Report
Patrick Artus

Inflation target, but for what inflation?

In the early 1980s, central banks in OECD countries decided to adopt goods and service s prices as their inflation target. This was the result of the analysis of the costs of high inflation: loss of purchasing power for recipients of non-indexed incomes; distortion of relative prices and loss of information on relative prices; massive taxation of cash holdings. But it seems that the costs of high asset prices (asset price inflation) are much more serious: risk of financial crisis and recession when asset price bubbles rise; excessive debt; rising wealth inequality. If central banks' choice of target is linked to an analysis of the costs of inflation (of goods and services prices or asset prices), then it would be logical to now switch from an inflation target based on goods and services prices to an inflation target based on asset prices. The risk is therefore that the monetary policy principles in OECD countries currently are the result of an analysis made 40 years ago, and that the reasons put forward by central banks for not stabilising asset prices are not serious.
Provider
Natixis
Natixis

Based across the world’s leading financial centers, Natixis CIB Research offers an integrated view of the markets. The team provides support to inform Natixis clients’ investment and hedging decisions across all asset classes.

 

Analysts
Patrick Artus

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