Reviewing Excess Liquidity Measures – A Comparison for Asset Markets

Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Diskussionspapiere der Universität Bayreuth Discussion Paper No. 04-11

40 Pages Posted: 31 May 2011

Date Written: May 1, 2011

Abstract

The conduct of US monetary policy is often accompanied by controversial debates on the adequacy of monetary conditions. These can result from different concepts of excess liquidity measures. The paper analyzes the theoretical and empirical information content of these concepts for asset markets. The analysis classifies, reviews and assesses measures of monetary conditions. For those that qualify as excess liquidity measures, the analysis continues with a comparison of the sources of imbalances and a discussion of the adequacy for asset markets. The theoretical results are cross-checked with empirical evidence. All excess liquidity measures are estimated and compared in the light of recent US asset bubbles. The analysis draws the following main conclusions. Firstly, not all measures of monetary conditions qualify as excess liquidity measure. Secondly, the increasing relevance of asset markets leads to growing distortions of excess liquidity measures. Thirdly, the choice of excess liquidity measure has influence on the assessment of monetary conditions in asset markets.

Keywords: monetary overhang, real money gap, nominal money gap, credit ratios, leverage ratios, price gap, natural interest rate gap, Taylor Gap

JEL Classification: G1, E5

Suggested Citation

Drescher, Christian, Reviewing Excess Liquidity Measures – A Comparison for Asset Markets (May 1, 2011). Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Diskussionspapiere der Universität Bayreuth Discussion Paper No. 04-11, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1855746 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1855746

Christian Drescher (Contact Author)

University of Bayreuth ( email )

Universitätsstraße 30
Bayreuth, DE Bayern 95447
Germany

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