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Term Structure of Interest Rates

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The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics

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Abstract

The term structure of interest rates concerns the relationship among the yields of bonds that differ only with respect to their terms of maturity. This article explains the three traditional explanations of the term structure. (1) The expectations theory considers the long rate to be an average of current and future short rates. (2) The liquidity-preference theory posits that illiquid, risky long-terms bonds must yield a premium over expected short rates. (3) The hedging-pressure theory stresses the influence of the preferred habitats of different investors. A survey of empirical work on the term structure including affine yield models concludes.

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  1. http://link.springer.com/referencework/10.1057/978-1-349-95121-5

    Burton G. Malkiel

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  1. Burton G. Malkiel
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Malkiel, B.G. (2018). Term Structure of Interest Rates. In: The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95189-5_1596

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