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The Cost of Quantitative Easing: Liquidity and Market Functioning Effects of Federal Reserve MBS Purchases

Author

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  • John Kandrac

    (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System)

Abstract

In this paper, I evaluate one of several commonly cited potential costs of quantitative easing. Specifically, I assess the effect of ongoing Federal Reserve mortgage-backed securities (MBS) purchases on MBS market liquidity. Examining several standard liquidity indicators, I find that Federal Reserve MBS purchases adversely affected average trading volume, trade sizes, and the number of trades. Bid-ask spreads remained mostly unaffected, although a spread widening in response to Fed purchases evidently emerged just after the beginning of the largest MBS purchase program. Although the marginal liquidity effects of purchases can be sizable, the economic magnitude of the effects is relatively modest when taking into account the size of Federal Reserve MBS operations. Lastly, I find no evidence of impaired price discovery in the MBS market during the time of Federal Reserve purchases.

Suggested Citation

  • John Kandrac, 2018. "The Cost of Quantitative Easing: Liquidity and Market Functioning Effects of Federal Reserve MBS Purchases," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 14(5), pages 259-304, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:ijc:ijcjou:y:2018:q:4:a:7
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Blix Grimaldi, Marianna & Crosta, Alberto & Zhang, Dong, 2021. "The Liquidity of the Government Bond Market – What Impact Does Quantitative Easing Have? Evidence from Sweden," Working Paper Series 402, Sveriges Riksbank (Central Bank of Sweden).
    2. Andreas Fuster & David Lucca & James Vickery, 2023. "Mortgage-backed securities," Chapters, in: Refet S. Gürkaynak & Jonathan H. Wright (ed.), Research Handbook of Financial Markets, chapter 15, pages 331-357, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Daniel Barth & R. Jay Kahn & Phillip J. Monin & Oleg Sokolinskiy, 2024. "Reaching for Duration and Leverage in the Treasury Market," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2024-039, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    4. Baltzer, Markus & Schlepper, Kathi & Speck, Christian, 2022. "The Eurosystem's asset purchase programmes, securities lending and Bund specialness," Discussion Papers 39/2022, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    5. Pick-Schen Yip & Wee-Yeap Lau & Robert Brooks, 2023. "The Liquidity Effect of the U.S. QE on Sovereign Yield Spreads of Commodity-Exporting Countries," Commodities, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-16, April.
    6. Shifu Jiang, 2022. "Optimal Credit, Monetary, and Fiscal Policy under Occasional Financial Frictions and the Zero Lower Bound," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 18(1), pages 151-197, March.
    7. Mark A. Carlson & Stefania D'Amico & Cristina Fuentes-Albero & Bernd Schlusche & Paul R. Wood, 2020. "Issues in the Use of the Balance Sheet Tool," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2020-071, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    8. Christensen, Jens H.E. & Gillan, James M., 2022. "Does quantitative easing affect market liquidity?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    9. El Kalak, Izidin & Leung, Woon Sau & Takahashi, Hidenori & Yamada, Kazuo, 2023. "The Bank of Japan's equity purchases and stock illiquidity," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • E65 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Studies of Particular Policy Episodes
    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)

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