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Break-even inflation rates: the Italian case

Author

Listed:
  • Alberto Di Iorio

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Marco Fanari

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract

This paper focuses on break-even inflation rates (BEIRs), a widely used market-based measure of expected inflation, computed from government bonds. In the first part of the paper, we regress the Italian BEIR on several financial variables to assess the contribution of inflation, credit and liquidity components. In the second, in order to disentangle market participants’ inflation expectations from risk premia, we estimate a term structure model for the joint pricing of the Italian nominal and real yield curves, considering also credit and liquidity factors. The results show that BEIRs could be a misleading measure of the expected inflation due to the importance of inflation risk premium and credit risk effect. According to our estimates, the decrease in market-based measures of inflation observed in the last part of the sample period seems to reflect a lowering of both inflation expectations and risk premia. Inflation premia co-move with a measure of tail risk of the long-term inflation distribution signalling that investors become more concerned with downside risks.

Suggested Citation

  • Alberto Di Iorio & Marco Fanari, 2020. "Break-even inflation rates: the Italian case," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 578, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_578_20
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    inflation-linked bonds; government yields; break-even inflation rate; expected inflation; inflation risk premium; term structure model;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt

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