An authoritative examination for top international policymakers and academics conducting monetary policy arising from a conference organised by the Banca d'Italia. The yield curve - the relation among market interest rates of different maturities - is a key benchmark for evaluating investment strategies in the global financial market. To a growing extent, central banks use it to evaluate, explain to the public and monitor the results of policy decisions.

JUAN AYUSO Banco de España, Research Department LUIGI BUTTIGLIONE Banca d'Italia, Servizion Studi JAGJIT S. CHADHA Bank of England PAOLO DEL GIOVANE Banca d'Italia, Servizio Studi FRANCESCO DRUDI Banca d'Italia, Servizio Studi CARLO FAVERO Università Bocconi and Center for Economic Policy Research JOE A. GANLEY Bank of England STEFAN GERLACH Bank for International Settlement and Centre for Economic Policy Research FABRIZIO IACONE Università Bocconi PETER KUGLER University of Bern JEFFREY H. NIELSEN Copenhagen Business School SOLEDAD NUNEZ Banco de España MARCO PIFFERI Università Bocconi RICCARDO ROVELLI Università Bocconi and IGIER GLENN RUDEBUSCH Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco FRANK SMETS Bank for International Settlement and Centre for Economic Policy Research ORESTE TRISTANI Banca d'Italia, Servizio Studi ROBERTO VIOLI Banca d'Italia, Servizio Studi