Unanticipated Changes In Interest Rates Research Articles

The discretization filter: A simple way to estimate nonlinear state space models

Existing methods for estimating nonlinear dynamic models are either highly computationally costly or rely on local approximations which often fail adequately to capture the nonlinear features of interest. I develop a new method, the discretization filter, for approximating the likelihood of nonlinear, non‐Gaussian state space models. I establish that the associated maximum likelihood estimator is strongly consistent, asymptotically normal, and asymptotically efficient. Through simulations, I show that the discretization filter is orders of magnitude faster than alternative nonlinear techniques for the same level of approximation error in low‐dimensional settings and I provide practical guidelines for applied researchers. It is my hope that the method's simplicity will make the quantitative study of nonlinear models easier for and more accessible to applied researchers. I apply my approach to estimate a New Keynesian model with a zero lower bound on the nominal interest rate. After accounting for the zero lower bound, I find that the slope of the Phillips Curve is 0.076, which is less than 1/3 of typical estimates from linearized models. This suggests a strong decoupling of inflation from the output gap and larger real effects of unanticipated changes in interest rates in post Great Recession.

Interest Rate Sensitivity of Non-banking Financial Sector in India

Executive Summary Before financial liberalization, interest rates were administered and exhibited near-zero volatility. The easing of financial repression in the 1990s generated experiences with interest rate volatility in India. Administrative restrictions on interest rates in India have been steadily eased since 1993. This has led to increased interest rate risk for financial firms. Most research studies have almost exclusively focused on the developed countries especially the banking sector of the United States. The present study attempts to examine the interest rate risk of non-banking financial institutions in India by using the methodology of panel regression and generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) (1, 1) model for the period from 1 April 1996 to 30 August 2014. The sample used in the study consists of all non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) listed in the S&P CNX 500 index which has continuous availability of share prices over the study period. The study also examines the impact of unanticipated changes in interest rate on stock returns of NBFCs. The Box–Jenkins methodology is applied to calculate unanticipated changes in interest rate variable, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) (24, 1, 0) model. The time series used in the present study is found to be stationary at the first logarithmic difference. Stock returns exhibit significant exposure with both market returns and interest rate changes. The interest rate sensitivity of large, medium, and small financial institutions is also found to be different. Estimation results for the variance equation in GARCH (1, 1) model suggest that the volatility for individual firm stock returns is time-variant. The ARCH and GARCH coefficients are found to be significant, providing evidence against using traditional model (ordinary least square (OLS)) that assumes time-invariant volatility. This implies that the market has a memory longer than one period and volatility is more sensitive to its own lagged values than it is to new surprises in the market. This study also investigates the possible determinants that account for cross-sectional variation in the interest rate sensitivity of NBFCs. It is found that the size of the firm is the preferred determinant that accounts for cross-sectional variation in the interest rate sensitivity of finance companies. When unanticipated changes in interest rate are used in lieu of actual interest rate changes, not much difference is observed in the significance coefficients. The only significant difference observed is in the magnitude. The impact of actual interest rate changes is more than the impact of unanticipated interest rate changes in absolute terms. This difference in the magnitude of impact arises because actual data incorporate movement in both anticipated and unanticipated components of interest rate. Hence, NBFCs managers and regulators should adopt policies and strategies to avoid the transmission of interest rate risk in their stock returns.

Examining the Asymmetric Impact of Monetary Policy in India

Though an accumulating body of work has analysed monetary policy transmission in India, there are few studies examining the asymmetric aspect of the transmission. Against this backdrop, segregating the interest rate setting process captured by a Taylor rule type into unanticipated and anticipated components, this article analyses the asymmetric effects of monetary policy on aggregate demand and its components, and inflation in India using quarterly data from 1996–97Q1 to 2013–14Q3. It finds that unanticipated hikes and cuts in the policy rate have a symmetric impact on aggregate demand, but differentially impact the components. While the impacts on investment are negative and symmetric, they are asymmetric on private consumption, with only an unanticipated cut in policy rate having a significant negative impact. Government consumption is unaffected by monetary policy shocks. The impact of unanticipated interest rate changes on inflation is negative and symmetric. Anticipated policy rate changes also have a negative impact on aggregate demand and its components, except for government consumption, but between certain levels, such changes are ineffective, indicating a neutral impact. Anticipated policy rate changes have a negative impact on inflation at all levels. JEL Classification: C32, C51, E31, E52

Monetary policy shocks and stock returns: evidence from the British market

This paper examines the impact of anticipated and unanticipated interest rate changes on aggregate and sectoral stock returns in the United Kingdom. The monetary policy shock is generated from the change in the 3-month sterling LIBOR futures contract. Results from time-series and panel analysis indicate an important structural break in the relationship between stock returns and monetary policy shifts. Specifically, whereas before the credit crunch, the stock market response to both expected and unexpected interest rate changes is negative and significant; the relationship becomes positive during the credit crisis. The latter finding highlights the inability, so far, of monetary policymakers to reverse, via interest rate cuts, the negative trend observed in stock prices since the onset of the credit crisis.

Bank Exposure to Interest Rate Risks During Financial Liberalization: Evidence from South Korea

This study documents the changing impact of long and short term interest rate risks on the equity prices of banks in South Korea during the process of financial liberalization. Consistent with the presence of regulatory constraints, Korean bank equity returns are found to be sensitive to both anticipated and unanticipated changes in interest rates in the first period when banks were largely under government control. However, during our last period of liberalization, Korean bank equity returns were found to have a positive association only with unanticipated short-term interest rates. Consistent with the ability to manage other interest rate risks successfully, in this last liberalization period, Korean bank equity returns had no association with long-term or with anticipated short-term interest rates. In view of the continued interest in banking and financial market liberalization among many Asian, African, and formerly socialist countries including China, these results should be of much banking and policy interest.

Interest rate changes and common stock returns of financial institutions: evidence from the UK

The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of interest rate changes on the common stock returns of portfolios of financial institutions in the UK. The five groups of financial institutions examined are banks, insurance companies, investment trusts, property investment companies and finance firms. In addition, a wide sample of nonfinancial firms is considered for comparison purposes. A two-index model is employed to test the effect of both current and unanticipated interest rate changes. An element of volatility in market yields is also introduced in a three-index model to measure the effect of variability in interest rates on the returns of these financial intermediaries. Two main implications emerge from the present paper for both financial and nonfinancial firms. First, a significant negative relationship seems to exist between the common stock returns and the changes in interest rates. Second, common stock returns and variability of interest rates are related with a significant positive coefficient.

INTEREST RATE CHANGES AND COMMON STOCK RETURNS OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS: REVISITED

AbstractIn this paper the interest rate sensitivity of common stock returns of financial firms is re‐examined. Considered here are (1) current, anticipated, and unanticipated changes in interest rates; (2) depository and nondepository firms; and (3) three different‐maturity interest rate indices. Results lend strong support for a negative effect of both current and unanticipated interest rate changes. Although some exceptions are observed, stock returns of most subsectors of both financial and nonfinancial firms are not sensitive to anticipated interest rate changes. The findings of this study are robust to the choice of a particular model of interest rate expectations.

Unanticipated interest rates, bank stock returns and the nominal contracting hypothesis

The relationship between unexpected interest rate movements and bank stock returns is analyzed in the context of the nominal contracting hypothesis. Unanticipated changes in interest rates should influence individual bank profits and stock returns depending on the maturity characteristics of their assets relative to their liabilities. This hypothesis is investigated by constructing portfolios on the basis of the nominal contracting positions of banks. The main conclusion of this paper is that the wealth redistribution implications of the nominal contracting hypothesis is found to be unimportant in the determination of bank stock returns.

Public Information and Abnormal Returns in Real Estate Investment

This study performs empirical tests of the semistrong form efficiency of a real estate investment market. An asset pricing model is utilized to estimate the abnormal returns resulting from two types of public information, major changes in government tax shelter and rent control policies as well as unanticipated changes in interest rates. In both cases the results find an absence of significant abnormal returns and no evidence to suggest that real estate investors can utilize information concerning government policy changes or interest rate movements to earn higher returns on a risk‐adjusted basis. In general the findings of this study conform to the semistrong form version of the efficient markets hypothesis.

INFLATION RISK AND REGULATORY LAG

Rate of return regulation in principle suggests strong linkages betwen interest rates, utility return on book equity (ROE), and stock price/book equity ratios: ceteris paribus, changes in interest rates should be quickly transformed into changes in ROEs, and stock prices should tend toward book value. Absent lags in the process, it also suggests that utility investors are minimally exposed to the risks of unanticipated changes in interest rates, notably those associated with inflation. In this paper we examine the financial implications of electric utility regulation from 1971-1980. Over this period, which was characterized by inflation-related rises in interest rates, we flnd that the gap between allowed and earned ROEs, on the one hand, and interest rates, on the other hand, increased. Since this outcome is in contradiction of the conceptual model of regulation and investors' exposure to inflation risk, we test the hypothesis that investors respond to the reality of regulation by imposing risk premiums which are functionally related to interest rates. The basic idea is that an ROE shortfall leads to an expectation that regulation will respond in the future with a higher earnings level, but this IOU in the implicit social contract is risky. And the question addressed in this paper is whether the degree of riskiness is related to the level of interest rates. Using two valuation models we conclude that at least during the 1970s risk premiums were not related to the level of interest rates.