Expansionary monetary policy has driven up asset prices in OECD countries: Has this had spillovers for the economy, or is it only dangerous?
In OECD countries, the highly expansionary monetary policy, especially since 2013-2014, has driven up share and real estate prices. The dangers of this trend are well known: financial crises when asset price bubbles burst, rising wealth inequality. But has the rise in asset prices also had positive spillovers for the real economy? Have wealth effects (financial and real estate wealth) boosted household demand? Has the rise in the market valuation of companies boosted their investment? We find no effect on household demand, but an apparently positive effect on corporate investment, which suggests a “ half -satisfactory†overall effect .