Comparing Inflation and Price-Level Targeting: The Role of Forward Guidance and Transparency

We examine global dynamics under learning in New Keynesian models with price-level targeting that is subject to the zero lower bound. The role of forward guidance is analyzed under transparency about the policy rule. Properties of transparent and nontransparent regimes are compared with each other and to the corresponding cases of inflation targeting. Robustness properties for different regimes are examined in terms of the domain of attraction of the targeted steady state and volatility of inflation, output and interest rate. We analyze the effect of higher inflation targets and large expectational shocks for the performance of these policy regimes.