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Keep it Simple: Central Bank Communication and Asset Prices

Author

Listed:
  • Haroon Mumtaz

    (Queen Mary University of London)

  • Jumana Saleheen

    (Vanguard Asset Management)

  • Roxane Spitznagel

Abstract

This paper studies the impact of different types and styles of Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) communication on asset prices (stock prices, gilt yields and interest rate futures) from 1999-2023. We extend MPC communication to include MPC speeches and find MPC speeches to be an important driver of asset prices. We also show that complex and ambiguous communication leads to greater asset price volatility than simple and clear communication. Central banks that want to avoid generating volatility in financial markets should keep it simple. Our results suggest that by ignoring the type and style of monetary policy communication, the previous literature has disregarded an important source of variation in asset prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Haroon Mumtaz & Jumana Saleheen & Roxane Spitznagel, 2023. "Keep it Simple: Central Bank Communication and Asset Prices," Working Papers 960, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    • Handle: RePEc:qmw:qmwecw:960
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    File URL: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/sef/media/econ/research/workingpapers/wp960.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. Hansen, Stephen & McMahon, Michael & Tong, Matthew, 2019. "The long-run information effect of central bank communication," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 185-202.
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    Cited by:

    1. Braun, Robin & Miranda-Agrippino, Silvia & Saha, Tuli, 2025. "Measuring monetary policy in the UK: The UK monetary policy event-study database," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    2. Nadezhda Ivanova & Andrey Sinyakov & Konstantin Styrin, 2024. "Reassessing the Effectiveness and Transmission of Monetary Policy: Review of the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium," Russian Journal of Money and Finance, Bank of Russia, vol. 83(4), pages 119-144, December.
    3. Tetiana Yukhymenko & Oleh Sorochan, 2024. "Impact of the Central Bank's Communication on Macrofinancial Outcomes," Working Papers 01/2024, National Bank of Ukraine.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary policy; central bank communication; high-frequency data;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates

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