Dynamics of the term structure of interest rates and monetary policy: is monetary policy effective during zero interest rate policy?

The monetary policy targets the short rates; however, during zero interest rate policy (ZIRP), the short end of the yield curve cannot serve as a policy instrument. Relying on the joint yields-macro latent factors model, this study empirically examines the effect of monetary policy stances on term structure and the possible feedback effect on the real sector using the Japanese experience of ZIRP. The analysis indicates that it is the entire term structure that transmits the policy shocks to the real economy rather than the yield spread only. The monetary policy signals pass through the yield curve level and slope factors to stimulate the economic activity. The curvature factor, besides reflecting the cyclical fluctuations of the economy, acts as a leading indicator for future inflation. In addition, policy influence tends to be low as the short end becomes segmented toward medium/long-term of the yield curve. Furthermore, volatility in bond markets is found to be asymmetrically affected by positive and negative shocks and long end tends to be less sensitive to stochastic shocks than the short maturities. The expectation hypothesis of the term structure does not hold during the ZIRP period.     

A Bayesian View of Nominal Money and Real Output Through a New Classical Macroeconomic Window

This study investigates the empirical evidence on the effects of unanticipated changes in nominal money on real output in 47 countries when viewed through a window (i.e., likelihood function) that assumes the neutrality of anticipated changes. Using a Bayesian predictivist approach, it provides a pedagogical Bayesian analysis of generated regressor models in the face of specification uncertainty involving, among other things, multiple unit roots and trend stationary alternatives.     

基于STAR模型的中国货币政策对产出影响的非对称性研究

对中国GDP增长率建立以可预期到的货币冲击、未预期到的正向货币冲击和未预期到的负向货币冲击滞后三期为转移变量的LSTAR模型,拟合效果良好,分析不同类型的货币冲击对产出的非线性和非对称性影响,给出可预期到的货币冲击、未预期到的正向货币冲击和未预期到的负向货币冲击的阀值,分别为20.03%、2%和1.58%,说明不同类型的货币冲击对产出呈现不同的非对称性影响,强弱机制的转换区间存在差异,且负向货币冲击的阀值小于正向货币冲击的阀值。研究结果表明中国的货币政策存在显著的非线性和非对称性特征,且紧缩性货币政策比扩张性货币政策更有效。     

SVARMA模型的设定、方差分解分析和应用

本文首先研究了传统凯恩斯主义IS-LM-PC模型的SVARMA模型表示,为宏观经济计量分析建立SVARMA模型提供了模型设定依据;其次,建立了VARMA/SVARMA模型方差分解分析方法;另外,基于SVARMA模型对中国宏观经济政策的动态效应进行了实证分析,实证分析发现（1）SVARMA模型与SVAR模型的分析结果存在重要的区别;（2）在政策实施6-7期前后,财政政策和货币政策对抑制通货膨胀的效果发生逆转;（3）宏观经济的价格水平存在粘性;（4）货币供给冲击对通货膨胀率的变化具有滞后的正向影响,对实际产出的影响不明显等。     

Modeling Technology as a Dynamic Error Components Process: The Case of the Inter-country Agricultural Production Function

In this paper, we propose a dynamic error-components model to represent the unobserved level of technology. This specification implies a well-defined common factor dynamic model for per capita output that can be tested explicitly. The model is applied to data on aggregates of agricultural inputs and outputs for groups of countries from the OECD, Africa (AF), Latin America (LA) as well as centrally planned countries, over a period of 31 years. We find that the proposed model fits the data better than alternative static specifications and satisfies the implied common factor restrictions in two of the samples. The results suggest that although technological change seems to have been a faster process for less developed countries relative to the OECD countries, it has not been fast enough to reduce appreciably the enormous differences in average technological levels that still persist between them.     

外部冲击、需求管理与经济增长——基于中国数据的实证研究

通过建立外部冲击指数,研究外部冲击对中国宏观经济的影响。结果发现,外部冲击比国内政策能更好地解释中国宏观经济波动,且具有较强持续性;外部冲击对中国经济增长的影响主要表现在滞后1期和2期。当中国经济受到外部冲击时,采取货币政策和财政政策刺激需求,对于稳定宏观经济可以起到显著效果。     

Long-Run Identification in a Fractionally Integrated System

We propose an extension of structural fractionally integrated vector autoregressive models that avoids certain undesirable effects on the impulse responses that occur if long-run identification restrictions are imposed. We derive the model’s Granger representation and investigate the effects of long-run restrictions. Simulations illustrate that enforcing integer integration orders can have severe consequences for impulse responses. In a system of U.S. real output and aggregate prices, the effects of structural shocks strongly depend on the specification of the integration orders. In the statistically preferred fractional model, shocks that are typically interpreted as demand disturbances have a very brief influence on GDP. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.     

On the invertibility of EGARCH(p,q)

Of the two most widely estimated univariate asymmetric conditional volatility models, the exponential GARCH (or EGARCH) specification is said to be able to capture asymmetry, which refers to the different effects on conditional volatility of positive and negative effects of equal magnitude, and leverage, which refers to the negative correlation between the returns shocks and subsequent shocks to volatility. However, the statistical properties of the (quasi-)maximum likelihood estimator (QMLE) of the EGARCH(p, q) parameters are not available under general conditions, but only for special cases under highly restrictive and unverifiable sufficient conditions, such as EGARCH(1,0) or EGARCH(1,1), and possibly only under simulation. A limitation in the development of asymptotic properties of the QMLE for the EGARCH(p, q) model is the lack of an invertibility condition for the returns shocks underlying the model. It is shown in this article that the EGARCH(p, q) model can be derived from a stochastic process, for which sufficient invertibility conditions can be stated simply and explicitly when the parameters respect a simple condition.¹¹Using the notation introduced in part 2, this refers to the cases where α ≥ |γ| or α ≤ ? |γ|. The first inequality is generally assumed in the literature related to the invertibility of EGARCH. This article provides (in the Appendix) an argument for the possible lack of invertibility when these conditions are not met. This will be useful in reinterpreting the existing properties of the QMLE of the EGARCH(p, q) parameters.     

国际油价冲击对中国宏观经济的影响

 长期以来,伴随油价冲击的往往是国际经济和社会的剧烈动荡,这使得油价冲击对宏观经济的影响成为日益重要的研究课题。本文首次运用结构向量自回归（SVAR）模型,研究了国际油价波动对我国宏观经济所产生的动态冲击效应。实证研究发现：国际油价上涨确实对产出有逆向影响,但冲击后的产出变化在回归到零值后会越过零值继续上升;国际油价上涨对CPI有正向影响,但影响不显著,且CPI并不会在当期就对油价冲击做出响应,而是有一个相当的滞后期,然后在达到一个高点之后慢慢下降,逐渐回归到0值,但在达到0值后还会继续向下;国际油价上涨对一年期存款利率基本没有影响。针对造成这种实证结果的原因,本文最后给出了相应的解释和政策建议。     

扩张型货币政策能刺激就业吗？ ——刚性工资模型下的劳动力市场动态分析

 积极的经济政策在促进经济增长、保证就业中的作用是当前宏观经济政策讨论的重点,本文即讨论货币政策冲击对就业等宏观经济变量的动态效应。首先,基于宏观季度数据,运用结构向量自回归方法,得到就业、产出和通胀在货币供给冲击下的动态反应,给出经验事实：在一单位货币供给冲击下,就业呈驼峰形态,缓慢下降回归稳态,显示出很强的持续性,但在中远期失业会增加;通货膨胀呈驼峰形态,显示很强的惯性特征,但在中远期会出现通货紧缩;产出温和增长,呈驼峰形态,显示出很强的持续性。同时,为进一步从经济理论上解析货币供给冲击对就业、产出和通胀传导的机制,数值模拟一个刚性工资模型,将模拟的脉冲反应结果与实证经验事实相比较,发现理论模型能较好地拟合上述三个经验事实,并从理论上进行货币供给冲击的经济传导机制分析。最后,结合经验事实与模型经济探讨了扩张型货币政策冲击下就业、通胀和产出的反应模式,给出政策建议,即扩张型货币供给冲击短期内能够有效刺激就业,促进经济增长;但在远期形成失业和通货紧缩,因此需要其他配套政策,如财政政策、收入政策等相配合。