The role of heterogeneity in price rigidities for delayed nominal exchange rate overshooting

Abstract

This paper develops an open economy New Keynesian model in which shocks to monetary policy generate delayed nominal exchange rate overshooting. We show analytically that delayed overshooting is a consequence of heterogeneity in nominal price rigidities. Immediately after a contractionary monetary shock, the reaction of firms with relatively flexible prices generates a strong response of inflation, alongside a currency appreciation. Overtime, as firms with relatively less flexible prices adjust, the appreciation continues, but is subsequently followed by a depreciation. In a calibrated version of the model, with heterogeneity in price rigidity matched with micro-evidence, the peak response of the nominal exchange rate to a monetary policy shock occurs at around 4 quarters.