An Interest Rates Cluster Analysis

Abstract

An empirical analysis of interest rates in money and capital markets is performed. We investigate a set of 34 different weekly interest rate time series during a time period of 16 years between 1982 and 1997. Our study is focused on the collective behavior of the stochastic fluctuations of these time series which is investigated by using a clustering linkage procedure. Without any a priori assumption, we individuate a meaningful separation in 6 main clusters organized in a hierarchical structure.