Global Sunspots and Asset Prices in a Monetary Economy

Roger Farmer

No 10402, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: This paper constructs a simple model in which asset price fluctuations are caused by sunspots. Most existing sunspot models use local linear approximations: instead, I construct global sunspot equilibria. My agents are expected utility maximizers with logarithmic utility functions, there are no fundamental shocks and markets are sequentially complete. Despite the simplicity of these assumptions, I am able to go a considerable way towards explaining features of asset pricing data that have presented an obstacle to previous models that adopted similar assumptions. My model generates volatile persistent swings in asset prices, a substantial term premium for long bonds and bursts of conditional volatility in rates of return.

Keywords: Asset prices; Sunspots (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E44 G12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-mac, nep-mon and nep-upt
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Working Paper: Global Sunspots and Asset Prices in a Monetary Economy (2015)
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