Interest Rates And Asset Prices

First published in 1960, Interest Rates and Asset Prices presents an analysis of the determination of interest rates and asset prices with the help of few simple assumptions. The theory can be regarded either as an alternative to the liquidity preference theory or as an extension of it. Like that theory, it is aggregative and simple, but it is applicable not only to interest rates on government securities but also to yields on real assets. Furthermore, it can be formulated in terms of actually measurable variables, so that it is directly applicable to particular situations. This is demonstrated by a statistical example relating to the average yield on U.S. Government securities in the post- war period. In addition to the main analysis the author discusses the role of financial intermediaries and the structure of interest rates, and there is also a re-examination of the determinants of the transactions demand for money. This is book is an essential read for students of economics.

Presenting 25 years of empirical research on interest rates and a variety of asset prices, this text aims to deepen understanding of asset price inflation. It includes an analysis of the measurement of interest rates, with case studies from The Netherlands, Belgium and EMU, and emphasizes statistical measurement and the attempt to understand interest rate behaviour through statistical estimation. The text also includes an examination of historical interest rate development in the long run, both theoretically and empirically. The behaviour of bonds, stocks, and investment in art are analyzed, as well as the factors indispensable for a monetary strategy designed to target inflation.

Concludes the role of asset prices in monetary policy is one of the most important, and difficult, questions confronting central banks.

There has been a widespread perception in the past few years that long-term asset prices are generally high because monetary authorities have effectively kept long-term interest rates, which the market uses to discount cash flows, low. This perception is not accurate. Long-term interest rates have not been especially low. What has changed to produce high asset prices appears instead to be changes in popular economic models that people actually rely on when valuing assets. The public has mostly forgotten the concept of "real interest rate." Money illusion appears to be an important factor to consider.

'For amateurs and professionals alike wishing to deepen their understanding of the often mysterious and counter-intuitive fluctuations in asset prices, this book provides essential reading.' - Barry Riley, Financial Times 'Really required reading.' - Anthony Harris, Times According to mainstream economic theory, the prices of individual stocks respond rationally to unexpected news. However, real market movements appear to respond to news in more complex and sometimes perverse ways, overshooting or not reacting at all. Drawing on his hands-on experience, Professor Pepper puts forward a new theory based on the analysis of the supply of and demand for investible funds. He shows clearly that price movements are governed not by news but by the financial requirements of investors, requirements which therefore become a powerful forecasting tool.

Economic growth, low inflation, and financial stability are among the most important goals of policy makers, and central banks such as the Federal Reserve are key institutions for achieving these goals. In Asset Prices and Monetary Policy, leading scholars and practitioners probe the interaction of central banks, asset markets, and the general economy to forge a new understanding of the challenges facing policy makers as they manage an increasingly complex economic system. The contributors examine how central bankers determine their policy prescriptions with reference to the fluctuating housing market, the balance of debt and credit, changing beliefs of investors, the level of commodity prices, and other factors. At a time when the public has never been more involved in stocks, retirement funds, and real estate investment, this insightful book will be useful to all those concerned with the current state of the economy.

Much recent commentary suggests that global liquidity has influenced financial conditions in the major international markets to an important degree, and that excess liquidity in one financial center can influence financial conditions elsewhere. Little formal research has addressed these issues, however. In this paper, we use three indexes of liquidity (money growth) in the Group of Seven industrial countries to explore the international dimension of the relationship between liquidity and asset returns. Evidence suggests that an increase in G-7 liquidity is consistent with a decline in G-7 real interest rates and an increase in G-7 real stock returns. There is also evidence of liquidity spillovers across countries.

The financial market melt-down of the years 2007-2009 has posed great challenges for studies on financial economics. This financial economics text focuses on the dynamic interaction of financial markets and economic activity. The financial market to be studied here encompasses the money and bond market, credit market, stock market and foreign exchange market; economic activity includes the actions and interactions of firms, banks, households, governments and countries. The book shows how economic activity affects asset prices and the financial market, and how asset prices and financial market volatility and crises impact economic activity. The book offers extensive coverage of new and advanced topics in financial economics such as the term structure of interest rates, credit derivatives and credit risk, domestic and international portfolio theory, multi-agent and evolutionary approaches, capital asset pricing beyond consumption-based models, and dynamic portfolio decisions. Moreover a completely new section of the book is dedicated to the recent financial market meltdown of the years 2007-2009. Emphasis is placed on empirical evidence relating to episodes of financial instability and financial crises in the U.S. and in Latin American, Asian and Euro-area countries. Overall, the book explains what researchers and practitioners in the financial sector need to know about the financial-real interaction, and what practitioners and policy makers need to know about the financial market.