, heterogeneous reactions to public information become a key driver of disagreement at all horizons. When forecasters disagree about public information, monetary policy exhibits a delayed response and a price puzzle emerges, underscoring the importance of anchoring inflation expectations.

Examining the New Keynesian Phillips Curve in the U.S.: Why has the relationship between inflation and unemployment weakened?

This paper conducts a comprehensive review of the relationship between inflation and unemployment in the U.S. as described by the Phillips curve in a New Keynesian framework and investigates whether this relationship has changed systematically over time. We also aim to identify possible explanations for these changes. Three different hypotheses are discussed to assess whether they are consistent with more recent developments, such as the evolution of inflation expectations, the impact of globalization, and possible nonlinearities in the functional shape of the Phillips curve. We find that the relationship between inflation and unemployment has weakened since the 1980s and especially during the Covid-19 pandemic due to forces of globalization and better anchored inflation expectations resulting from more credible monetary policy. This has led to question of whether the Phillips curve is outdated. We conclude with the implications of these findings for the conduct of monetary policy.

Threshold inflation and relative price variability – a proposal for inflation targeting in Lebanon

PurposeThe study investigates the impact of inflation on the variability of relative prices in the context of Lebanon.Design/methodology/approachUnlike the traditional method, which relies on the variance of cross-sectional price changes measured at specific points in time to gauge the variability in relative prices, we employ a more appropriate approach. Under this approach, we capture the dispersion in relative prices by estimating how widely (or closely) a set of commodity prices drift apart over a span of time, offering a more comprehensive assessment. Firstly, we employ Johansen’s cointegration test on rolling subsamples to determine the number of statistically significant cointegrating vectors among the prices of 12 major commodity groups. Under this approach, an increase in the number of significant cointegrating vectors indicates a reduction in relative price variability, while a decrease suggests the opposite. Subsequently, we employ ordinary least squares regression to analyze how the fluctuations in inflation affect the variability in relative prices. The sample period ranges from December 2007 to April 2021.FindingsThe empirical results indicate that there exists a certain threshold inflation rate corresponding to which the variability in relative prices is minimized. More importantly, consistent with the theoretical predictions, the results suggest that it is not inflation per se, but the deviation of inflation from the 3% threshold level in either direction that causes higher dispersion in relative prices.Research limitations/implicationsThe empirical findings from this study have crucial implications for the operation of monetary and fiscal policy. In particular, these findings suggest that stabilizing long-term inflation around a certain threshold rate will not only help to anchor inflation expectations effectively but will also minimize the welfare costs associated with inflation.Originality/valueGiven the rising inflationary pressure in the recent past and its welfare costs, the study assumes crucial importance in understating how fluctuations in inflation distort the relative price structure and eventually cause resource misallocations and economic inefficiency.

Assessing the predictability of the Bank of Russia decisions on the key rate and informational advantage in its forecasting

The communication policy of central banks plays a significant role in setting the expectations of economic agents. If key rate decisions are inconsistent with market expectations, managing expectations and anchoring inflation expectations may be difficult. We assess the predictability of the Bank of Russia’s key rate decisions over the 2021—2023 period in two ways: using media surveys of analysts and shifts in the Russian government bond index and the daily volatility of its yield. The results show a significant impact of unexpected key rate decisions on Russian government bond prices and daily volatility. Then, using statistical metrics computed from macroeconomic survey data and another linear and piecewise linear model, we find the informational advantage of the Bank of Russia in predicting the key rate. The decisions unexpected for the market are explained by the information advantage of the Bank of Russia, as well as the realization of geopolitical and inflation risks in the period under study. Thus, we conclude that there is a need to improve the quality of communication regarding future decisions. As the communication policy develops, the predictability of the Bank of Russia’s decisions on the key rate will increase. In turn, economic agents and market participants will adapt to the expected decisions in advance, which will accelerate the achievement of the inflation target and the adjustment of inflation expectations.

Abrupt monetary policy change and unanchoring of inflation expectations

Inflation expectations can quickly become unanchored if the central bank undermines its commitment to the inflation target. This paper exploits an abrupt change in monetary policy by the Brazilian Central Bank in 2011 and microdata from a daily survey of professional forecasters to establish support for this claim. Reanchoring came only years later, after a regime shift that included a change of government. A simple model with a well-defined concept of (un)anchored inflation expectations provides a coherent explanation and structural interpretation of our empirical findings.

Can Fiscal Consolidation Announcements Help Anchor Inflation Expectations?

Can Fiscal Consolidation Announcements Help Anchor Inflation Expectations?

Does Inflation Targeting Anchor Inflation Expectations in India? Evidences from Surveys of Household and Professional Forecasters

Does Inflation Targeting Anchor Inflation Expectations in India? Evidences from Surveys of Household and Professional Forecasters

Eurozone inflation: fresh projections from global factors

This study identifies the contributions of global factors in determining eurozone inflation. The analysis makes use of an augmented Phillips curve model of inflation, as well as panel data estimates. The findings document the importance of such factors in forecasting inflation, thus, confirming the substantial role of external factors in eurozone inflation. The findings survived certain model specifications. Therefore, monetary, and fiscal policymakers should explicitly consider both domestic and global conditions to anchor inflation expectations in forming specific strategies for taming inflation expectations.

Monetary Policy and Inflation Dynamics in Nigeria: A Bayesian DSGE Approach

This study examines monetary policy shock and inflation dynamics in Nigeria within an open economy Bayesian DSGE model framework, employing data from 2000Q1 to 2023Q1. It applies different price measures across the pre-COVID/Russia-Ukraine war era and the entire sample. Findings reveal a significant impact of monetary policy shock on inflation, irrespective of the price measure adopted. Remarkably, the results also reveal a marginal decline in the potency of monetary policy in the COVID/Russisa-Ukraine War era, compared to the pre- COVID/Russisa-Ukraine War era. The study recommends the adoption of GDP deflator as the measure of inflation that anchors inflation expectations as it is most responsive to monetary policy innovations. It also recommends complementing monetary policy with supply-side policies when faced with inflationary pressures occasioned by supply chain disruptions.

New evidence from the monetary policy communication and inflation expectations nexus in Africa

Motivated by the dearth of evidence, we examine the impact of monetary policy communication on inflation expectations in Africa. Employing text-mining techniques to analyse the monetary policy statements of six African central banks, we compute a novel index of monetary policy communication (MPCI) using the extracted word counts, readability, sentiment and tone indicators. We provide new evidence of a positive and statistically significant impact of sentiments, tone and the MPCI on inflation expectations in Africa. Our results also reveal a rising influence of sentiments in anchoring expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic era. Our results are robust to alternative measures of inflation expectation and to global economic uncertainty. We recommend concise and lucid policy statements alongside statements with tone and policy decision consistency for anchoring inflation expectations. Furthermore, investors should carefully analyse and respond to signals from central bank communication, incorporating these insights into their investment strategies and risk management practices.

Anchoring Inflation Expectations in Selected Asian Countries: The Role of Monetary Policy Credibility

Inflation targeting has become a widespread monetary policy framework in many developing countries, and this approach to achieving its goals depends on the level of trust in the central bank. As the central bank's credibility grows, it gains a greater ability to shape the public's expectations regarding inflation. The public adjusts their expectations about future inflation based on the central bank's declared targets. Still, this adjustment depends on their belief in the central bank's capacity to achieve those objectives. Credibility plays a crucial role in disconnecting these expectations from past trends, enabling them to be formed in a forward-looking manner. This study aims to examine the credibility of monetary policy and inflation in the case of selected South Asian countries like Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The quarterly data are used from 1990Q1 to 2021Q4, but it little bit varies from country to country. The Credibility Index (CI) is used to measure the credibility of monetary policy. The Quantile Regression (QR) is employed to test the impact of monetary policy credibility on inflation. The results indicate that all the variables are stationary at the same level and have dynamic correlations across quartiles and countries. The results from the regression analysis show that the credibility of monetary policy has a negative impact on the inflation rate. This research enhances the understanding of the vital link between credibility and monetary policy effectiveness in developing economies.

Did the Federal Reserve Break the Phillips Curve? Theory & Evidence of Anchoring Inflation Expectations

Abstract In a macroeconomic model with drifting long-run inflation expectations, the anchoring of inflation expectations manifests in two testable predictions. First, expectations about inflation far in the future should no longer respond to news about current inflation. Second, better anchored inflation expectations weaken the relationship between unemployment and inflation, flattening the reduced-form Phillips curve. We evaluate both predictions and find that the Federal Reserve's communication of a numerical inflation objective, first through its Summary of Economic Projections and later through the announcement of a 2 percent target in 2012, better anchored inflation expectations. Moreover, inflation expectations in the United States have remained anchored amid the volatility of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, similar analysis reveals no evidence of anchoring in Japan despite the adoption of a numerical inflation target.

Asymmetries, uncertainty and inflation: evidence from developed and emerging economies

This paper examines the asymmetric impact of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and oil price uncertainty (OPU) on inflation by using a Nonlinear ARDL (NARDL) model, which is compared to a benchmark linear ARDL one. Using monthly data from the 1990s until August 2022 for a number of developed and emerging countries, we find that the estimated effects of both EPU and OPU shocks are larger when allowing for asymmetries in the context of the NARDL framework. Further, EPU shocks, especially negative ones, have a stronger impact on inflation than OPU ones and capture some of the monetary policy uncertainty, thereby reducing the direct effect of interest rate changes on inflation. Since EPU shocks reflect, at least to some extent, monetary policy uncertainty, greater transparency and more timely communications from monetary authorities to the public would be helpful to anchor inflation expectations.

The hard road to a soft landing: Evidence from a (modestly) nonlinear structural model

What drove inflation so high in 2022? Can it drop rapidly without a recession? The Phillips curve is central to the answers; its proper (nonlinear) specification reveals that the relationship is strong and frequency-dependent, and inflation is very persistent. We embed this empirically-successful Phillips curve – incorporating a supply-shocks variable – into a structural model. Identification is achieved using an underutilized data-dependent method. Despite imposing anchored inflation expectations and a rapid relaxation of supply-chain problems, we find that absent a recession, inflation will be >3% by the end of 2025. A simple welfare analysis supports a mild recession as preferred to an extended period of elevated inflation, under a typical loss function.

Nonlinearities in the exchange rate pass-through: The role of inflation expectations

This paper investigates nonlinearities in the exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) to consumer and import prices by estimating a smooth transition regression model with different inflation expectations regimes for five inflation targeting countries (the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden) and three non-targeters (the US, the Euro-Area and Switzerland) respectively over the period January 1993–August 2021. Both market and survey measures of inflation expectations are used as the transition variable, and the nonlinear model is also assessed against a benchmark linear model. The pass-through to both consumer and import prices is found to be stronger in the nonlinear model and in some cases is close to being complete. Also, it is stronger in regime 2, i.e. when markets and consumers expect high inflation rates in the future; this suggests that anchoring inflation expectations helps to reduce the ERPT. Finally, inflation expectations appear to affect the ERPT more in inflation targeting countries.

An Evaluation of the Optimal Inflation Target for Economic Growth in Nigeria

This study uses the threshold regression method to determine the optimal inflation threshold for economic growth in Nigeria. There is evidence that establish that setting an inflation target as a nominal anchor that constrains price movements to a particular point or within a pre-agreed range is indispensable for economic growth. Application of the Bai-Perron structural breakpoints test to the data detected two breaks dated 1999 and 2011. The Lee-Strazicich Unit Root Test showed that the data were cointegrated. The threshold estimation for optimal inflation values in the 5% to 25% band revealed that the residual sums of squares, RSS, is minimized and the R2 is maximized at an optimal inflation threshold of 18% with a statistically significant regression model, suggesting that the optimal inflation target for economic growth in Nigeria is 18%. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag model (ARDL) estimate shows that a 1% increase in inflation leads to an increase of 0.017% GDP growth in Nigeria in the long-run. The estimation of the ARDL model indicate that the coefficients of exchange rate, trade openness and population growth present mixed signaling in relation to GDP growth in the long- and short-run. Our results indicate that the implementation of the inflation targeting framework in a credible, transparent and accountable way could help to anchor inflation expectations, rein in inflation and improve economic growth in Nigeria.

Uncertainties and disagreements in expectations of professional forecasters: Evidence from an inflation targeting developing country

AbstractThis paper investigates whether news‐based measures of economic uncertainty affect professional forecasters' disagreement about economic variables and economic policy instruments in Brazil. With the use of an “Economic Policy Uncertainty” index and a “Media Uncertainty” index to construct an index of economic uncertainty unrelated to policy, we study the effects of economic policy uncertainty and policy‐unrelated economic uncertainty on professional forecasters' disagreement. With the use of data from January 2002 to January 2021, we find that disagreements in expectations increase with both higher economic policy uncertainty and higher policy‐unrelated economic uncertainty. An exception is disagreement about future inflation, corroborating the importance inflation targeting for anchoring inflation expectations. We further show that economic policy uncertainty affects disagreement about Brazilian fiscal policy, whereas it does not affect disagreement about Brazilian monetary policy.

Flexible Inflation Targeting: Concepts and application in India


 The paper analyses issues important in adapting flexible inflation targeting (FIT) to emerging markets. This sets the context in which the evolution of FIT in India and its performance record are analysed. The dominance of supply shocks implies flexibility and fiscal-monetary coordination are necessary. Coordination can reduce the output sacrifice of disinflation, even as it aids fiscal consolidation. Communication has a major role in guiding expectations towards the inflation target. Strict implementation of inflation targeting imposed a large output sacrifice in the early years, but reversal to flexible implementation, in line with the original agreement, succeeded in keeping inflation largely within announced tolerance bands with a good growth recovery. Forecasting has improved and errors in both directions indicate the absence of bias. While there were supportive events in the initial years, such as the 2014 crash in oil prices and softening of food price inflation, the regime has also survived adverse periods of pandemic related supply-chain snarls and rising oil prices. A long period of disinflation and output sacrifice need not be necessary to anchor inflation expectations when there is complementary supply-side action. Since policy has to respond if inflation persistently exceeds the tolerance band, this also contributes to anchoring inflation expectations.

Out of Bounds: Do SPF Respondents Have Anchored Inflation Expectations?

AbstractSince the Federal Open Market Committee announced a 2% inflation target in 2012, the median long‐run inflation forecast of professional forecasters has been near target. We show, however, that most individual forecasters' long‐run inflation expectations fluctuate substantially, with sizeable departures from target. We propose a new “bounds anchoring” indicator based on deviations of individuals' long‐run forecasts from target. This indicator sheds new light on gradual changes in expectations since the 2012 announcement. We find that bounds anchoring gradually strengthened in the years following the target announcement, but that this trend has recently started to reverse.