Exploring the representativeness of the M5 competition data

The main objective of the M5 competition, which focused on forecasting the hierarchical unit sales of Walmart, was to evaluate the accuracy and uncertainty of forecasting methods in the field to identify best practices and highlight their practical implications. However, can the findings of the M5 competition be generalized and exploited by retail firms to better support their decisions and operation? This depends on the extent to which M5 data is sufficiently similar to unit sales data of retailers operating in different regions selling different product types and considering different marketing strategies. To answer this question, we analyze the characteristics of the M5 time series and compare them with those of two grocery retailers, namely Corporación Favorita and a major Greek supermarket chain, using feature spaces. Our results suggest only minor discrepancies between the examined data sets, supporting the representativeness of the M5 data.     

The effects of exchange rate pass-through and cost channel on price level: The case of fragile five countries

ABSTRACT

In this study, we investigated whether the exchange rate and the interest rate had an effect on the inflation rate in the fragile five countries between the years of 1996Q4 and 2015Q4. In this context, a model was created to estimate the effect of interest rate and exchange rate on the inflation rate. The methods used in the study take into account cross-section dependence and heterogeneity. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that there was an exchange-rate and interest-rate pass-through effect in the fragile five countries. Moreover, it was found out that the cost channel and price puzzle were effective in Indonesia and South Africa but were not effective in Turkey, Brasil and India.     

How Does Using a Mobile Device Change Investors’ Reactions to Firm Disclosures?

I examine how characteristics of investors’ information access tools change investors’ reactions to firm disclosures. I examine my research question in the context of information choice (i.e., allowing investors to choose the order of information and sections to read within a disclosure) and spatial layout (i.e., how information is displayed when viewing the disclosure). Results of an experiment are consistent with information choice improving investors’ judgments if the disclosure is viewed on a computer screen. Conversely, and consistent with cognitive overload, information choice harms investors’ judgments if the disclosure is viewed on a smaller screen, such as that of a mobile device. Follow-up experiments show that changing the disclosure presentation to reduce the need to scroll is one way to improve investors’ judgments on a smaller (or mobile) screen. My findings caution firms and regulators about expanding information choice within disclosures without considering the screen size used to access the disclosure.     

Shipping cost and development of the landlocked developing countries: Panel evidence from the common correlated effects approach

We estimate the impact of shipping cost on development for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). Since container trade is important to them, we construct a country-specific measure of shipping cost, called HarpexCost, which combines the global cost of container shipping with information on how exposed to container shipping each LLDC is. We employ the common correlated effects (CCE) estimator of Pesaran (Econometrica, 2006; 55: 967) to first estimate the impact of HarpexCost on the LLDCs’ development, and then recover the actual impact of shipping cost from these estimates. Overall, we observe that shipping cost has large negative effects on the LLDCs. Building upon these results, we provide new estimates on the cost of landlockedness and how trade benefits their development.     

因子分析中公因子提取方法的比较与选择

近代和现代统计分析方法中，因子分析是最重要的方法之一。因子分析中有7种提取公因子的方法，其中主成分法、极大似然法和主轴因子法是常用的方法。在着重解析这三种方法基本数学过程的基础上，对其适用条件和应用注意事项进行了比较，最后结合实例比较了不同公因子提取方法的结果，并对提取公因子过程中出现的问题给出了可能的解决办法。     

供需结构优化、分配结构演化与2035年共同富裕目标展望

共同富裕是社会主义的本质要求,中国推动经济社会发展,归根结底是要实现全体人民共同富裕。新发展阶段下中国既要优化供需结构以加快构建新发展格局,又要改善分配结构以全面贯彻新发展理念,而供需结构优化与分配结构演化又是紧密关联的。本文建立了一个包含供给结构、需求结构和分配结构的多部门动态一般均衡模型,将分配结构演化分解到供给结构与需求结构转型上,提出了需求结构通过影响供给结构进而影响分配结构的理论机制。本文对近三十年全球四十余个经济体劳动收入份额和技能溢价的演化进行了发展核算,展示了中国分配结构演化的特征事实、供需动因与国际比较。研究发现,中国分配结构演化道路具有一定的特殊性:一方面,劳动收入份额转为上升,供给侧(需求侧)最主要的推动力是持续提高的劳动密集型产业(消费品)的劳动密集程度;另一方面,技能溢价不断扩大,供给侧(需求侧)最主要的推动力是持续提高的产业内部(消费品)的技能密集程度;供需结构转型在其中也发挥了重要作用。本文还基于历史趋势定量预测了未来中国分配结构的演化趋势,为实现2035年共同富裕目标提供了现实依据与政策参考。     

北美自由贸易区:特点、运行机制、借鉴与启示

北美自由贸易区的建立与运行，体现出“南”、“北”共存性、一国主导性和经济互补性的明显特点，这些特点同拟议建立的中国-东盟自由贸易区可能存在诸多“相通”之处。因此，认真研究和深入探讨北美自由贸易区的运行机制以及北美自由贸易区建立近10年来取得的成效和存在的问题，可以为未来建立中国-东盟自由贸易区，并促进其稳定运行、实现其建设目标，提供有价值的借鉴与启示。     

美欧TTIP谈判最新进展及中国的应对策略

《跨大西洋贸易和投资伙伴关系协议》谈判被认为是历史上最大双边贸易协议谈判,如果协议达成,将会给美欧带来颇丰的经济和地缘政治利益,因此双方对该协议都抱有很大期望并为谈判设定了较高标准.但是,双方在诸多敏感问题如农产品补贴、转基因、地理标志等方面都存在分歧,这给谈判增加了不小的难度.无论该自由贸易和投资协议最终能否达成,中国都应积极关注,因为一旦达成最终的协议,将有可能动摇中国在世界贸易体系中的地位.     

美军分布式通用地面站系统的发展现状与趋势

作为美军情报接收、处理和分发的主要系统,近年来,分布式通用地面站系统（DCGS）在全球信息栅格(GIG)、云技术、大数据等新兴信息技术推动下取得了显著建设成果。简要介绍了美军各军种DCGS系统的项目进展,重点总结了空军DCGS-AF系统和陆军DCGS-A系统的发展现状及技术特性,包括DCGS-AF Block 10.2和DCGS-A 3.0 Griffin软件基线的架构和能力等,结合DCGS系统在伊拉克和阿富汗战场的作战应用分析了系统的未来发展趋势,以期为相关人员提供参考。     

女性高管、信任环境与企业社会责任信息披露——基于自愿披露社会责任报告A股上市公司的经验证据

以2008—2012年沪深两市自愿披露社会责任报告的A股上市公司为样本,实证检验了女性高管对企业社会责任信息披露的影响。研究结论表明,女性高管与企业社会责任信息披露水平显著正相关。进一步研究发现,信任环境对女性高管与企业社会责任信息披露之间的正相关关系产生了促进作用;相对于非国有企业,国有企业女性高管对企业社会责任信息披露水平的正面影响更为显著。