http://homepage.ntu.edu.tw/~ntuperc/docs/publication/2002_25_Lin.pdf

Unit root tests in panel data: asymptotic and finite-sample properties

Probability Distributions.- Linear Models for Regression.- Linear Models for Classification.- Neural Networks.- Kernel Methods.- Sparse Kernel Machines.- Graphical Models.- Mixture Models and EM.- Approximate Inference.- Sampling Methods.- Continuous Latent Variables.- Sequential Data.- Combining Models.

Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning

Testing the null hypothesis of stationarity against the alternative of a unit root: How sure are we that economic time series have a unit root?

Preface1Difference Equations12Lag Operators253Stationary ARMA Processes434Forecasting725Maximum Likelihood Estimation1176Spectral Analysis1527Asymptotic Distribution Theory1808Linear Regression Models2009Linear Systems of Simultaneous Equations23310Covariance-Stationary Vector Processes25711Vector Autoregressions29112Bayesian Analysis35113The Kalman Filter37214Generalized Method of Moments40915Models of Nonstationary Time Series43516Processes with Deterministic Time Trends45417Univariate Processes with Unit Roots47518Unit Roots in Multivariate Time Series54419Cointegration57120Full-Information Maximum Likelihood Analysis of Cointegrated Systems63021Time Series Models of Heteroskedasticity65722Modeling Time Series with Changes in Regime677A Mathematical Review704B Statistical Tables751C Answers to Selected Exercises769D Greek Letters and Mathematical Symbols Used in the Text786Author Index789Subject Index792

https://sisis.rz.htw-berlin.de/inh2007/12357004.pdf

Time series analysis

Any series of observations ordered along a single dimension, such as time, may be thought of as a time series. The emphasis in time series analysis is on studying the dependence among observations at different points in time. What distinguishes time series analysis from general multivariate analysis is precisely the temporal order imposed on the observations. Many economic variables, such as GNP and its components, price indices, sales, and stock returns are observed over time. In addition to being interested in the contemporaneous relationships among such variables, we are often concerned with relationships between their current and past values, that is, relationships over time.

Time Series Analysis

We consider three sets of phenomena that feature prominently - and separately - in the financial economics literature: conditional mean dependence (or lack thereof) in asset returns, dependence (and hence forecastability) in asset return signs, and dependence (and hence forecastability) in asset return volatilities. We show that they are very much interrelated, and we explore the relationships in detail. Among other things, we show that (a) Volatility dependence produces sign dependence, so long as expected returns are nonzero, so that one should expect sign dependence, given the overwhelming evidence of volatility dependence; (b) The standard finding of little or no conditional mean dependence is entirely consistent with a significant degree of sign dependence and volatility dependence; (c) Sign dependence is not likely to be found via analysis of sign autocorrelations, runs tests, or traditional market timing tests, because of the special nonlinear nature of sign dependence; (d) Sign dependence is not likely to be found in very high-frequency (e.g., daily) or very low-frequency (e.g., annual) returns; instead, it is more likely to be found at intermediate return horizons; (e) Sign dependence is very much present in actual U.S. equity returns, and its properties match closely our theoretical predictions; (f) The link between volatility forecastability and sign forecastability remains intact in conditionally non-Gaussian environments, as for example with time-varying conditional skewness and/or kurtosis.

Financial Asset Returns, Direction-of-Change Forecasting, and Volatility Dynamics

It depends If volatility fluctuates in a forecastable way, then volatility forecasts are useful for risk management; hence the interest in volatility forecastability in the risk management literature Volatility forecastability, however, varies with horizon, and different horizons are relevant in different applications Existing assessments are plagued by the fact that they are joint assessments of volatility forecastability and an assumed model, and the results vary not only with the horizon, but also with the model To address this problem, we develop a model-free procedure for measuring volatility forecastability across horizons Perhaps surprisingly, we find that volatility forecastability decays quickly with horizon Volatility forecastability, although clearly of relevance for risk management at the very short horizons relevant for, say, trading desk management, may not be important for risk management more generallye conclude in Section VI by discussing some limitations of our analysis, and offer some recommendations for implementation

How Relevant is Volatility Forecasting for Financial Risk Management

https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w13588/w13588.pdf

Global Yield Curve Dynamics and Interactions: A Dynamic Nelson-Siegel Approach

We consider three sets of phenomena that feature prominently in the financial economics literature: (1) conditional mean dependence (or lack thereof) in asset returns, (2) dependence (and hence forecastability) in asset return signs, and (3) dependence (and hence forecastability) in asset return volatilities. We show that they are very much interrelated and explore the relationships in detail. Among other things, we show that (1) volatility dependence produces sign dependence, so long as expected returns are nonzero, so that one should expect sign dependence, given the overwhelming evidence of volatility dependence; (2) it is statistically possible to have sign dependence without conditional mean dependence; (3) sign dependence is not likely to be found via analysis of sign autocorrelations, runs tests, or traditional market timing tests because of the special nonlinear nature of sign dependence, so that traditional market timing tests are best viewed as tests for sign dependence arising from variation in expected returns rather than from variation in volatility or higher moments; (4) sign dependence is not likely to be found in very high-frequency (e.g., daily) or very low-frequency (e.g., annual) returns; instead, it is more likely to be found at intermediate return horizons; and (5) the link between volatility dependence and sign dependence remains intact in conditionally non-Gaussian environments, for example, with time-varying conditional skewness and/or kurtosis.

/pdf/financial-asset-returns-direction-of-change-forecasting-and-2cee3y2582.pdf

From a macroeconomic perspective, the short-term interest rate is a policy instrument under the direct control of the central bank. From a finance perspective, long rates are risk-adjusted averages of expected future short rates. Thus, as illustrated by much recent research, a joint macro-finance modeling strategy will provide the most comprehensive understanding of the term structure of interest rates. We discuss various questions that arise in this research, and we also present a new examination of the relationship between two prominent dynamic, latent factor models in this literature: the Nelson-Siegel and affine no-arbitrage term structure models.

/pdf/modeling-bond-yields-in-finance-and-macroeconomics-4cuy0qfcxu.pdf

Francis X. Diebold

Papers

Financial Asset Returns, Direction-of-Change Forecasting, and Volatility Dynamics

How Relevant is Volatility Forecasting for Financial Risk Management

Global Yield Curve Dynamics and Interactions: A Dynamic Nelson-Siegel Approach

Financial Asset Returns, Direction-of-Change Forecasting, and Volatility Dynamics

Modeling bond yields in finance and macroeconomics