Asymmetric Effects of Exchange Rate Changes and the J‐curve: New Evidence from 61 Malaysia–Thailand Industries

Research on the impact of currency depreciation on the trade balance is now moving in a new direction by incorporating nonlinear dynamic adjustment of the exchange rate and by using a nonlinear approach to error‐correction modeling and cointegration. Using these advances, researchers find not only more evidence of the J‐curve effect, but also new evidence of asymmetric effects of exchange rate changes on the trade balance. We contribute to this line of research by using monthly trade flow data from 61 two‐digit industries that trade between Malaysia and Thailand, and show that not only does currency depreciation have favorable effects on the trade balance of more industries, but the long‐run effects are asymmetric in 26 out of 61 cases. In line with current literature, our nonlinear model performs much better than the linear model when industry level data are used.     

Explaining House Prices in Australia: 1970–2003*

This paper aims to explain changes in real house prices in Australia from 1970 to 2003. We develop and estimate a long-run equilibrium model that shows the real long-run economic determinants of house prices and a short-run asymmetric error correction model to represent house price changes in the short run. We find that, in the long run, real house prices are determined significantly and positively by real disposable income and the consumer price index. They are also determined significantly and negatively by the unemployment rate, real mortgage rates, equity prices and the housing stock. Employing our short-run asymmetric error correction model, we find that there are significant lags in adjustment to equilibrium. When real house prices are rising at more than 2 per cent per annum, the housing market adjusts to equilibrium in approximately four quarters. When real house prices are static or falling, the adjustment process takes six quarters.     

Testing for liquidity constraints among households: An international analysis

A testable implication for optimizing households minimizing a dynamic loss function but encountering borrowing constraints is forwarded. It is argued that in an error correction model of consumers' expenditures, an asymmetric reaction by households to disequilibrium error reveals the presence of borrowing constraints in the market. A test of this implication for the 11 OECD countries shows that significant liquidity constraints are present for most countries. The proposed setup can be used to test the previously maintained assumption of symmetric reactions to disequilibrium errors in the ECM models.     

Using threshold cointegration to estimate asymmetric price transmission in the Swiss pork market

This paper employs threshold cointegration tests that allow for asymmetric adjustment towards a long-run equilibrium relationship to examine the relationship between producer and retail pork prices in Switzerland. The short-run adjustments are also examined with asymmetric error correction models that are compared to the conventional symmetric error correction models. The results indicate that price transmission between the producer and retail levels is asymmetric, in the sense that increases in producer prices that lead to declines in marketing margins are passed on more quickly to retail prices than decreases in producer prices that result in increases in the marketing margins.     

Between cointegration and multicointegration: Modelling time series dynamics by cumulative error correction models

This study proposes a cumulative error correction model where the summing weights follow a geometrically decreasing function of prior deviations from the equilibrium and are estimated from the data. It is shown that this approach nests both the traditional error correction model – where no weight is given to deviations from the steady state prior to the most recent period – and the error correction model based on the idea of multicointegration.The form of accumulation presented here does not change the order of integration of the series, as is the case in the multicointegration approach of Granger and Lee (1989). Furthermore, it is very parsimonious as only one or two parameters more have to be estimated. The assumption of geometrically decreasing weights can be tested by estimating the model in its unrestricted form.Based on this new model type, the relationship between private consumption and real disposable income of private households in the US is estimated. The short-term forces which set off the most recent period's deviations are much smaller than would be suggested by a VEC and a conventional single equation ECM, and the income elasticity is lower as well. The proposed model outperforms the other two with respect to its forecasting power.     

中国沪深股市收益率和波动性的实证分析

沪市和深市股票收益率和波动性之闻具有相互作用和相互影响,存在股价变化和走势之间的互动作用和示范效应,我们发现两市收益率序列之间具有长期协整关系,这说明它们存在类似的长期趋势成分;它们的短期误差修正系数存在一定的差异,这说明它们具有相异的短期波动模式;我们利用 GARCH 模型等非对称性方法发现两市之间存在显著的波动"溢出效应"和"杠杆效应",这说明两市资金的流动性约束较低,投资主体的相关性较强,两市收益率和波动性之间具有一定程度的整合性。     

Exploring the interaction between stock price index and exchange rates: an asymmetric threshold approach

This article examines the impact of stock market news on the foreign exchange markets of USA, Canada and UK, employing an innovative extension of the asymmetric threshold model of Apergis and Miller (2006). Under this framework we can disentangle the reaction of foreign exchange market to bad or good news and small or large news of stock returns. Our comprehensive daily data-set spans the period from January 1990 to June 2014. Using a cointegration and error correction model, we document the existence of a causal relationship between stock market and foreign exchange markets. Most interestingly, our results derived from the asymmetric threshold model confirm that the relationship between stock and foreign exchange markets is sensitive to short-term good or bad news and short-term small or large news. Our findings entail significant implications for policymakers, governments, risk managers and international investors.     

What Drives Urban Consumption in Mainland China? The Role of Property Price Dynamics

This paper adds to the literature on wealth effects on consumption by disentangling house price effects on consumption for mainland China. In a stochastic modelling framework, the riskiness, rate of increase and persistence of house price movements have different implications for the consumption/housing ratio. We exploit the geographical variation in property prices by using a quarterly city‐level panel data set for the period 1998Q1–2009Q4 and rely on a panel error correction model. Overall, the results suggest a significant long‐run impact of property prices on consumption. They also broadly confirm the predictions from the theoretical model.     

Dynamic specification of demand functions: A cointegration approach

The single-equation approach has been commonly used in the studies of energy demand. However, as most of the data used in the energy demand model are unlikely to be stationary, this factor has to be taken into account when estimating the demand behavior. To overcome this problem, the authors have applied the cointegration and error-correction models to model Chinese coal consumption data. In order to contrast their performance with such traditional models as Hendry's general-to-specific approach, a forecast error comparison exercise has been conducted. In terms ofex post forecast errors, the Engle-Granger error correction model outperforms other chosen models. By using the Engle-Granger approach, it is possible to obtain important information about the behavior of coal demand in China.     

Trade liberalization and industrial growth in Pakistan: a cointegration analysis

Using the framework of an endogenous growth model, this study empirically analyses the relationship between trade policies and industrial growth in Pakistan during the period 1973–1995. The cointegration and error correction modelling approaches have been applied. The empirical results suggest that there exists a unique long-run relationship among the aggregate growth function of industrial value added and its major determinants of the real capital stock, the labour force, real exports, the import tariff collection rate and the secondary school enrolment ratio. The short-term dynamic behaviour of Pakistan's growth function of industrial value added has been investigated by estimating an error correction model in which the error correction term has been found to be correctly signed and statistically significant.     

The treatment of seasonality in error correction models as unobserved component: a case study for an Austrian consumption function

This paper deals with an alternative approach to treating seasonality in error correction models for consumption with a parsimonious parameterization as proposed by Harvey and Scott. We introduce an unobserved seasonal component into an error correction model for Austrian consumer expenditures on nondurables and services and compare the results with different approaches. The use of stochastic seasonal results in a definite improvement of the estimated model. First version received: October 1997/Final version received: May 2000     

策略互动与产权的界定-一个非完全信息动态博弈模型及其应用

该文构建了一个非完全信息动态博弈模型,对一个有限经济(ECONOMY)内部行为主体的一项基本权利(如产权)的界定与实施过程给出了一种解释.与以往一些博弈论专家在分析制度(尤其产权制度)及制度变迁不同的是,该文在博弈模型中通过非完全信息的假设,引入行为主体策略的差异性.该文给出的结论是:制度是不同的行为人与政府之间的博弈均衡.在文中我们使用的是一种混合均衡的概念--对称完美贝叶斯均衡.最后该文对相应的结论给予了一个现实的说明,并指出了模型可能的进一步发展方向.     

An asymmetric error correction model of UK consumer spending

This paper augments the Granger and Lee (Journal of Applied Econometrics, 4, 1989) non-symmetric error (equilibrium) correction model to assess the possibility that, in the aggregate, consumers respond differently to different types of disequilibrium error. This idea is illustrated using an Engle-Granger implementation of the Davidson, Hendry, Srba and Yeo (DHSY, Economic Journal, 80, 1978) model. The disequilibrium error is endogenously determined by the long-run, empirical model and a binary dummy variable captures two alternative states, above and below equilibrium spending. Interaction of the dummy variable with key variables in a short-run dynamic model of UK consumer spending augments the dynamics of the DHSY model. Income elasticities, inflation elasticities and speeds of adjustment are all seen to change significantly depending on whether the disequilibrium error is positive or negative, and is suggestive of asymmetric behaviour on the part of consumers. Moreover, the asymmetrically augmented model substantially outperforms a symmetric model with standard error improvements in excess of 50%.     

Fiscal multipliers in a structural VEC model with mixed normal errors

This paper estimates the effects of fiscal policy shocks on GDP in the United States with a vector error correction (VEC) model in which shocks are identified by exploiting the non-normal distribution of the model residuals. Unlike previous research, the model used here takes into account cointegation between the variables, and applies a data driven method to identify fiscal policy shocks. The approach also allows statistical testing of previous identification strategies, which may help discriminate between them and hence also explain differences between various fiscal multiplier estimates. Our results show that a deficit financed government spending shock has a weak negative effect on output, whereas a tax increase to finance government spending has a positive impact on GDP.     

An error correcting model of farmland prices

Granger has demonstrated that if two variables are integrated of order one and are conitegrated, they can be modelled as having been generated by an error correction mechanism. Cointegration and error correction systems allow long-run components of variables to obey equilibrium constraints while short-run components are allowed to have flexible dynamic specification. Using data from five Corn Belt States in the US, we show that farmland prices and cash rents are each integrated of order one and are model is estimated. The error correction term is found to be significant in both equations, indicating Granger causality running in both directions. Historical simulation of the model is performed. The price equation peroformed better although both equations simulate reasonably well.     

Asymmetries in bid and ask responses to innovations in the trading process

This paper proposes a new approach to jointly model the trading process and the revisions of market quotes. This method accommodates asymmetries in the dynamics of ask and bid quotes after trade-related shocks. The empirical specification is a vector error correction (VEC) model for ask and bid quotes, with the spread as the co-integrating vector, and with an endogenous trading process. This model extends the vector autoregressive (VAR) model introduced by Hasbrouck (Hasbrouck J (1991) Measuring the information content of stock trades. J Finance 46:179–207). We provide evidence against several symmetry assumptions, very familiar among microstructure models. We report asymmetric adjustments of ask and bid prices to trade-related shocks, and asymmetric impacts of buyer and seller-initiated trades. In general, buys are more informative than sells. The likelihood of symmetric quote responses increases with volatility. We show that our findings are robust across different model specifications, time frequencies, and trading periods. Moreover, we find similar asymmetries in markets with different microstructures.

Threshold cointegration between inflation and US capacity utilization

An analogue to the Phillips curve shows a positive relationship between inflation and capacity utilization. Some recent empirical work has shown that this relationship has broken down when using data after the mid-1980s. We empirically investigate this issue using several threshold error correction models. We find, in the long run, a 1% increase in the rate of inflation leads to approximately a 0.0046% increase in capacity utilization. The asymmetric error correction structure shows that changes in capacity utilization show significant corrective measures only during booms while changes in inflation correct during both phases of the business cycle with the corrections being stronger during recessions. We also find that, in the short run, changes in the inflation rate do Granger cause capacity utilization while changes in capacity utilization do not Granger cause inflation. The Granger causality from inflation to capacity utilization can be interpreted as supporting recent calls made in the popular press by some economists that it may be desirable for the Federal Reserve Bank to try to induce some inflation. However, it is also possible to interpret these Granger causality results as arising because both variables respond to some more fundamental set of variables with the inflation rate simply responding sooner. The lack of Granger causality from capacity utilization to inflation casts doubt on the older view that capacity utilization could be a leading indicator for future inflation.     

ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION IMPACTS: EVIDENCE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN TREASURY-BOND FUTURES MARKET

Abstract.  The effect of information flows on the return volatility of Australian 3-year Treasury bond futures is examined using linear and non-linear GARCH models. Results show significant asymmetric information effects, where bad news has a greater impact on volatility than good news and a non-linear Threshold ARCH(1,1) in mean model provides the most accurate estimation of return volatility. Diagnostic tests confirm this finding and out of sample forecasting error statistics verify that the Threshold ARCH(1,1) in mean model yields the lowest forecasting error. The Threshold ARCH(1,1)-M model is best at capturing the asymmetric information impact on the Australian three-year T-Bond futures return volatility.     

A structural time series approach to modelling multiple and resurgent meat scares in Italy

This paper exploits a structural time series approach to model the time pattern of multiple and resurgent food scares and their direct and cross-product impacts on consumer response. A structural time series Almost Ideal Demand System (STS-AIDS) is embedded in a vector error correction framework to allow for dynamic effects (VEC-STS-AIDS). Italian aggregate household data on meat demand is used to assess the time-varying impact of a resurgent BSE crisis (1996 and 2000) and the 1999 Dioxin crisis. The VEC-STS-AIDS model monitors the short-run impacts and performs satisfactorily in terms of residuals diagnostics, overcoming the major problems encountered by the customary vector error correction approach.     

Are there asymmetries in the response of bank interest rates to monetary shocks?

This article examines the velocity and asymmetry of the response of bank interest rates to monetary policy shocks. Using an asymmetric vector error correction model, it analyses the pass-through of changes in money market rates to retail bank interest rates in Italy in the period 1985–2002. The main results of the article are: (1) the speed of adjustment of bank interest rates to monetary policy changes increased significantly after the introduction of the 1993 Consolidated Law on Banking; (2) interest rate adjustment in response to positive and negative shocks is asymmetric in the short run, but not in the long run; (3) banks adjust their loan (deposit) rate faster during periods of monetary tightening (easing); (4) this asymmetry almost vanished since the 1990s.