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Euro Area Sovereign Yields and the Power of Unconventional Monetary Policy

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  • Antonio Afonso

    (ISEG/UL – Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Mina Kazemi

    (ISEG/UL – Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)

Abstract

We assess the determinants of long-term sovereign yield spreads, vis-a-vis Germany, using a panel of 10 Euro area countries over the period 1999.01–2016.07 notably regarding the ECB’s conventional and unconventional monetary policies. Our findings indicate that the international risk, the bid-ask spread and real effective exchange rate increased the 10-year sovereign bond yield spreads, while sovereign ratings’ improvements decreased the spreads. Moreover, Longer-term Refinancing Operations and the Securities Market Program decreased the yield spreads. The overall announcements of the unconventional policies also significantly decreased the yield spreads, notably in the periphery countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Antonio Afonso & Mina Kazemi, 2018. "Euro Area Sovereign Yields and the Power of Unconventional Monetary Policy," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 68(2), pages 100-119, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:fau:fauart:v:68:y:2018:i:2:p:100-119
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    Cited by:

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    2. Mark Antal & Lorant Kaszab, 2021. "Spillover Effects of the European Central Bank's Expanded Asset Purchase Program to Non-eurozone Countries in Central and Eastern Europe," MNB Occasional Papers 2021/140, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (Central Bank of Hungary).
    3. Maria Cantero-Saiz & Begona Torre-Olmo & Sergio Sanfilippo-Azofra, 2023. "Sustainable Banking, Financial Strength and the Bank Lending Channel of Monetary Policy," E&M Economics and Management, Technical University of Liberec, Faculty of Economics, vol. 26(1), pages 165-185, March.
    4. Afonso, António & Gonçalves, Luis, 2020. "The policy mix in the US and EMU: Evidence from a SVAR analysis," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    5. Wojciech Grabowski & Ewa Stawasz-Grabowska, 2021. "How have the European central bank’s monetary policies been affecting financial markets in CEE-3 countries?," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 11(1), pages 43-83, March.
    6. António Afonso & Nuno Verdial, 2019. "Sovereign debt crisis in Portugal and in Spain," Working Papers REM 2019/0112, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    7. António Afonso & Joana Sousa‐Leite, 2020. "The transmission of unconventional monetary policy to bank credit supply: Evidence from the TLTRO," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 88(S1), pages 151-171, September.
    8. Wojciech Grabowski & Ewa Stawasz-Grabowska, 2019. "News Releases, Credit Rating Announcements, and Anti-Crisis Measures as Determinants of Sovereign Bond Spreads in the Peripheral Euro-Area Countries," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 69(2), pages 149-173, April.
    9. Piotr Ciżkowicz & Grzegorz Parosa & Andrzej Rzońca, 2022. "Fiscal tensions and risk premium," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 49(3), pages 833-896, August.
    10. Wojciech Grabowski, 2019. "Givers or Recipients? Co-Movements between Stock Markets of CEE-3 and Developed Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-24, November.
    11. Stéphanie Pamies & Nicolas Carnot & Anda Pătărău, 2021. "Do Fundamentals Explain Differences between Euro Area Sovereign Interest Rates?," European Economy - Discussion Papers 141, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    sovereign bonds; non-conventional monetary policy; euro area; panel data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)

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