Peter G. Dunne, Michael J. Moore and Richard Portes
September 2003
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Using a unique data set from the electronic trading platform Euro-MTS, we consider what is the ‘benchmark’ in the new euro-denominated government bond market. Consistent with recent theoretical developments we believe that benchmark status can be associated with characteristics of the price discovery process, and we use the concept of Irreducibility of Cointegrating Relations among bond yields to identify the benchmark at each maturity. We show that no one country provides the benchmark bond at all maturities. The benchmark differs across maturities, and at some maturities benchmark status is shared by the bonds of more than one country. |