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Nonlinear Dynamics in Menu Cost Economies? Evidence from U.S. Data

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Abstract

We show that standard menu cost models cannot simultaneously reproduce the dispersion in the size of micro-price changes and the extent to which the fraction of price changes increases with inflation in the U.S. time-series. Though the Golosov and Lucas (2007) model generates fluctuations in the fraction of price changes, it predicts too little dispersion in the size of price changes and therefore little monetary nonneutrality. In contrast, versions of the model that reproduce the dispersion in the size of price changes and generate stronger monetary non-neutrality predict a nearly constant fraction of price changes.

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  • Andrés Blanco & Corina Boar & Callum J. Jones & Virgiliu Midrigan, 2024. "Nonlinear Dynamics in Menu Cost Economies? Evidence from U.S. Data," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2024-076, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedgfe:2024-76
    DOI: 10.17016/FEDS.2024.076
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    1. Fernando Alvarez & Hervé Le Bihan & Francesco Lippi, 2016. "The Real Effects of Monetary Shocks in Sticky Price Models: A Sufficient Statistic Approach," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(10), pages 2817-2851, October.
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    1. Andersson, Jonas & Nilsen, Øivind A. & Skaug, Hans J., 2025. "Mixed Frequency Data in a Heterogenous Sticky Price Model," Discussion Papers 2025/26, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science.
    2. Jonathon Hazell & Stephan Hobler, 2025. "Do Deficits Cause Inflation? A High Frequency Narrative Approach," Discussion Papers 2505, Centre for Macroeconomics (CFM).
    3. Elisa Guglielminetti & Alessandro Lin & Andrea Tiseno, 2025. "The many shades of uncertainty and monetary policy," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 978, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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