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Has the Information Channel of Monetary Policy Disappeared? Revisiting the Empirical Evidence

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Abstract

Does the Federal Reserve have an “information advantage” in forecasting macroeconomic variables beyond what is known to private sector forecasters? And are market participants reacting only to monetary policy shocks or also to future information on the state of the economy that the Federal Reserve communicates in its announcements via an “information channel”? This paper investigates the evolution of the information channel over time. Although the information channel appears to be important historically, we find no empirical evidence of its presence in the recent years once instabilities are accounted for.

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  • Lukas Hoesch & Barbara Rossi & Tatevik Sekhposyan, 2020. "Has the Information Channel of Monetary Policy Disappeared? Revisiting the Empirical Evidence," Working Paper Series 2020-08, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedfwp:87554
    DOI: 10.24148/wp2020-08
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Forecasting; Monetary Policy; Instabilities; Time Variation; Survey Forecasts; Information Channel of Monetary Policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C11 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Bayesian Analysis: General
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • C52 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection
    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods

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