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How strong is the wealth channel of monetary policy transmission? A microeconometric evaluation for Austria

Author

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  • Nicolas Albacete

    (Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Economic Analysis Division)

  • Peter Lindner

    (Economic Analysis Division)

Abstract

We study the magnitude and the sources of wealth effects on consumer spending in Austria by using household-level data from the Austrian Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) 2010 and 2014. Microdata allow us to investigate whether such effects exist, and if so, whether they are heterogeneous across household groups. We find evidence for a limited but statistically significant positive (long-run) relationship between wealth and consumption in Austria: a EUR 1 increase in gross/net wealth increases mean consumption by 1 cent. We also find that this effect is driven by financial assets for which the marginal propensity to consume is estimated to be around 5 cent. Furthermore, the consumption function is concave in wealth, i.e. the marginal propensity to consume out of wealth is lower for households with more wealth. However, given that in Austria wealth is concentrated in the upper tail of the wealth distribution, the decreasing marginal propensity to consume out of wealth is counterbalanced in the aggregate. Additionally, the marginal propensity to consume out of wealth increases across the consumption distribution. Regarding the various hypotheses discussed in the literature concerning the nature of the correlation between wealth and consumption, for Austria we can find support for the precautionary savings channel only.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolas Albacete & Peter Lindner, 2017. "How strong is the wealth channel of monetary policy transmission? A microeconometric evaluation for Austria," Monetary Policy & the Economy, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue Q2/17, pages 32-53.
    • Handle: RePEc:onb:oenbmp:y:2017:i:q2/17:b:2
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    1. Yener Coskun & Burak Sencer Atasoy & Giacomo Morri & Esra Alp, 2018. "Wealth Effects on Household Final Consumption: Stock and Housing Market Channels," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-32, June.
    2. Belke Ansgar & Dreger Christian, 2019. "Did Interest Rates at the Zero Lower Bound Affect Lending of Commercial Banks? Evidence for the Euro Area," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 239(5-6), pages 841-860, October.
    3. Martin Schneider & Richard Sellner, 2022. "Private consumption and savings during the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria," Monetary Policy & the Economy, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue Q4/21, pages 43-59.
    4. Yener Coskun & Christos Bouras & Rangan Gupta & Mark E. Wohar, 2021. "Multi-Horizon Financial and Housing Wealth Effects across the U.S. States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-20, January.
    5. Yener Coskun & Nicholas Apergis & Esra Alp Coskun, 2022. "Nonlinear responses of consumption to wealth, income, and interest rate shocks," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 1293-1335, September.
    6. Christian Ragacs & Richard Sellner & Klaus Vondra, 2021. "Economic recovery aided by coronavirus vaccine rollout. Economic outlook for Austria from 2021 to 2023 (June 2021)," Monetary Policy & the Economy, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue Q2/21, pages 81-115.
    7. Belke Ansgar & Dreger Christian, 2019. "Did Interest Rates at the Zero Lower Bound Affect Lending of Commercial Banks? Evidence for the Euro Area," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 239(5-6), pages 841-860, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    wealth effects; consumption; housing; stock ownership;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy

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