Price Effects of Unconventional Monetary Policy Announcements on European Securities Markets

Abstract This paper assesses the effects of the unconventional monetary policies taken by the European Central Bank, the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve on European securities markets. Using the event study methodology, we evaluate the price reaction of market indices around the announcement dates from 2008 to 2018. Our results show that the impact is mixed on European government bonds, but positive and significant on stocks, with some evidence of international spillovers. We also find that coordinated policy actions exert a stronger influence than individual measures. Furthermore, the announcements generate surprise effects, albeit with a different magnitude and direction.