The Effect of Monetary Policy on Credit Spreads

Tolga Cenesizoglu and Badye Essid

Cahiers de recherche from CIRPEE

Abstract: In this paper, we analyze the effect of monetary policy on yield spreads between corporate bonds with different credit ratings over changing conditions in the economy. Using futures data on the Fed funds rate, we distinguish between expected and unexpected changes in monetary policy. We find that unexpected changes in the Fed funds rate do not have a significant effect on changes in credit spreads when we do not control for different conditions in the economy. We then distinguish between three different cycles in the economy: business, credit and monetary policy cycles. In line with predictions of imperfect capital market theories, credit spreads widen (narrow) following an unexpected monetary policy tightening (easing) during periods of poor economic and credit market conditions. Several robustness tests suggest that our results are not due to possible endogeneity problems, lack of control variables or identification methodology or different cycles.

Keywords: Business Cycle; Moody's Bond Indices; Fed Funds Rate Futures; Monetary Policy Surprises; Credit Spreads (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E44 E52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cba, nep-mac and nep-mon
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:lvl:lacicr:1031

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