STOCK PRICES, 1900-1995: THE REAL AND NOMINAL STORY

Prompted by the inflation-adjusted Dow Jones Industrials Average setting its first record high in almost thirty years in 1995, this paper studies the impact of inflation on nominal and real stock prices from a theoretical, historical, and empirical perspective. While stocks are an excellent longterm...

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Main Author: Kenneth Weiher
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Economic & Business History Society 2000-06-01
Series:Essays in Economic and Business History
Online Access:https://www.ebhsoc.org/journal/index.php/ebhs/article/view/289
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author Kenneth Weiher
author_facet Kenneth Weiher
author_sort Kenneth Weiher
collection DOAJ
description Prompted by the inflation-adjusted Dow Jones Industrials Average setting its first record high in almost thirty years in 1995, this paper studies the impact of inflation on nominal and real stock prices from a theoretical, historical, and empirical perspective. While stocks are an excellent longterm hedge against inflation, nominal stock prices stagnate and real stock prices fall during a period of rapid inflation. Both nominal and real stockprices then go through a catch-up phase during the subsequent disinflation period. The history for this century is consistent with this pattern. Regression analysis between real and nominal stock prices as the dependent variables and inflation as the independent variable shows statistically significant evidence that (a) nominal stock returns are positively related to inflation while real stock returns are not; and (b) both nominal and real stock returns are negatively related to accelerations of inflation and positively related to decelerations.
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spelling doaj.art-bbc9c2de253243189db006f3b3b45cb92022-12-22T03:05:14ZengEconomic & Business History SocietyEssays in Economic and Business History0896-226X2000-06-01181289STOCK PRICES, 1900-1995: THE REAL AND NOMINAL STORYKenneth WeiherPrompted by the inflation-adjusted Dow Jones Industrials Average setting its first record high in almost thirty years in 1995, this paper studies the impact of inflation on nominal and real stock prices from a theoretical, historical, and empirical perspective. While stocks are an excellent longterm hedge against inflation, nominal stock prices stagnate and real stock prices fall during a period of rapid inflation. Both nominal and real stockprices then go through a catch-up phase during the subsequent disinflation period. The history for this century is consistent with this pattern. Regression analysis between real and nominal stock prices as the dependent variables and inflation as the independent variable shows statistically significant evidence that (a) nominal stock returns are positively related to inflation while real stock returns are not; and (b) both nominal and real stock returns are negatively related to accelerations of inflation and positively related to decelerations.https://www.ebhsoc.org/journal/index.php/ebhs/article/view/289
spellingShingle Kenneth Weiher
STOCK PRICES, 1900-1995: THE REAL AND NOMINAL STORY
Essays in Economic and Business History
title STOCK PRICES, 1900-1995: THE REAL AND NOMINAL STORY
title_full STOCK PRICES, 1900-1995: THE REAL AND NOMINAL STORY
title_fullStr STOCK PRICES, 1900-1995: THE REAL AND NOMINAL STORY
title_full_unstemmed STOCK PRICES, 1900-1995: THE REAL AND NOMINAL STORY
title_short STOCK PRICES, 1900-1995: THE REAL AND NOMINAL STORY
title_sort stock prices 1900 1995 the real and nominal story
url https://www.ebhsoc.org/journal/index.php/ebhs/article/view/289
work_keys_str_mv AT kennethweiher stockprices19001995therealandnominalstory