Commodities and monetary policy - the role of interest rates revisited

  • In this study, we examine whether and how the impact of monetary policy on commodity markets changed due to the unconventional monetary policy actions, such as large-scale asset purchase programs and forward guidance, implemented by the Federal Reserve when the interest rate reached its zero lower bound (ZLB) posterior to the financial crisis. Utilizing a structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model and a sub-period analysis, we identify a significant influence of interest rates on commodity prices before the crisis, with a contractionary monetary policy shock leading to rising prices. However, during the ZLB period, unconventional monetary policy shocks resulted in declining commodity prices, highlighting a directional shift. Our findings underscore the role of monetary policy mechanisms in shaping commodity markets and reveal variations across commodity classes, particularly industrial metals and precious metals. These insights hold practical implications for investors and forIn this study, we examine whether and how the impact of monetary policy on commodity markets changed due to the unconventional monetary policy actions, such as large-scale asset purchase programs and forward guidance, implemented by the Federal Reserve when the interest rate reached its zero lower bound (ZLB) posterior to the financial crisis. Utilizing a structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model and a sub-period analysis, we identify a significant influence of interest rates on commodity prices before the crisis, with a contractionary monetary policy shock leading to rising prices. However, during the ZLB period, unconventional monetary policy shocks resulted in declining commodity prices, highlighting a directional shift. Our findings underscore the role of monetary policy mechanisms in shaping commodity markets and reveal variations across commodity classes, particularly industrial metals and precious metals. These insights hold practical implications for investors and for policymakers.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author:Amelie SchischkeGND, Andreas RathgeberORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:384-opus4-1247846
Frontdoor URLhttps://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/124784
ISSN:0261-5606OPAC
Parent Title (English):Journal of International Money and Finance
Publisher:Elsevier BV
Place of publication:Amsterdam
Type:Article
Language:English
Year of first Publication:2025
Publishing Institution:Universität Augsburg
Release Date:2025/09/04
Volume:158
First Page:103416
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jimonfin.2025.103416
Institutes:Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlich-Technische Fakultät
Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlich-Technische Fakultät / Institut für Materials Resource Management
Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlich-Technische Fakultät / Institut für Materials Resource Management / Professur für Applied Data Analysis
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 50 Naturwissenschaften / 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik
Licence (German):CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0: Creative Commons: Namensnennung - Nicht kommerziell - Keine Bearbeitung (mit Print on Demand)