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Predictions of short-term rates and the expectations hypothesis of the term structure of interest rates

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  • Daniel L. Thornton

Abstract

Despite its important role in macroeconomics and finance, the expectations hypothesis (EH) of the term structure of interest rates has received little empirical support. While the EH*s poor performance has been attributed to a variety of sources, none appear to account for the EH*s poor performance. Recent evidence (Diebold and Li, 2003; Duffee, 2002; and Carriero, et al., 2003) suggests the possibility that the EH*s poor performance may be due to market participants* relative inability to forecast the short-term rate. This possibility is investigate by comparing h-month ahead forecasts for the 1-month Treasury yield implied by the EH with the forecasts from both random-walk model and a three factor model of the term structure.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel L. Thornton, 2005. "Predictions of short-term rates and the expectations hypothesis of the term structure of interest rates," Working Papers 2004-010, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedlwp:2004-010
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    Cited by:

    1. Stillwagon, Josh R., 2015. "Testing the expectations hypothesis with survey forecasts: The impacts of consumer sentiment and the zero lower bound in an I(2) CVAR," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 85-101.
    2. Erdemlioglu, Deniz, 2009. "Macro Factors in UK Excess Bond Returns: Principal Components and Factor-Model Approach," MPRA Paper 28895, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Daniel L. Thornton, 2012. "How did we get to inflation targeting and where do we need to go to now? a perspective from the U.S. experience," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 94(Jan), pages 65-81.
    4. Silva Lopes, Artur C. & Monteiro, Olga Susana, 2007. "The Expectations Hypothesis of the Term Structure: Some Empirical Evidence for Portugal," MPRA Paper 6310, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 14 Dec 2007.
    5. Peter Aling & Shakill Hassan, 2012. "No-Arbitrage One-Factor Models Of The South African Term Structure Of Interest Rates," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 80(3), pages 301-318, September.
    6. Haug Alfred A & Siklos Pierre L, 2006. "The Behavior of Short-Term Interest Rates: International Evidence of Non-Linear Adjustment," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 10(4), pages 1-34, December.
    7. Clemens J. M. Kool & Daniel L. Thornton, 2015. "How Effective Is Central Bank Forward Guidance?," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 97(4), pages 303-322.
    8. Dušan Staniek, 2018. "The Expectations Hypothesis in the Theory and Practice of Current Interest Rate Instruments [Hypotéza očekávání v teorii a praxi současných úrokových instrumentů]," Český finanční a účetní časopis, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2018(2), pages 61-79.
    9. Renato França & Raquel M. Gaspar, 2023. "On the Bias of the Unbiased Expectation Theory," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, December.
    10. Emanuel R. Leao & Sergio C. Lagoa & David McMillan, 2015. "A contribution to the study of the German treasury bills market," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 1024927-102, December.
    11. Hans Patrick Bidias-Menik & Simplice Gaël Tonmo, 2020. "Interest Rate Predictability In Some Selected African Countries," Copernican Journal of Finance & Accounting, Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika, vol. 9(3), pages 45-60.
    12. Olga Susana M. Monteiro & Artur C. B. da Silva Lopes, 2010. "Short- and Long-Run Tests of the Expectations Hypothesis: The Portuguese Case," Applied Economics Quarterly (formerly: Konjunkturpolitik), Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 56(3), pages 257-280.
    13. Daniel L. Thornton, 2009. "How did we get to inflation targeting and where do we go now? a perspective from the U.S. experience," Working Papers 2009-038, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    14. K. Azim Özdemir & Özgür Özel, 2011. "Regime changes in monetary policy and the Expectation Hypothesis of the term structure in Turkey," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 261-274, May.
    15. Paul Francois Muzindutsi & Sinethemba Mposelwa, 2016. "Testing the Expectations Hypothesis of the Term Structure of Interest Rates in Brics Countries: A Multivariate Co-integration Approach," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 12(4), pages 289-304, October.
    16. Emilian DOBRESCU, 2020. "Self-fulfillment degree of economic expectations within an integrated space: The European Union case study," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(4), pages 5-32, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Interest rates; Monetary policy;

    JEL classification:

    • E40 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - General
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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