Does the Failure of the Expectations Hypothesis Matter for Long-Term Investors?

Abstract

We solve the portfolio problem of a long-run investor when the term structure is Gaussian and when the investor has access to nominal bonds and stock. We apply our method to a three-factor model that captures the failure of the expectations hypothesis. We extend this model to account for time-varying expected inflation, and estimate the model with both inflation and term structure data. The estimates imply that the bond portfolio of a long-run investor looks very different from the portfolio of a mean-variance optimizer. In particular, time-varying term premia generate large hedging demands for long-term bonds.