Banks trade off short-term losses on deposits against long-term profits from cross-selling other products to new depositors. This strategy is especially attractive when policy rates are low and future sales are more valuable. Therefore, deposit rates move less than policy rates: banks keep them relatively higher when policy rates fall, and relatively lower when policy rates rise. As returns on other financial assets follow policy rates more closely, this makes deposits relatively less attractive for depositors at higher policy rates. Therefore, policy rate hikes lead to a reduction in deposits, which are the key source of refinancing for bank loans.…

Euro area insurers manage several trillion euro in assets and take a long‑term investment perspective. To counteract the long period of low interest rates, they have shifted towards holding more alternative and less liquid assets. As a result, their balance sheets have become less liquid and more sensitive to market conditions overall. Meanwhile, their holdings of sovereign bonds show a significant home bias, which may have even increased with quantitative easing. Sovereign bonds also serve as a key source of liquidity for insurers, who sell them to raise liquidity to settle large claims after natural disasters. Thus, liquidity shocks can…

Euro area insurers manage several trillion euro in assets and take a long‑term investment perspective. To counteract the long period of low interest rates, they have shifted towards holding more alternative and less liquid assets. As a result, their balance sheets have become less liquid and more sensitive to market conditions overall. Meanwhile, their holdings of sovereign bonds show a significant home bias, which may have even increased with quantitative easing. Sovereign bonds also serve as a key source of liquidity for insurers, who sell them to raise liquidity to settle large claims after natural disasters. Thus, liquidity shocks can…

Based on a series of novel experiments fielded within the ECB’s Consumer Expectations Survey, we provide evidence on the attitudes of euro area consumers towards a possible central bank digital currency (CBDC). We document substantial socio‑demographic heterogeneity in consumers’ awareness and willingness to adopt a CBDC. According to survey responses, a sizeable share of around 45% of households would be interested in potentially adopting this new asset. In a scenario where a CBDC is introduced in the euro area, consumers would allocate on average a moderate fraction of a positive wealth shock to such a new asset. Holding limits in…

Based on a series of novel experiments fielded within the ECB’s Consumer Expectations Survey, we provide evidence on the attitudes of euro area consumers towards a possible central bank digital currency (CBDC). We document substantial socio‑demographic heterogeneity in consumers’ awareness and willingness to adopt a CBDC. According to survey responses, a sizeable share of around 45% of households would be interested in potentially adopting this new asset. In a scenario where a CBDC is introduced in the euro area, consumers would allocate on average a moderate fraction of a positive wealth shock to such a new asset. Holding limits in…

The post-pandemic inflation surge is often attributed to pent-up demand andopportunistic price hikes. In fact, it is better explained by the effects of theeconomy’s production network and “state-dependent” pricing, where firmschange prices optimally when the reward justifies the effort. Firms are tightlylinked through supply chains so a surge in prices upstream can triggersimultaneous repricing by many layers of firms downstream, fuelling broad-based inflation. Unlike standard models, our euro area model includes theseeffects and successfully reproduces the post-pandemic inflation surge andfaster repricing. This implies analysis of such effects is indispensable formonetary policy(AGENPARL)

The post-pandemic inflation surge is often attributed to pent-up demand andopportunistic price hikes. In fact, it is better explained by the effects of theeconomy’s production network and “state-dependent” pricing, where firmschange prices optimally when the reward justifies the effort. Firms are tightlylinked through supply chains so a surge in prices upstream can triggersimultaneous repricing by many layers of firms downstream, fuelling broad-based inflation. Unlike standard models, our euro area model includes theseeffects and successfully reproduces the post-pandemic inflation surge andfaster repricing. This implies analysis of such effects is indispensable formonetary policy(AGENPARL)

Every working day via an interactive webpage, the ECB releases a set of nominal yield curves based on AAA-rated euro-denominated bonds issued by euro area central governments, covering the maturity spectrum from three months up to 30 years. In addition, euro area yield curves covering all euro area central government bonds and the spreads between both curves are released. The spot, instantaneous forward and par yield curves, both past and present, can be easily displayed using the webpage’s charting facility.(AGENPARL)

Every working day via an interactive webpage, the ECB releases a set of nominal yield curves based on AAA-rated euro-denominated bonds issued by euro area central governments, covering the maturity spectrum from three months up to 30 years. In addition, euro area yield curves covering all euro area central government bonds and the spreads between both curves are released. The spot, instantaneous forward and par yield curves, both past and present, can be easily displayed using the webpage’s charting facility.(AGENPARL)

Da inizio 2024 la BNS ha abbassato il tasso guida di 1,75 punti percentuali. Questa riduzione ha determinato un calo dei tassi sui mercati finanziari e dei tassi creditizi. Ciononostante, i costi di finanziamento misurati dagli “swap spread” sono cresciuti. Tra i motivi principali vanno annoverati l’aumento dei rendimenti dei titoli di Stato esteri rispetto ai tassi swap, il cambiamento strutturale seguito all’acquisizione di Credit Suisse da parte di UBS e sviluppi che hanno reso più complessa la gestione della liquidità delle banche. Questi fattori hanno spinto al rialzo i premi di liquidità, mentre i premi di credito sono rimasti…