Firm-Specific Shocks and Aggregate Fluctuations Staff working paper 2016-51 Leonid Karasik, Danny Leung, Ben Tomlin In order to understand what drives aggregate fluctuations, many macroeconomic models point to aggregate shocks and discount the contribution of firm-specific shocks. Recent research from other developed countries, however, has found that aggregate fluctuations are in part driven by idiosyncratic shocks to large firms. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E2, E22, E23, E24, E3, L, L6 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market structure, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting
Portfolio Rebalancing Channel and the Effects of Large-Scale Stock and Bond Purchases Staff working paper 2025-38 Sami Alpanda, Serdar Kabaca We quantify the effects of large-scale stock purchases by a central bank and compare these to bond purchases. We find that the central bank’s equity purchases would lower the risk and term premiums on stocks and long-term bonds, respectively, and thereby stimulate economic activity. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E3, E32, E4, E44, E5, E52 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Economic models, Monetary policy, Monetary policy framework and transmission, Real economy and forecasting
May 20, 2002 Trends in Productivity Growth in Canada Bank of Canada Review - Spring 2002 Allan Crawford This article describes the major trends in the growth of labour productivity in Canada since the early 1960s and summarizes our current knowledge about the causes of the historical patterns. Particular attention is given to the period since the mid-1990s during which productivity growth has been significantly higher in the United States than in Canada. The author reviews the empirical evidence on the contribution of information and communication technology to the recent difference between Canadian and U.S. rates of productivity growth. Other determinants of a country's productivity performance, such as human capital formation and openness to international trade, are also examined. The article concludes with an assessment of the prospects for an increase in the trend rate of productivity growth in Canada over the coming years. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles
Corporate investment and monetary policy transmission in Canada Staff analytical note 2020-26 Min Jae Kim, Jonathan Witmer Unexpected changes in interest rates lead small firms to materially change their investment rate. Large firms, in contrast, show a smaller response. This suggests both that financial conditions are an important channel for transmitting monetary policy and that firm characteristics can help us better understand fluctuations in business investment. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes JEL Code(s): D, D2, D22, D9, D92, G, G3, G31, G32 Research Theme(s): Financial system, Household and business credit, Monetary policy, Monetary policy framework and transmission
Monetary Policy Under Uncertainty: Practice Versus Theory Staff discussion paper 2017-13 Rhys R. Mendes, Stephen Murchison, Carolyn A. Wilkins For central banks, conducting policy in an environment of uncertainty is a daily fact of life. This uncertainty can take many forms, ranging from incomplete knowledge of the correct economic model and data to future economic and geopolitical events whose precise magnitudes and effects cannot be known with certainty. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers JEL Code(s): E, E5, E52, E58, E6, E61, E65 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Economic models, Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Monetary policy framework and transmission, Monetary policy tools and implementation
The COVID-19 Consumption Game-Changer: Evidence from a Large-Scale Multi-Country Survey Staff working paper 2021-57 Alexander Hodbod, Cars Hommes, Stefanie J. Huber, Isabelle Salle A multi-country consumer survey investigates why and how much households decreased their consumption in five key sectors after pandemic-related restrictions were lifted in Europe in July 2020. Beyond infection risk and precautionary saving motives, households also reported not missing some consumption items, which may indicate preference shifts and structural changes in the post-COVID-19 economy. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): D, D1, D12, D8, D81, D84, E, E2, E21, E6, E60, E7, E71 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Real economy and forecasting
The Role of Corporate Saving over the Business Cycle: Shock Absorber or Amplifier? Staff working paper 2018-59 Xiaodan Gao, Shaofeng Xu We document countercyclical corporate saving behavior with the degree of countercyclicality varying nonmonotonically with firm size. We then develop a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with heterogeneous firms to explain the pattern and study its implications for business cycles. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E2, E20, E22, E3, E32, G, G3, G31, G32 Research Theme(s): Financial system, Financial institutions and intermediation, Household and business credit, Models and tools, Economic models, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting
June 21, 2006 Credibility with Flexibility: The Evolution of Inflation-Targeting Regimes, 1990–2006 Bank of Canada Review - Summer 2006 Graydon Paulin Beginning with a review of the adoption of inflation targeting in a broad group of countries, Paulin focuses on changes in the design of inflation-targeting frameworks in light of fifteen years of accumulated experience. Included in the discussion are the use of numerical targets and ranges, the policy horizon, supporting institutional policy structures, and communication, including the publication of forecasts. A recurring theme is how much flexibility an inflation-targeting regime allows. The article concludes that the changes made to the frameworks have been relatively modest since their adoption, but in concert with the improved credibility that has resulted from central banks meeting their inflation-control targets, they have allowed an increasingly nuanced response to economic shocks. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles
Bond Funds and Fixed-Income Market Liquidity: A Stress-Testing Approach Technical report No. 115 Rohan Arora, Guillaume Bédard-Pagé, Guillaume Ouellet Leblanc, Ryan Shotlander This report provides a detailed technical description of a stress test model for investment funds called Ceto. Content Type(s): Staff research, Technical reports JEL Code(s): G, G1, G12, G14, G2, G20, G23 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market functioning, Financial system, Financial institutions and intermediation, Financial stability and systemic risk
What to Target? Insights from a Lab Experiment Staff working paper 2021-53 Isabelle Salle In a laboratory experiment, we ask participants to predict inflation using three different policy regimes: inflation targeting—with and without greater communication of the target—average inflation targeting and price level targeting. We use participants’ predictions to compare the level and stability of inflation under each regime. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): C, C9, C92, E, E3, E31, E5, E52, E7 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Economic models, Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Monetary policy framework and transmission, Monetary policy tools and implementation