Estimating local average treatment effects in aggregate data

In some contexts, the effect of a treatment can be estimated with easily accessible aggregate rather than individual data, using difference-in-difference estimation. However, under imperfect assignment within groups, this produces intent-to-treat estimates, which may not be the treatment effect of interest. This article provides a method for estimating local average treatment effects using aggregate data. I also suggest a data source that allows the method to be applied when treatment rates are not recorded.     

Estimating the variance of decomposition effects

We derive the asymptotic variance of the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition effects. We show that the delta method approach that builds on the assumption of fixed regressors understates true variability of the decomposition effects when regressors are stochastic. Our proposed variance estimator takes randomness of regressors into consideration. Our approach is applicable to both the linear and nonlinear decompositions. Previously, only a bootstrap method has been a valid option for nonlinear decompositions. As our derivation follows the general framework of m-estimation, it is straightforward to extend our variance estimator to a cluster-robust variance estimator. We demonstrate the finite-sample performance of our variance estimator with a Monte Carlo study and present a real-data application.     

A note on peer effects between teams

We run an experiment to test for peer effects between teams. The subjects perform a team-work task in pairs of payoff-independent teams. They receive feedback about the outcome of their own and the paired team. Consistent with peer effects, we find that this feedback induces substantial correlation of effort choices between teams. The correlation translates into the variation of outcomes within and across pairs of teams.

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Electronic Supplementary Material  The online version of this article () contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.      

Forecast of realized covariance matrix based on asymptotic distribution of the LU decomposition with an application for balancing minimum variance portfolio

We derive the asymptotic distribution for the LU decomposition, that is, the Cholesky decomposition, of realized covariance matrix. Distributional properties are combined with an existing generalized heterogeneous autoregressive (GHAR) method for forecasting realized covariance matrix, which will be referred to as a generalized HARQ (GHARQ) method. An out-of-sample forecast comparison of a real data set shows that the proposed GHARQ method outperforms other existing methods in terms of optimizing the variances of portfolios.     

The effect of increased variance on the duration of search: A note

A search procedure with a finite number of possible periods of search is considered here. It is assumed that the offers at different periods are independent of each other, that there are no search costs, and that there is no discounting of future receipts. It is shown that if the offers come from a normal population with the same mean then the expected duration of the search, given that an optimal search procedure is followed, is independent of the variance.     

A note on the estimation of Atkinson's index of inequality

In this note, the resemblance between the family of inequality indices introduced by Atkinson (1970) and the Box-Cox transformation is exploited in order to provide a data-based procedure for choosing an inequality index within the family.     

技术进步对能源消费回报效应的估算

"回报效应"是能源经济学中的一个著名命题,但在国内尚缺乏实证检验.本文以改革开放以来中国宏观经济能源消费数据为样本,对这一命题进行了计量检验.结果表明,在中国宏观经济层面上,"回报效应"在30-80%波动,而且20世纪90年代的平均回报率要明显低于20世纪80年代.对此进一步分析后本文认为"回报效应"将呈现三种趋势:"回报效应"越来越低;更多地体现为"硬"技术进步方面;更多地体现在生活部门.     

A note on an alternative derivation of the likelihood of an autoregressive moving average process

We give an alternative derivation of the likelihood of a Gaussian ARMA process to that usually given in the literature [see, for example, Newbold (1974), Hillmer and Tiao (1979), and Nicholls and Hall (1979,1980)]. A different computing formula is also derived.     

A note on the asymptotic lower bound for the covariance matrix of the GMM estimator of the parameters of agents' utility functions

This paper derives under simplifying assumptions an explicit expression for the lower bound on the asymptotic variance of the GMM estimate of the curvature parameter of the CRR utility function. Numerical calculations indicate that qualitative conclusions reached on the basis of the expression are reliable indicators of what can be expected in complicated estimation situations where explicit formulae are not available.     

A note on the estimation of the elasticity of the marginal utility of consumption

In dynamic optimization problems one often needs an estimation of ‘the elasticity of the marginal utility of consumption’. Sometimes a variable found through calculation of demand elasticities is used for the required elasticity. This note shows that this method usually gives a wrong value of the desired elasticity, so that this method should be avoided if possible. In the end of the note an example is given showing that this mistake is not unimportant.     

Lead-lag effects in the mean and variance of returns of size-sorted UK equity portfolios

We test for lead-lag effects in the mean and variance among size-sorted portfolios for the UK stock market. We construct three sets of portfolios, namely a set of size-sorted equally-weighted portfolios of different capitalization size, a set of size-sorted value-weighted portfolios of different capitalization size, and a third set of portfolios of the same capitalization size. The recently proposed Cross Correlation Function test is employed. For both sets of portfolios with different capitalization size, we find evidence of a lead effect in both the mean and the variance from large-firm portfolios to small-firm portfolios. This result does not depend on the weighting scheme used to construct portfolios, and indicates that contrarian trading strategies on large-firm portfolios are profitable. For portfolios of equal capitalization size, there is hardly any evidence of a lead-lag effect in either the mean or the variance. This suggests that the lead-lag effect is due to the difference in the capitalization size among portfolios.I wish to thank two anonymous referees for helpful comments on a previous draft of this paper. The usual disclaimer applies.ing scheme.First version received: February 2002/Final version received: May 2003     

中国同主要贸易伙伴贸易条件波动的比较分析

贸易条件的波动对一国的宏观经济有着重要的影响.文章在联合国统计司Comtrade数据库的基础上,首先全面系统地测算出中国同主要贸易伙伴(美国、日本、欧盟和东盟)不同时期不同类别商品贸易条件的波动性,然后运用方差分解的方法对中国同主要贸易伙伴贸易条件波动的根源进行了系统的比较分析.最后得出结论认为,减少中国同美国、日本、欧盟等发达国家贸易条件波动的一个共同的关键因素是改善中技术产品进出口贸易发展不平衡的局面,而减少中国同东盟贸易条件波动的关键在于减少初级产品贸易条件的波动.     

我国产业集群兴起与发展的理论研究——基于制度变迁、社会资本的分析

本文以我国由计划经济向市场经济的制度变迁过程为背景,分析了两种社会资本,即塑造型社会资本和沿袭型社会资本的动态变化对我国产业集群的兴起和发展所具有的双面效应:整合与激励的正面作用和阻碍与限制的负面效应,并提出了基于产业集群的社会资本重构。     

A generalized method of moments estimator for a spatial model with moving average errors, with application to real estate prices

This paper proposes a new GMM estimator for spatial regression models with moving average errors. Monte Carlo results are given which suggest that the GMM estimates are consistent and robust to non-normality, and the Bootstrap method is suggested as a way of testing the significance of the moving average parameter. The estimator is applied in a model of English real estate prices, in which the concepts of displaced demand and displaced supply are introduced to derive the spatial lag of prices, and the moving average error process represents spatially autocorrelated unmodelled variables.      

现代生产性服务业发展的定量研究——基于转变经济增长方式的研究视角

基于转变经济增长方式的研究视角,本文以VAR模型为基础,运用脉）中响应函数和方差分解方法,研究了经济增长的长期动态变动对现代生产性服务业发展的定量影响。脉冲响应分析的结果表明：短期内经济增长对生产性服务业的发展有较大的促进作用,而且随着时间推移,这种促进作用仍在延续。方差分析的结果表明：经济增长是解释现代生产性服务业发展的重要变量,而且对不同类型的生产性服务业的发展,表现出不同的促进作用。     

A semiparametric estimation of liquidity effects on option pricing

Abstract. This paper proposes a semiparametric option pricing model with liquidity, as proxied by the relative bid-ask spread. A nonparametric volatility function with liquidity costs as an explanatory variable is estimated using the Symmetrized Nearest Neighbors (SNN) estimator rather than the traditional kernel estimator. The SNN estimator is particularly suitable for the characteristics of option data in financial markets. Moreover, we propose a natural extension of the univariate bandwidth parameter optimal estimation to the multivariate case. A statistical design to test competing option pricing models which takes into account the lack of independence between them is also presented. The in-sample performance of the model turns out to be statistically favorable relative to the competing model without liquidity. Also, an additional experiment is performed within sample, but with just a subsample of options not employed in the nonparametric estimation of the implied volatility function being priced. The results are also favorable to our semiparametic theoretical option pricing model with liquidity. However, the out-of-sample performance is quite disappointing regardless of what option pricing model is employed in the estimation. Eva Ferreira and Gonzalo Rubio acknowledge the financial support provided by Dirección Interministerial Científica y Técnica (DGICYT) grants PB98-0149 and PB97-0621 respectively. All three authors aknowledge the financial support provided by Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU) grant UPV 038.321-HA129/99, and the BSI Gamma Foundation. We appreciate the helpful comments of two anonymous referees, ángel León, José M. Campa, Fernando Tusell and Javier Fernández Navas, seminar participants at the Bank of Spain and the European Financial Management Association (Athens), and the computational assistance of Gregorio Serna. We thank Juan Ayuso and MEFF for providing the data used in this article. The contents of this paper are the sole responsability of the authors.     

A note on tests of sphericity and cross-sectional dependence for fixed effects panel model

This paper theoretically explains why bias correction appears in two statistics recently developed by Baltagi et al. (2011, 2012), which are designed to test the sphericity and cross-sectional dependence of the errors in the fixed effects panel model respectively. Our explanation shows that the bias correction is in fact avoidable, which is demonstrated by two corresponding statistics that are newly constructed in this paper. Simulation suggests that our statistics perform as well as the two in Baltagi et al. (2011, 2012). In addition, according to the theories underlying our explanation, we extend a new sphericity test proposed by Fisher et al. (2010) to the fixed effects model. Simulation finds that the test behaves well only if both the cross-sectional and the time series dimension are large.     

An assessment of the Europe agreements’ effects on bilateral trade, GDP, and welfare

The so-called Europe Agreements had been enacted in the 1990s to initiate the integration of goods markets between the 15 EU incumbent economies as of 1995 and 10 potential entrants located in Central and Eastern Europe. This paper evaluates the trade, GDP, and welfare effects of these agreements by means of structural analysis of a bilateral trade flow model. The results support three conclusions. First, the agreements exerted significant positive effects on goods trade between the EU15 incumbents and the CEEC and, at the same time, they induced trade redirection from other countries. Second, EU15 GDP responded by an increase of much less than 1% while that in the 10 CEEC increased by several percent in response to the agreements. Third, the effects on welfare were moderate in the EU15 but amounted to more double-digit percentage changes in the involved CEEC.     

Commodity taxation and imperfect competition : A note on the effects of entry

This paper looks at the effects of allowing the number of firms to vary in Seade's model of oligopoly and taxation. We show that the normative and positive consequences of a specific commodity tax are affected by entry in significant ways.