This paper examines the medium-run effects of monetary policy and focuses its analyses on the consequences of distorted (in the sense of exogenously influenced) real interest rates that are currently observed in many industrialized countries. In our model, real interest rates that are too low hinder economic recovery because such rates allow relatively unproductive firms to remain in the market. Monetary policy should increase interest rates after a negative macroeconomic shock to force a reallocation of production factors to more productive firms. We show that there is a trade-off between the short-run and medium-run preferences of the central bank as a consequence. From a welfare perspective, the impact of monetary policy depends on the long-run interest rate relative to the welfare-maximizing interest rate because of the preference for variety in the model.

This paper examines how firms set and adjust their prices, depending on macroeconomic, sectoral and individual conditions. A large panel of 345,963 observations of quarterly firm and product price data, underlying the Swiss sectoral CPIs from 1993 to 2012, is used for this purpose. The data allows us to trace the pricing decisions of the identified firm over time and in detail (without regular interruption of the price series as in the case of the US CPI). Among several macroeconomic factors, the appreciation of the Swiss franc results in an increase in the probability of a positive price change and, to a lesser extent, in the size of price changes. Singling out one policy measure, we found that an increase in the VAT is over-proportionally shifted to prices by firms who change their prices. Finally, the data set allows for the analysis of the development of price dispersion at the product level. We can demonstrate that an increase in the VAT led to a decrease in the variance in prices, whereas macroeconomic factors have no impact.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract