The paper adresses several issues pertaining to the problem of monetary policy, inflation measurement, and relative prices. After some preliminary empirical analysis showing that the problem must be relevant we set out to conduct a mainly theoretical investigation. If the per period utility...

This paper presents and estimates a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) small-open-economy model for the Hungarian economy. The model features different types of frictions, real and nominal rigidities which are necessary to replicate the empirical persistence of Hungarian data....

The knowledge of the effect of decision making mechanisms of households on consumption and savings is crucial for the conduct of monetary policy, as household consumption accounts for 60-65% of the absorption side of GDP. In the narrow sense, monetary policy concerns itself with the following...

Theoretical and empirical studies of different sciences suggest that an optimal committee consists of roughly 5-9 members, although it can swell mildly under specific circumstances. This paper develops a conceptual model in order to analyze the issue in case of monetary policy formulation. The...

The paper proposes a structural empirical model capable of examining exchange rate smoothing in the small, open economy of Hungary. The framework assumes the existence of an unobserved and changing implicit exchange rate target. The central bank is assumed to use interest rate policy to obtain...

A standard rational expectations model would give strong predictions about the behavior of the nominal exchange rate at the beginning of a disinflation (a rise in interest rates): a substantial initial appreciation, followed by a steady depreciation. It largely conflicts actual observations,...

This paper presents a nationwide economy model for Hungary used by the National Bank of Hungary for analyzing the effects of world shocks, for quarterly forecasting exercises and other policy simulations. The study has two main goals: Firstly, we present the model for the Hungarian economy,...

This paper aims to estimate bank efficiency differences across member states of the European Union and tries to explain their causes. We show on an empirical basis that the level and spread of bank efficiency in the EU and their changes are significantly determined by characteristics of...

This study aims to assess the role of market structure in the pricing behaviour and profitability of Central and Eastern European banks. In order to determine the most important variables related to the banks' pricing behaviour and profitability, we create a simple Cournot model. Then using...

Recent changes in the distribution of income have drawn significant attention to the changing relationship between factors of production in the aggregate production function. These changes entail corresponding changes in factor rewards and relative income levels. This paper examines how the...