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Volatilities, drifts and the relation between treasury yields and the corporate bond yield spread in australia

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  • Karlsson, Sune
  • Österholm, Pär

Abstract

We estimate Bayesian VAR models in order to investigate the relation between Treasury yields and the corporate bond yield spread in Australia. Recent developments in Bayesian model selection allow us to formally assess the relevance of stochastic volatility and drifting parameters. A model comparison indicates that a model with stochastic volatility and constant parameters is preferred. Our results imply that while previous studies may have relied on empirically flawed models, their main conclusion – namely that an increase in the risk free rate decreases the corporate bond yield spread – appears to be an empirically robust finding.

Suggested Citation

  • Karlsson, Sune & Österholm, Pär, 2019. "Volatilities, drifts and the relation between treasury yields and the corporate bond yield spread in australia," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 378-384.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:30:y:2019:i:c:p:378-384
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2018.11.003
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bayesian vector autoregressions; Credit spreads;

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)

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