IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jecfin/v40y2016i3d10.1007_s12197-016-9354-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Interest rate movements and US consumers’ inflation forecast errors: is there a link?

Author

Listed:
  • Hamid Baghestani

    (American University of Sharjah)

Abstract

The Fisher effect maintains that movements in short-term interest rates largely reflect changes in expected inflation. Since expected inflation is subject to error, we ask whether interest rates move in response to over- and under-predictions of inflation. In answering, we measure expected inflation by the consumers’ forecast of inflation derived from the Michigan Surveys of Consumers (MSC). Our findings for 1978–2013 indicate that the MSC inflation forecasts were unbiased, efficient, and directionally accurate. For 1978–2007, (i) interest rates moved downward (upward) in response to MSC over-predictions (under-predictions) of inflation, and (ii) MSC inflation forecast errors had directional predictability for interest rates. However, no link between interest rate movements and MSC inflation forecast errors is detected for 2008–2013 when monetary policy kept short-term interest rates unusually low.

Suggested Citation

  • Hamid Baghestani, 2016. "Interest rate movements and US consumers’ inflation forecast errors: is there a link?," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 40(3), pages 623-630, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:jecfin:v:40:y:2016:i:3:d:10.1007_s12197-016-9354-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s12197-016-9354-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12197-016-9354-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12197-016-9354-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Baghestani, Hamid, 1992. "On the Formation of Expected Inflation under Various Conditions: Some Survey Evidence," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65(2), pages 281-293, April.
    2. Kasimir Kaliva, 2008. "The Fisher effect, survey data and time-varying volatility," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 1-10, August.
    3. Mishkin, Frederic S., 1992. "Is the Fisher effect for real? : A reexamination of the relationship between inflation and interest rates," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 195-215, November.
    4. Ang, Andrew & Bekaert, Geert & Wei, Min, 2007. "Do macro variables, asset markets, or surveys forecast inflation better?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(4), pages 1163-1212, May.
    5. Fair, Ray C & Shiller, Robert J, 1990. "Comparing Information in Forecasts from Econometric Models," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(3), pages 375-389, June.
    6. Koustas, Zisimos & Serletis, Apostolos, 1999. "On the Fisher effect," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 105-130, August.
    7. Tara Sinclair & H. O. Stekler & L. Kitzinger, 2010. "Directional forecasts of GDP and inflation: a joint evaluation with an application to Federal Reserve predictions," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(18), pages 2289-2297.
    8. De Bondt, Werner F. M. & Bange, Mary M., 1992. "Inflation Forecast Errors and Time Variation in Term Premia," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 27(4), pages 479-496, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hamid Baghestani & Ajalavat Viriyavipart, 2019. "Do factors influencing consumer home-buying attitudes explain output growth?," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 46(5), pages 1104-1115, August.
    2. Hamid Baghestani, 2022. "Mortgage rate predictability and consumer home-buying assessments," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 46(3), pages 593-603, July.
    3. Sheng-Wen Liu & Ying-Chieh Yang & Ralph Norcio, 2017. "Explore the Buffering Effects of Perceived Hidden Inflation on Survival of Mobile Phone Service Providers in Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-12, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Basse, Tobias & Wegener, Christoph, 2022. "Inflation expectations: Australian consumer survey data versus the bond market," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 416-430.
    2. Hamid Baghestani, 2017. "Do US consumer survey data help beat the random walk in forecasting mortgage rates?," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 1343017-134, January.
    3. Baghestani, Hamid, 2015. "Predicting gasoline prices using Michigan survey data," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 27-32.
    4. R. Santos Alimi, 2014. "ARDL Bounds Testing Approach to Cointegration: A Re-Examination of Augmented Fisher Hypothesis in an Open Economy," Asian Journal of Economic Modelling, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 2(2), pages 103-114, June.
    5. Ekaterini Panopoulou, 2005. "A Resolution of the Fisher Effect Puzzle: A Comparison of Estimators," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp067, IIIS.
    6. Harun UCAK & Ilhan OZTURK & Alper ASLAN, 2014. "An Examination of Fisher Effect for Selected New EU Member States," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 4(4), pages 956-959.
    7. Lai, Kon S., 2004. "On structural shifts and stationarity of the ex ante real interest rate," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 217-228.
    8. Gylfason, Thorvaldur & Tómasson, Helgi & Zoega, Gylfi, 2016. "Around the world with Irving Fisher," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 232-243.
    9. Jesús Clemente & María Dolores Gadea & Antonio Montañés & Marcelo Reyes, 2017. "Structural Breaks, Inflation and Interest Rates: Evidence from the G7 Countries," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-17, February.
    10. Joakim Westerlund, 2008. "Panel cointegration tests of the Fisher effect," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(2), pages 193-233.
    11. Giorgio Canarella & Luis A. Gil‐Alana & Rangan Gupta & Stephen M. Miller, 2022. "The behaviour of real interest rates: New evidence from a 'suprasecular' perspective," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 46-64, April.
    12. Christopher J. Neely & David E. Rapach, 2008. "Real interest rate persistence: evidence and implications," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 90(Nov), pages 609-642.
    13. Paul Hubert, 2015. "Revisiting the Greenbook’s relative forecasting performance," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 0(1), pages 151-179.
    14. Zisimos Koustas & Jean-Francois Lamarche, 2005. "Policy-Induced Mean Reversion in the Real Interest Rate?," Working Papers 0503, Brock University, Department of Economics, revised Jul 2005.
    15. Dimitris K. Christopoulos & Miguel A. Le√N-Ledesma, 2007. "A Long-Run Non-Linear Approach to the Fisher Effect," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 39(2-3), pages 543-559, March.
    16. Kim, Chang-Jin & Kim, Jaeho, 2013. "Bayesian Inference in Regime-Switching ARMA Models with Absorbing States: The Dynamics of the Ex-Ante Real Interest Rate Under Structural Breaks," MPRA Paper 51117, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. João Valle e Azevedo & João Ritto & Pedro Teles, 2022. "The Neutrality Of Nominal Rates: How Long Is The Long Run?," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 63(4), pages 1745-1777, November.
    18. Masudul Hasan Adil & Shadab Danish & Sajad Ahmad Bhat & Bandi Kamaiah, 2020. "Fisher Effect: An Empirical Re-examination in Case of India," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 40(1), pages 262-276.
    19. Hüseyin Şen & Ayşe Kaya & Savaş Kaptan & Metehan Cömert, 2019. "Interest rates, inflation, and exchange rates in fragile EMEs: A fresh look at the long-run interrelationships," Working Papers halshs-02095652, HAL.
    20. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/f4rshpf3v1umfa09lat09b1bg is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Wu, Jingtao, 2009. "Three Bayesian econometric studies on forecast evaluation," ISU General Staff Papers 200901010800002984, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Expected inflation; Fisher effect; Michigan surveys of consumers; Directional predictability; Forecast evaluation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E40 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jecfin:v:40:y:2016:i:3:d:10.1007_s12197-016-9354-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.