Oil Price-macroeconomy Relationship Research Articles

Revisiting the linkages between oil prices and macroeconomy for the euro area: Does energy inflation still matter?

This study revisits the relationship between oil prices and the macroeconomy for the euro area while assessing the effects of recent energy inflation on the real economy. We particularly investigate the impact of energy inflation on the real sector (household consumption, firm investment, and economic growth), financial sector (inflation, financial market), and economic agents' confidence. Considering the monetary authority's recent actions, we review this oil price–macroeconomy relationship while taking into account the ongoing monetary policy to check the policy's efficiency and to assess whether the recent successive interventions of the European Central Bank (ECB) have attenuated the effects of energy inflation. We test these hypotheses in linear and nonlinear frameworks using threshold models that offer a flexible econometric modeling. Our results reveal two interesting findings. First, an oil price shift exerts a significant and nonlinear effect on the real and financial sectors. This impact is asymmetrical and varies by regime, depending on the economic situation (geopolitical tension, inflation, war in Ukraine, etc.). Additionally, we empirically and endogenously estimate the threshold level at which the impact of oil price changes is significant. Second, the reaction of economic growth and inflation rate to oil price shifts remains highly significant, even when considering the ongoing monetary policy of the ECB.

Accounting for the declining economic effects of oil price shocks

Many studies have concluded that the effects of oil price shocks have diminished since the mid-1980s. This paper revisits the evidence in Blanchard and Galí (2010)​. I show that the apparent instability in the oil price-macroeconomy relationship they find can be accounted for by the endogeneity of oil price changes and the lower energy share in consumption in recent decades. When these two factors are taken into account, the effects of oil price shocks on real economic activity appear to be stable over time. Nevertheless, the impact of oil prices on inflation has noticeably weakened. • Blanchard and Galí (2010) find that the impact of oil price shocks on the US economy has declined since 1984. • I replicate their key result and show that it is not driven by the persistence of oil prices or the oil price volatility. • I extend their model in two ways. First, I weight oil price growth by lagged energy share in consumption. • Second, I augment their model with a newly constructed measure of non-OECD petroleum consumption. • I show that the extended model implies stable impact of oil price shocks on US GDP and employment.

150 Years of the Oil Price-Macroeconomy Relationship

We use the longest span data that have ever been studied before (from 1870 to 2014) to investigate the relationship between the price of oil and the level of economic activity in the United States. In the context of a bivariate (identified) structural GARCH-in-Mean VAR in real output growth and the change in the real price of oil, we find that uncertainty about oil prices has had a negative and significant effect on real output. We also find that the responses of real output growth to positive and negative shocks are not very informative of whether they are symmetric or asymmetric, and that accounting for oil price uncertainty tends to amplify the negative dynamic response of real output growth to unfavorable (positive) oil price shocks.

The Oil Price-Macroeconomy Relationship: Does Persistence Matter?

The literature on the relationship between real output growth and the growth rate in the price of oil, including an allowance for asymmetry in the impact of oil prices on output, continues to evolve. Here we show that a new technique, which allows us to control for both this asymmetry and also for the persistence of oil price changes, yields results implying that such control is necessary for a statistically adequate specification of the relationship. The new technique also yields an estimated model for the relationship which is more economically interpretable. In particular, using quarterly data from 1976 - 2007 on each of six countries which are essentially net oil importers, we find that changes in the growth rate of oil prices which persist for more than four years have a large and statistically significant impact on future output growth, whereas less persistent changes (lasting more than one year but less than four years) have no significant impact on output growth. In contrast, 'temporary' fluctuations in the oil price growth rate - persisting for only a year or less - again have a large and statistically significant impact on output growth for most of these countries. The results for the single major net oil producer in our sample (Norway) are distinct in an interesting way.

The Oil Price-Macroeconomy Relationship Since the Mid-1980s: A Global Perspective

We investigate the oil price-macroeconomy relationship from a global perspective, by means of a large scale macro-financial-econometric model. In addition to real activity, we consider fiscal and monetary policy responses and labor and financial markets conditions, in order to provide a comprehensive account of the macro-financial effects of oil price shocks. We find that oil market supply side, speculative, preferences, and volatility shocks exercised recessionary effects during the first and second Persian Gulf War and 2008 oil price episodes. As long as oil supply will keep expanding at a slower pace than required by demand conditions, and in so far as the recently passed regulatory provisions aimed at controlling financial speculation in the oil (and other commodities) futures market will prove unsuccessful, a recessionary bias, determined by higher and more uncertain real oil prices, may then be expected to persist also in the near future.

The Oil Price-Macroeconomy Relationship Since the Mid- 1980s: A Global Perspective

In this paper the oil price-macroeconomy relationship is investigated from a global perspective, by means of a large scale macro-financial-econometric model. In addition to real activity, fiscal and monetary policy responses and labor and financial markets are considered as well. We find that oil market shocks would have contributed to slowing down economic growth since the first Persian Gulf War episode. Among oil market shocks, supply side disturbances were the largest contributor to macro-financial fluctuations, accounting for up to 12% of real activity variance. The latter shocks would have exercised recessionary effects during the first and second Persian Gulf War and 2008 oil price episodes; preferences, speculative and volatility shocks would have also contributed to exacerbate the recessionary episodes. As long as oil supply will keep expanding at a lower pace than required by demand conditions, a recessionary bias, determined by higher and more uncertain real oil prices, may then be expected to persist also in the near future.

The Oil Price-Macroeconomy Relationship Since the Mid-1980s: A Global Perspective

In this paper the oil price-macroeconomy relationship is investigated from a global perspective, by means of a large scale macro-financial-econometric model. In addition to real activity, fiscal and monetary policy responses and labor and financial markets are considered as well. We find that oil market shocks would have contributed to slowing down economic growth since the first Persian Gulf War episode. Among oil market shocks, supply side disturbances were the largest contributor to macro-financial fluctuations, accounting for up to 12% of real activity variance. The latter shocks would have exercised recessionary effects during the first and second Persian Gulf War and 2008 oil price episodes; preferences, speculative and volatility shocks would have also contributed to exacerbate the recessionary episodes. As long as oil supply will keep expanding at a lower pace than required by demand conditions, a recessionary bias, determined by higher and more uncertain real oil prices, may then be expected to persist also in the near future.

The Oil Price-Microeconomy Relationship is Alive and Well

This paper analyzes the oil price-macroeconomy relationship using a model that aims at taking into account all the sources of instability highlighted by previous studies. Mainly, we adopt a sectoral approach and weight oil prices by sectoral energy intensities. Further, inspired by Alfred Marshall’s treatment of time, we also put forward a new approach to model short-term interactions between economic variables that relies on an error-correcting mechanism depending on cumulative errors. Applied to the U.S. economy, our model enables us to estimate stable relationships between oil prices and sectoral economic indicators. Further, it explains both the long-run weakening of the relationship between oil prices and aggregate economic activity and its short-run instability. We show that the oil price-macroeconomy relationship is fading but the oil price-microeconomy relationship is alive and well.

Oil price cycles and wavelets

The present paper addresses the question of the oil price–macroeconomy relationship using world data and a time scale decomposition based on the theory of wavelets. Our approach is based on a global indicator, the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Index for the World, and on the new framework offered by wavelets to analyse the oil price cycles and to investigate the oil price–MSCI relationship. This original approach enables us to identify that the cycles which contribute the most to oil price variations are 20 to 40 years cycles, which correspond to the size of Kuznets infrastructure cycles and probably represent energy investment cycles. This wavelet decomposition also provides additional evidence to the “reverse causality” theory.

Slow oil shocks and the “weakening of the oil price–macroeconomy relationship”

Many papers have been documenting and analysing the asymmetry and the weakening of the oil price–macroeconomy relationship as off the early eighties. While there seems to be a consensus about the factors causing the asymmetry, namely adjustment costs which offset the benefits of low energy prices, the debate about the weakening of the relationship is not over yet. Moreover, the alternative oil price specifications which have been proposed by Mork (1989), Lee et al. (1995), and Hamilton (1996) to restore the stability of the relationship fail to Granger cause output or unemployment in post-1980 data. By using the concept of accelerations of the oil price, we show that the weakening of this relationship corresponds to the appearance of slow oil price increases, which have less impact on the economy. When filtering out these slow oil price variations from the sample, we manage to rehabilitate the causality running from the oil price to the macroeconomy and show that far from weakening, the oil price accelerations–GDP relationship has even been growing stronger since the early eighties.

Identifying the oil price–macroeconomy relationship: An empirical mode decomposition analysis of US data

This paper employs the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method to filter cyclical components of US quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) and quarterly average oil price (West Texas Intermediate—WTI). The method is adaptive and applicable to non-linear and non-stationary data. A correlation analysis of the resulting components is performed and examined for insights into the relationship between oil and the economy. Several components of this relationship are identified. However, the principal one is that the medium-run component of the oil price has a negative relationship with the main cyclical component of the GDP. In addition, weak correlations suggesting a lagging, demand-driven component and a long-run component of the relationship were also identified. Comparisons of these findings with significant oil supply disruption and recession dates were supportive. The study identifies a number of lessons applicable to recent oil market events, including the eventuality of persistent oil price and economic decline following a long oil price run-up. In addition, it was found that oil market related exogenous events are associated with short- to medium-run price implications regardless of whether they lead to actual supply losses.

Investigating the U.S. Oil-Macroeconomy Nexus Using Rolling Impulse Responses

This paper is concerned with the apparent change in the U.S. oil price-macroeconomy relationship. It is investigated to what extent this change can be accounted for by the large oil price surges witnessed in the 1970s. The innovative approach of rolling impulse responses is applied and both the aggregate and the industry-level is considered. It is found that the first oil crisis has an persistent effect in the sense that this incident still dominates long-run results and superimposes both subsample and industry-specifics. The results, furthermore, suggest that the Great Moderation can essentially be explained by the non-occurrence of large oil shocks after the mid 1980s and that oil is less important for the economy than many researchers still believe.

Oil price shocks in an island economy: an analysis of the oil price-macroeconomy relationship

This study seeks to clarify the oil price-macroeconomy relationship within a small open economy using a computable general equilibrium model for Hawaii. Like many islands, Hawaii is both oil and tourism-dependant. Hawaii meets nearly 90% of its energy needs through oil-burning and tourism accounts for roughly one-third of the economy. A doubling of the world price of oil is simulated, showing macro, sector, and consumer welfare changes. The industry of primary interest, the petroleum manufacturing sector, constrains real output of refined petroleum product and passes along a substantial portion of the price burden.

03/01664 Do oil price shocks matter? Evidence for some European countries: Cuñado, J. and de Gracia, P. Energy Economics, 2003, 25, (2), 137–154

This paper analyzes the oil price-macroeconomy relationship by means of analyzing the impact of oil prices on inflation and industrial production indexes for many European countries using quarterly data for the period 1960-1999. First, we test for cointegration allowing for structural breaks among the variables. Second, and in order to account for the possible non-linear relationships, we use different transformation of oil price data. The main results suggest that oil prices have permanent effects on inflation and short run but asymmetric effects on production growth rates. Furthermore, significant differences are found among the responses of the countries to these shocks.

Oil Price Shocks and the Asymmetric Adjustment of UK Output: A Markov-switching approach

This paper examines the role played by real oil price shocks in influencing the growth in UK GDP. Our particular interest is the possibility that asymmetries might exist in such a relationship. Using Hamilton's regime-switching estimation, we consider whether oil price shocks influence both the deepness and duration of the business cycle. We find that asymmetries arise insofar as oil price appreciation is most likely to curtail the duration of the expansionary phase of the business cycle. This result is in contrast to existing studies of the oil price-macroeconomy relationship that have largely concerned the US.

Do oil price shocks matter? Evidence for some European countries

This paper analyzes the oil price–macroeconomy relationship by means of analyzing the impact of oil prices on inflation and industrial production indexes for many European countries using quarterly data for the period 1960–1999. First, we test for cointegration allowing for structural breaks among the variables. Second, and in order to account for the possible non-linear relationships, we use different transformation of oil price data. The main results suggest that oil prices have permanent effects on inflation and short run but asymmetric effects on production growth rates. Furthermore, significant differences are found among the responses of the countries to these shocks.

Mají ceny ropy vliv na hospodářský růst?

The paper focuses on the oil price-macroeconomy relationship by means of analyzing the impact of oil price changes on economic growth in the United States of America from 1947: Q1 to 2001: Q4. First, we present the most important oil shocks that occurred in the second half of the last century. Then we describe three different proxies of oil price changes. Second, we provide large analyze of the impact of oil price increases and decreases on the GDP using the different types of measurements of oil shock. The results suggest that an oil price increase, which overcomes it's own maximum values from three previous years, has greater negative effect on production growth than if it simply corrects the previous decreases or exceeds a one year maximum only. The paper also presents a hypothesis that oil price decreases do not contribute to economic growth. All these results allow us to maintain the nonlinear interpretation of the analyzed relationship suggested by Hamilton.

Exploring the Robustness of the Oil Price-Macroeconomy Relationship

This paper reexamines the oil price-macroeconomy relationship with rolling Granger causality and structural stability tests. It finds that this relationship broke down amidst the falling oil prices and market collapse of the 1980s, suggesting misspecification of the oil price rather than a weakened relationship. Some proposed respecifications of the oil price yield considerable improvements, although they are not sufficient to achieve Granger causality of output unless interest rates are excluded from the VAR. There is some support for the explanation that oil prices affect the economy indirectly by inducing monetary policy responses, but this is incomplete and some evidence of misspecification remains.

This is what happened to the oil price-macroeconomy relationship

Many of the quarterly oil price increases observed since 1985 are corrections to even bigger oil price decreases the previous quarter. When one looks at the net increase in oil prices over the year, recent data are consistent with the historical correlation between oil shocks and recessions.

This is what happened to the oil price-macroeconomy relationship: Reply

James Hamilton argues that oil price changes are still important for the macroeconomy, and that using a filter which screens out drops and measures increases relative to a reference level wellrepresents the effects of price changes when they are ‘choppy’. While this measure outperforms the oil price transformations considered in my paper, much of its predictive power is coming from the pre-1986 (and pre-1973) part of the sample. With less than 10 years of choppy data, finding the best oil price transformation will likely require analysis with cross-sectional components. Ruling out effects from oil price decreases is also probably counterproductive to uncovering structure.