German business cycle forecasts, asymmetric loss and financial variables

We examine the efficiency of German forecasts for output growth and inflation allowing for an asymmetric loss function of the forecasters. We find the loss of output growth forecasts to be approximately symmetric while there is an asymmetry in the loss of the inflation forecasts. The information of financial variables seems to be adequately incorporated into the output forecasts but to a lesser extent into the inflation forecasts.     

Fiscal Balance and Current Account in Professional Forecasts

This paper investigates the relationship between financial institutions' expectations of the current account and the fiscal balance. Using professional macroeconomic forecasts for the G‐7 countries, we find a positive relationship between forecasts of the cyclically adjusted fiscal balance deficit and forecasts of the current account deficit, indicating that professional forecasts embody links implied by the twin deficits hypothesis. In assessing the relationship between the forecasts of the fiscal deficit and the current account, we find that forecasters correctly make the distinction between the effect of fiscal policy and automatic stabilizers.     

Forecast performance,disagreement, and heterogeneous signal-to-noise ratios

We propose an imperfect information model for the expectations of macroeconomic forecasters that explains differences in average disagreement levels across forecasters by means of cross-sectional heterogeneity in the variance of private noise signals. We show that the forecaster-specific signal-to-noise ratios determine both the average individual disagreement level and an individuals’ forecast performance: Forecasters with very noisy signals deviate strongly from the average forecasts and report forecasts with low accuracy. We take the model to the data by empirically testing for this implied correlation. Evidence based on data from the Surveys of Professional Forecasters for the USA and for the Euro Area supports the model for short- and medium-run forecasts but rejects it based on its implications for long-run forecasts.     

Seasonality, Cointegration, and Forecasting UK Residential Energy Demand

Much of the short‐run movement in energy demand in the UK is seasonal, and the contribution of long‐run factors to short‐run forecasts is slight. Nevertheless, using a variety of techniques, including a recently developed estimation procedure that is applicable irrespective of the orders of integration of the data, we obtain a long‐run income elasticity of demand of about one third, and we are unable to reject a zero price elasticity. An econometric model is shown to provide superior short‐run forecasts to well‐known seasonal time series models ex post , but is inferior to Box‐Jenkins SARMA models when the determinants themselves have to be forecast. However, the relatively short data sample and small number of forecasts suggest caution in generalising these results.     

成本粘性影响管理层自愿性盈利预测了吗？--来自中国A股上市公司的证据

文章研究成本粘性与管理层自愿性盈利预测之间的关联。结果发现：成本粘性增加了管理层发布自愿性盈利预测的倾向及频率,同时,成本粘性程度与乐观盈利预测呈正相关,与悲观盈利预测呈负相关。影响机制表明,成本粘性通过提高信息不对称程度和企业经营风险从而影响了管理层自愿性盈利预测披露。进一步研究发现,政府补助加强了成本粘性与管理层自愿性盈利预测披露之间的关系,企业社会责任与经济政策不确定性削弱了两者之间的关系;然而政府补助、企业社会责任与经济政策不确定性对成本粘性与管理层自愿性盈利预测性质之间的关系没有显著影响。此外,成本粘性对管理层自愿性盈利预测的影响在非国有企业、非国际四大审计的公司中更为显著。最后,管理层自愿性盈利预测披露的增加,降低了权益资本成本,提升了企业价值。本文的发现丰富了成本粘性经济后果和自愿披露信息影响因素的研究,并提供了关于管理层的自由裁量权和管理激励在影响企业成本结构和盈利预测信息披露方面的证据。     

Average of forecasts: an improvement

Stein-rules are used in forming combination forecasts. Such forecasts have smaller prediction risk, under certain conditions, than the preferred method of average of forecasts. The new composite forecasts will be theoretically biased, but are likely to have smaller mean squared error of forecasts as shown in the empirical exercises examined. When the forecasts appear to be unbiased and have a common mean, Lindley-type combination is most useful.     

On the internal consistency of short-term,medium-term and long-term oil price forecasts

We derive internal consistency restrictions on short-, medium- and long-term oil price forecasts. We then analyse whether oil price forecasts extracted from the Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF) conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB) satisfy these internal consistency restrictions. We find that neither short-term forecasts are consistent with medium-term forecasts nor that medium-term forecasts are consistent with long-term forecasts. Using a more complex expectation formation structure featuring a distributed lag structure, however, we find stronger evidence of internal consistency of medium-term forecasts with long-term forecasts.     

The out-of-sample forecasting performance of nonlinear models of regional housing prices in the US

This article provides out-of-sample forecasts of linear and nonlinear models of US and four Census subregions’ housing prices. The forecasts include the traditional point forecasts, but also include interval and density forecasts, of the housing price distributions. The nonlinear smooth-transition autoregressive model outperforms the linear autoregressive model in point forecasts at longer horizons, but the linear autoregressive and nonlinear smooth-transition autoregressive models perform equally at short horizons. In addition, we generally do not find major differences in performance for the interval and density forecasts between the linear and nonlinear models. Finally, in a dynamic 25-step ex-ante and interval forecasting design, we, once again, do not find major differences between the linear and nonlinear models. In sum, we conclude that when forecasting regional housing prices in the United States, generally the additional costs associated with nonlinear forecasts outweigh the benefits for forecasts only a few months into the future.     

"好公民"还是"好演员":企业社会责任行为异象研究——基于企业业绩预告视角

履行社会责任的公司究竟是真心实意的"好公民"还是表里不一的"好演员"?文章基于业绩预告视角,研究了企业社会责任声誉与行为背离的异象.研究发现,企业履行社会责任越佳,发布业绩预告的概率越低,初步表明我国很可能存在企业社会责任背离的"好演员".进一步的实证表明,在发布业绩预告的企业中,企业社会责任评分越高,业绩预告的准确性和精确性也越高.这表明发布业绩预告且履行社会责任好的企业是真心实意的"好公民".文章的研究表明,业绩预告行为有助于利益相关者甄别履行社会责任好的企业是"好公民"还是"好演员",也有利于投资者做出投资决策和缓解市场信息不对称.     

美国经济危机原因及其影响的新解释——基于经济长波、货币供给与国际竞争的视角

美国经济危机是其新长波运行到顶后以朱格拉周期形式表现的一次调整,美国经济由此将步入缓慢增长的动荡时期。为满足长波扩张对巨额货币供给的需要,20世纪80年代美国金融体系进行了以金融创新为主要内容的重构,由此支撑了美国经济长达20多年的快速增长,并极大提升了美国的国际地位。但随着长波的演进,不仅内部的扩张动力逐渐衰竭,而且外部的相对竞争力也在快速下降,实体经济对新增货币的吸纳能力减弱,由此金融创新深化所创造的巨大货币供给就只能转向次贷和高杠杆的金融衍生产品。当实体经济与虚拟经济的背离达到一定程度时,经济危机也就不可避免。美国经济危机最终转化为世界经济危机,则是因为各主要国家之间的经济周期出现了高度的同步性,是它们之间相互叠加共振的结果。     

The diversity of forecasts from macroeconomic models of the US economy

This paper investigates the accuracy and heterogeneity of output growth and inflation forecasts during the current and the four preceding NBER-dated US recessions. We generate forecasts from six different models of the US economy and compare them to professional forecasts from the Federal Reserve??s Greenbook and the Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF). The model parameters and model forecasts are derived from historical data vintages so as to ensure comparability to historical forecasts by professionals. The mean model forecast comes surprisingly close to the mean SPF and Greenbook forecasts in terms of accuracy even though the models only make use of a small number of data series. Model forecasts compare particularly well to professional forecasts at a horizon of three to four quarters and during recoveries. The extent of forecast heterogeneity is similar for model and professional forecasts but varies substantially over time. Thus, forecast heterogeneity constitutes a potentially important source of economic fluctuations. While the particular reasons for diversity in professional forecasts are not observable, the diversity in model forecasts can be traced to different modeling assumptions, information sets and parameter estimates.     

证券分析师的盈余预测和股票评级是否具有独立性?

本文通过构建理论模型和实证检验全面分析了证券分析师所面临的利益关系对其所发布的信息质量的影响,结果表明:证券分析师为了维护与基金等机构投资者以及公司内部投资银行部门的关系,倾向于发布偏乐观的盈余预测和股票评级;声誉较高的分析师也同样不能在各种利益关系的漩涡中保持独立.这些结果揭示了我国证券分析师独立性缺失的利益根源,并为监管层规范和发展证券分析师行业提供了重要的理论依据.     

The expectations theory of the term structure: Evidence from inflation forecasts

This paper tests the joint hypothesis of rational expectations and the expectations theory of the term structure using the Livingston survey data on price inflation forecasts. For a variety of sample periods, the paper presents evidence that the data are consistent with the theory. Since inflation forecasts, unlike interest rates, are not linked to specific underlying financial assets, the relationship between longterm and short-term inflation forecasts should not embody risk premia. This paper's findings therefore lend support to the view that a time-varying risk premium is needed to explain the observed term structure of interest rates.     

Fixed investment,factor substitution and the elasticity of demand

The results of comparative stability analysis of demand- and supply-side input–output models using the UK data are presented, as well as the results of the comparison between the UK and US comparative stability analyses of the two models. The results of comparative stability analysis of the two models using the US data were reported elsewhere (Bon, 1986). The forecasts of sectoral and total output of the two models are generated with known final demand and value added figures from subsequent tables, and are compared with known output figures for benchmark years. The results of the UK and US studies are very similar. The demand-side model performs somewhat better in terms of total output forecasts, but the supply-side model performs some-what better for a larger number of sectors. In particular, the supply-side model offers better forecasts for the mature economic sectors such as agriculture, mining, and construction. Both models should be used to determine the extent to which an extent to which an economy or a sector are demand- or supply-driven.     

Predictions of growth in U.S. corporate profits: Asymmetric vs. symmetric loss

This study evaluates the Federal Reserve and private forecasts of growth in corporate profits for 1984-2004. These forecasts are both rational and directionally accurate but suggest different loss structures. The Federal Reserve forecasts tend to significantly under-predict and imply asymmetric loss. The private forecasts, however, are free of such bias, suggesting symmetric loss. Given that the Federal Reserve forecasts are made to help with policymaking, our findings point to the Fed's cautiousness not to incorrectly predict the downward moves in growth in corporate profits. The private forecasts are made by experts who (with a strong profit-motivated interest) attempt to generate financial gain and thus predict the upward moves as accurately as the downward moves.     

Optimal forecast evaluation: fertilizer prices

High fertilizer price volatility makes production planning and inventory management difficult, so accurate fertilizer price forecasts would be beneficial. This article evaluates commercial forecasts for urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP) prices based on forecast accuracy and optimal forecast properties. Most forecasts pass the tests, but forecasts for the US New Orleans urea and the US Gulf DAP markets, in particular, do not and thus show potential to be improved.     

Judgment change during Delphi-like procedures: The role of majority influence, expertise, and confidence

This study investigates individual opinion change and judgmental accuracy in Delphi-like groups. Results reveal that the accuracy of judgmental probability forecasts increases over Delphi rounds (in terms of proportion correct and appropriateness of confidence) when statistical summaries or written rationales are provided from other members of an individual's nominal group, but does not increase in a control iteration condition (without feedback). Additionally, subjects who gave more appropriate probability forecasts on the first round exhibited least opinion change, although measures of confidence were unrelated to opinion change. Results also show that majority opinion exerts strong opinion pull on minority opinion even when the majority favours an incorrect answer (irrespective of the nature of feedback provided). The implications of these results for the utility and conduct of the Delphi technique are discussed, in particular, with respect to selecting panellists and choosing an appropriate feedback format.     

Evaluating FOMC forecast ranges: an interval data approach

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the U.S. Federal Reserve publishes the range of members’ forecasts for key macroeconomic variables, but not the distribution of forecasts within this range. To evaluate these projections, previous papers compare the midpoint of the range with the realized outcome. This paper proposes an alternative approach to forecast evaluation that takes account of the interval nature of projections. It is shown that using the conventional Mincer–Zarnowitz approach to evaluate FOMC forecasts misses important information contained in the width of the forecast interval. This additional information plays a minor role at short forecast horizons but turns out to be of sometimes crucial importance for longer-horizon forecasts. For 18-month-ahead forecasts, the variation of members’ projections contains information that is more relevant for explaining future inflation than information embodied in the midpoint. Likewise, when longer-range forecasts for real GDP growth and the unemployment rate are considered, the width of the forecast interval comprises information over and above the one given by the midpoint alone.     

Corporate environmental disclosure, financial markets and the media: An international perspective

In this study, we analyze the information dynamics between corporate environmental disclosure, financial markets (as proxied by financial analysts' earnings forecasts) and public pressures (as proxied by a firm's media exposure). We adopt a comprehensive view of disclosure that encompasses environmental information that is both print-based as well as web-based. The sample comprises firms from both continental Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, and Netherlands) as well as North America (Canada and the United States). Relying on a system of equations that controls for endogeneity between environmental disclosure determination and financial analysts' work, we show that enhanced environmental disclosure translates into more precise earnings forecasts by analysts. Such effect is reduced for firms with extensive analyst following and in environmentally sensitive industries. However, these relationships are shown to be starker in Europe than in North America, i.e., environmental disclosure has a greater impact on analysts' forecasts but is also more greatly attenuated by analyst following and membership in an environmentally sensitive industry. Most observed relationships hold for either print- or web-based disclosure, except for North America in which web-based disclosure seems to have no impact on analysts' forecasting work.     

业绩预告的市场反应研究

本文以业绩预告信息为例,研究会计盈余的市场反应问题。我们的研究发现,关于年度会计盈余的业绩预告引起了明显的市场反应,但中性的预告信息则获得负的累计超额报酬,这表明在我国特殊的制度背景下,以随机游走模型确定未预期盈余存在一定的缺陷。同时,市场对坏消息反应更为剧烈,这说明广大投资者具备了一定的风险规避意识．市场对于不同属性的业绩预告信息的反应存在显著差异。