Monetary policy reaction to uncertainty in Japan: Evidence from a quantile‐on‐quantile interest rate rule. (20th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Christou, Christina; Naraidoo, Ruthira; Gupta, Rangan; Hassapis, Christis
• Is Part Of: International journal of finance & economics. Volume 27:Number 2(2022)
• Page Start: 2041
• Page End: 2053
• Publication Date: 2020-09-20
• Subjects: conditional quantile on quantile regressions -- interest rate rule -- Japan -- shadow rate of interest -- uncertainty -- zero lower bound; International finance -- Periodicals; Economics -- Periodicals; 332
• DOI: 10.1002/ijfe.2258
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1076-9307

Abstract

Abstract: Japan's episodes of lower bound of interest rates together with macroeconomic uncertainty for over the past two decades stands as a tremendous hurdle for the estimation of Taylor‐type rule models. We demarcate our study from previous literature by conducting the estimations not only at various points on the conditional distribution of the interest rate but also at various quantiles of an additional regressor on top of inflation and output, viz., an economic uncertainty measure, by adopting a quantile nonseparable triangular system estimation. The results show that the reaction to uncertainty seems to have substituted the Bank's reaction to inflation and output, lending support to the Brainard attenuation principle. In essence, faced with higher economic uncertainty, the monetary authority reacts by cutting (attenuating) its policy rate across all quantiles of uncertainty at all conditional quantiles of interest rate, with an increased response of the Bank of Japan to uncertainty at its lower quantiles when interest rate is at its lower conditional quantiles. A possible explanation is the greater concern of getting out from the lower bounds of interest rate amidst deflationary outcomes.