This paper provides an empirical examination of the behaviour of excess returns on UK government discount bonds in terms of risk factors such as the forward premium, the slope of the term structure, dividend yields and excess stock returns. We identify the existence of a time-varying term structure of expected excess returns. Further, the dynamics of the expected returns are characterised by regime-switching behaviour where the transition from one regime to the other is controlled by the slope of the term structure of interest rates. The first regime, which is characterised by flat or downward sloping term structures, occurs during periods of economic recession. The second regime, which is characterised by upward sloping term structures, occurs during periods of economic expansion. The main risk factors explaining expected returns are the slope of the term structure in the recessionary regime and the excess stock returns in the expansionary regime.

This paper uses tools from the classical theory of inflation for UK Consumer Price Inflation from 1970Q1 to 2017Q4. In particular, we adopt augmented Phillips curve type equations within a linear and regime-switching framework where regimes are governed by previous inflation rates. Our non-linear models show that a monetary explanation of inflation is prominent during periods of high inflation. However our models imply that during periods of high inflation, The Bank of England should monitor monetary conditions in conjunction with monetary policy stance; as these can help dampen inflation persistence.

In an open-economy faced with parameter uncertainty, this paper uses distribution forecasts to investigate the impact of alternative inflation targeting policies on macroeconomic volatility and their potential implications on financial stability. Theoretically, Domestic Inflation Targeting (DIT) leads to less volatility than Consumer Price Index Inflation Targeting (CPIIT) for several macroeconomic variables and, in particular, for the interest rate. Empirically, a positive relationship between interest rate volatility and financial instability emerges for the US, UK and Sweden since the early 1990s. Bridging theory and empirical evidence, we conclude that the choice of the inflation targeting regime has an important impact on macroeconomic volatility and potential implications for financial stability.

We analyse UK monetary policy using monthly data for 1992–2010. We have two main findings. First, the Taylor rule breaks down after 2007 as the estimated response to inflation falls markedly and becomes insignificant. Second, policy is best described as a weighted average of a “financial crisis” regime in which policy rates respond strongly to financial stress and a “no-crisis” Taylor rule regime. Our analysis provides a clear explanation for the deep cuts in policy rates beginning in late 2008 and highlights the dilemma faced by policymakers in 2010–11.