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Optimal Monetary Policy with State-Dependent Pricing

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  • Nakov, Anton
  • Thomas, Carlos

Abstract

This paper studies optimal monetary policy from the timeless perspective in a general model of state-dependent pricing. Firms are modeled as monopolistic competitors subject to idiosyncratic menu cost shocks. We find that, under certain conditions, a policy of zero inflation is optimal both in the long run and in response to aggregate shocks. Key to this finding is an "envelope" property: at zero inflation, a marginal increase in the rate of inflation has no effect on firms' profits and hence on their probability of repricing. We offer an analytic solution that does not require local approximation or e¢ ciency of the steady state. Under more general conditions, we show numerically that the optimal commitment policy remains very close to strict inflation targeting.

Suggested Citation

  • Nakov, Anton & Thomas, Carlos, 2014. "Optimal Monetary Policy with State-Dependent Pricing," CEPR Discussion Papers 9846, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:9846
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    1. Pierpaolo Benigno & Michael Woodford, 2005. "Inflation Stabilization And Welfare: The Case Of A Distorted Steady State," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 3(6), pages 1185-1236, December.
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    6. Anton Nakov & Carlos Thomas, 2014. "Optimal Monetary Policy with State-Dependent Pricing," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 10(3), pages 49-94, September.
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    14. Virgiliu Midrigan, 2011. "Menu Costs, Multiproduct Firms, and Aggregate Fluctuations," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 79(4), pages 1139-1180, July.
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    18. James Costain & Anton Nakov, 2011. "Price Adjustments in a General Model of State‐Dependent Pricing," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(2‐3), pages 385-406, March.
    19. Lucas, Robert Jr, 1976. "Econometric policy evaluation: A critique," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 19-46, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Anton Nakov & Carlos Thomas, 2014. "Optimal Monetary Policy with State-Dependent Pricing," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 10(3), pages 49-94, September.
    2. Denny Lie, 2009. "State-dependent pricing and optimal monetary policy," Working Papers 09-20, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    3. Shuhei Takahashi, 2018. "Does State-Dependent Wage Setting Generate Multiple Equilibria?," KIER Working Papers 991, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.
    4. Muhammad Ali Nasir & Milton Yago & Alaa M. Soliman & Junjie Wu, 2016. "Financial stability, wealth effects and optimal macroeconomic policy combination in the United Kingdom: A new-Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium framework," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 1136098-113, December.
    5. Shuhei Takahashi, 2017. "State Dependency in Price and Wage Setting," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 13(1), pages 151-189, February.
    6. Kosuke Aoki, 2015. "Relative Prices and Inflation Stabilisation," UTokyo Price Project Working Paper Series 047, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Economics.
    7. Zidong An & Salem Abo‐Zaid & Xuguang Simon Sheng, 2023. "Inattention and the impact of monetary policy," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(4), pages 623-643, June.
    8. Kosuke Aoki, 2015. "Relative Prices and Inflation Stabilization," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 66(1), pages 35-59, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary policy; Monopolistic competition; State-dependent pricing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation

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