Fractional integration and interval prediction

The motivation for fractional integration in terms of low-frequency spectral behavior and long-lag auto-correlation behavior is well known. Using results on the rate of growth of variances of sums of integrated random variables, we provide additional and complementary time-domain motivation for fractional integration in terms of the long-horizon behavior of (1) the variance-time function, and (2) confidence intervals for predictions. The results are illustrated with an empirical application to real interest rate forecasting.     

扩内需背景下投资需求影响因素实证分析——以1979—2009年为例

投资需求是内需的重要组成部分。基于扩大内需的现实背景,运用1979—2009年的宏观数据,从国内市场角度实证分析了中国投资需求的主要影响因素。结果发现,从全国范围来看,只有产出对投资需求存在显著的正向影响,消费、物价水平和利率水平的影响却并不显著;而对以浙江省为代表的东部发达地区来说,除利率变量之外,产出、消费、物价水平都与投资需求存在显著的正相关关系;全国与浙江省投资需求影响因素的差异也在一定程度上反映了收入差距、市场化水平与投资结构等因素会对投资需求的形成产生潜在的间接影响。     

中国工业企业无利润扩张之谜*

本文发现中国近些年来微观企业层面出现了在没有盈利能力支持情况下进行扩张的行为,同时伴随着居高不下的财务杠杆和畸高的融资成本。通过构建理论模型和利用工业企业数据库进行实证分析,本文发现中国企业在与其盈利能力不相匹配的高融资成本下的迅速扩张,可能与中国经济行为中的扭曲有关。在财政补贴和优惠利率等政策支持下的企业,不顾融资成本盲目扩张,在盈利能力没有保障的情况下,进入典型的“存量”吃“增量”的过程。     

Post Keynesian endogenous money theory: A theoretical and empirical investigation of the credit demand schedule

The article investigates the relationship between interest rates and loan amounts provided by commercial banks from both a theoretical and an empirical perspective. Theoretically, some scholars belonging to the post Keynesian endogenous money tradition advocate that a decrease (increase) in interest rates leads to a positive (negative) effect on the amount of loans demanded by households and firms. On the other hand, some heterodox economists maintain that interest rates do not stimulate firms’ credit demand but that a certain degree of influence is allowed for loans provided to households. By applying a vector autoregression (VAR) and vector error-correction model (VECM) methodology to European Central Bank and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development data for the eurozone, this article proposes an empirical validation of such theoretical premises by analysing the relationship between the different types of credit provided by commercial banks and the corresponding interest rates. The main results show a negative relationship between the interest rates and the credit provided for the purchase of houses. Conversely, no significant relationship is found between loans granted to enterprises and loans for the purchase of consumption goods and the corresponding interest rates.     

Valuing investment projects under interest rate risk: empirical evidence from European firms

In this article, we perform an empirical investigation of the effect of the interest rate uncertainty on the valuation of investment projects. The analysis is carried out by employing a real option approach and by considering a set of firms that operate in various production sectors in the euro area. In particular, the revenues generated by the investment projects are modelled using a geometric Brownian motion, whereas the interest rate is specified as a stochastic process of Vasicek type. Moreover, using the volatility of the equity return as a proxy, the volatility of the revenues is calibrated to real firm data, while the parameters of the interest rate model are estimated by fitting the Euribor time series. To this aim, an ad hoc calibration procedure is developed which is based on the maximum likelihood principle and thus has the merit of being simple, fast and suitable for practical purposes. Our study reveals that the interest rate uncertainty reduces the valuation of investment projects. However, stochastic interest rates do not provide a substantial improvement with respect to constant interest rates, or at least the differences are not statistically significant.     

Interest rates,distribution and capital accumulation – A post-Kaleckian perspective on the US and Germany

We analyse the effects of interest rate variations on the rates of capacity utilisation, capital accumulation and profit in a simple post-Kaleckian distribution and growth model. This model gives rise to different potential accumulation regimes depending on the values of the parameters in the investment, saving and distribution function. Estimating these core behavioural equations for the US and Germany in the period 1960–2007, we find significant and robust effects of interest payments with the expected sign in each of the equations. Our estimation results imply, both for the US and for Germany, that the effects of changes in the real long-term rate of interest on the equilibrium rates of capacity utilisation, capital accumulation and profits, are characterised by the ‘normal regime’: rising long-term real rates of interest cause falling rates of capacity utilisation, capital accumulation and profits, as well as redistribution at the expense of labour income and hence an increasing profit share in both countries.     

当前宏观经济条件下加息政策的效应分析

2007年上半年的主要宏观经济数据显示,目前我国经济流动性过剩问题更加突出,"三过"问题不断交织,物价上涨压力不断加大.围绕这些问题,部分经济学家认为经济过热现象不断显现,加息已在所难免;而另一部分人则认为中国经济并不存在过热问题,只是投资分布不合理,加息并不能解决当前的问题.本文结合这两种观点,分析加息政策的效应,并提出对这一问题的相应看法.     

Sources of Real Exchange Rate Fluctuations in the Nordic Countries

In an attempt to move beyond the purchasing power parity hypothesis, this paper addresses two issues. The first concerns the causes of movements in real exchange rates. In contrast to the typical result, supply shocks are found to dominate the long-run variance decompositions for each of the four Nordic countries under study. This suggests that productivity developments are the most important determinant of long-run movements in real exchange rates. A second topic is the relative importance of stationary and non-stationary components of real exchange rates. Also in contrast to previous findings, transitory shocks are more important than permanent shocks for three of the four countries.     

The relationship between saving and finance: theory and evidence from E.U. countries

This paper investigates the relationship between saving and investment in an effort to shed light on the issue of mobility of capital and whether or not this is prevented by the presence of any barriers. The data of our analysis are annual and come from 14 E.U. countries during the 1960–1994 period. The econometric analysis shows that for the E.U. countries, saving and the provision of credit are two cointegrated variables, which means that for each E.U. country (Belgium was the only exception) the amount of money saved is closely related to the amount of money that is ultimately invested. This result lends support to the view that in E.U. countries the degree of capital mobility plays a minor role in investment, which is primarily influenced by the conditions affecting the domestic provision of savings. In addition, the econometric analysis shows that the causal linkage is in most countries from savings to investment.     

Linear and nonlinear Granger-causality between short-term and long-term interest rates during business cycles

This paper is about the causal relationship between short-term and long-term interest rates in the US and Canada. To that end, we apply a linear Granger causality test introduced by Toda and Yamamoto (1995 Toda, H. Y., and T. Yamamoto. 1995. “Statistical Inference in Vector Autoregressions with Possibly Integrated Processes.” Journal of Econometrics 66 (1–2): 225–250. doi:10.1016/0304-4076(94)01616-8.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and the nonlinear Granger causality test of Diks and Panchenko (2006 Diks, C., and V. Panchenko. 2006. “A New Statistic and Practical Guidelines for Nonparametric Granger Causality Testing.” Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control 30 (9–10): 1647–1669. doi:10.1016/j.jedc.2005.08.008.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). By combining linear causality effects with the nonlinear ones, it is seen that the most common Granger causality direction between short-term and long-term interest rates is a bidirectional one. We also find that nonlinear Granger causality can be found where no linear causality had been uncovered. Moreover, our findings show that during recent business cycles, the federal funds rate (in the US) and the overnight rate (in Canada) still Granger-cause long-term interest rates significantly.