Cracking the Conundrum

36 Pages Posted: 18 Sep 2007 Last revised: 2 Sep 2022

See all articles by David K. Backus

David K. Backus

NYU Stern School of Business (deceased); National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Jonathan H. Wright

Johns Hopkins University - Department of Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: September 2007

Abstract

From 2004 to 2006, the FOMC raised the target federal funds rate by 4.25%, yet long-maturity yields and forward rates fell. We consider several possible explanations for this "conundrum." The most likely, in our view, is a fall in the term premium, probably associated with some combination of diminished macroeconomic and financial market volatility, more predictable monetary policy, and the state of the business cycle.

Suggested Citation

Backus, David K. and Wright, Jonathan H., Cracking the Conundrum (September 2007). NBER Working Paper No. w13419, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1014796

David K. Backus (Contact Author)

NYU Stern School of Business (deceased)

44 West Fourth Street
New York, NY 10012
United States
212-998-0873 (Phone)
212-995-4220 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~dbackus/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

HOME PAGE: http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~dbackus/

Jonathan H. Wright

Johns Hopkins University - Department of Economics ( email )

3400 Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-2685
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
70
Abstract Views
1,373
Rank
237,300
PlumX Metrics