MONTHLY GDP FORECASTING USING BRIDGE MODELS: APPLICATION FOR THE FRENCH ECONOMY

This paper presents a model to predict French gross domestic product (GDP) quarterly growth rate. The model is designed to be used on a monthly basis by integrating monthly economic information through bridge models, for both supply and demand sides, allowing thus economic interpretations. For each GDP component, bridge equations are specified by using a general‐to‐specific approach implemented in an automated way by Hoover and Perez and improved by Krolzig and Hendry. This approach allows to select explanatory variables among a large data set of hard and soft data. A rolling forecast study is carried out to assess the forecasting performance in the prediction of aggregated GDP, by taking publication lags into account in order to run pseudo real‐time forecasts. It turns out that the model outperforms benchmark models. The results show that changing the set of equations over the quarter is superior to keeping the same equations over time. In addition, GDP growth seems to be more precisely predicted from a supply‐side approach rather than a demand‐side approach.     

EMPIRICAL PERFORMANCE OF GARCH MODELS WITH HEAVY‐TAILED INNOVATIONS

We introduce a new type of heavy‐tailed distribution, the normal reciprocal inverse Gaussian distribution (NRIG), to the GARCH and Glosten‐Jagannathan‐Runkle (1993) GARCH models, and compare its empirical performance with two other popular types of heavy‐tailed distribution, the Student's t distribution and the normal inverse Gaussian distribution (NIG), using a variety of asset return series. Our results illustrate that there is no overwhelmingly dominant distribution in fitting the data under the GARCH framework, although the NRIG distribution performs slightly better than the other two types of distribution. For market indexes series, it is important to introduce both GJR‐terms and the NRIG distribution to improve the models’ performance, but it is ambiguous for individual stock prices series. Our results also show the GJR‐GARCH NRIG model has practical advantages in quantitative risk management. Finally, the convergence of numerical solutions in maximum‐likelihood estimation of GARCH and GJR‐GARCH models with the three types of heavy‐tailed distribution is investigated.     

MEAN‐PLUS‐NOISE FACTOR MODELS: AN EMPIRICAL EXPLORATION

In this paper I propose an alternative factor model whose common factor follows a mean‐plus‐noise process. While the existing methods for factor models should be valid for this model, their performance may be misleading in small samples. Because the likelihood function of this model is not tractable, I estimate this model by Bayesian methods. When applied to US macroeconomic time series, we find that the estimated mean‐plus‐noise factor is useful for predicting real personal income, industrial production and unemployment at long prediction horizons.     

AN EXAMPLE OF AN OPTIMAL FORECAST EXHIBITING DECREASING BIAS WITH INCREASING FORECAST HORIZON

Motivated by a central banker with an inflation target, we show that the optimal forecast bias under non‐quadratic loss functions and non‐normal forecast errors can decrease or initially increase and then decrease with the forecast horizon. We initially proof that, if the variable to forecast can be described by a generalized Rayleigh distribution, its conditional mean does in general not constitute the optimal prediction under a symmetric target zone loss function. Subsequently, we approximate the target zone loss function to show the potential for variation in optimal bias over the forecast horizon.     

转型国家初期的经济绩效差异性及分解:一项基于模糊理论的实证研究

如何正确评价转型国家经济绩效一直是转型经济学研究的一个重点。经过研究发现,转型国家初期在不同的转型策略选择下出现了明显的绩效分叉现象,而出现绩效分叉的主要原因可能是生产能力的差异。而在生产能力体系中,投资水平是最重要的。     

珠三角房地产泡沫测度实证研究——以广州为例

在比较国内外房地产泡沫测度方法的基础上,以广州为例,选择因子分析法来测度珠三角房地产市场的泡沫程度。研究发现1996—2005年珠三角房地产市场的泡沫测度值波动较小,虽然在个别年份出现了泡沫,但房地产市场整体运行平稳。而以城市规划和土地储备制度为中心的政府有效宏观调控政策、房地产业的高度市场化和消费者理性是珠三角房地产市场平稳运行主要原因。     

外贸对经济增长的影响分析:理论与经验模型验证

国际贸易理论的核心问题是探究贸易利益的产生及其分配,国际贸易与经济增长具有密切联系。理论分析和经验证据均表明,一国外贸规模对经济增长有着重要作用,对外贸易的变动往往成为决定一国经济增长趋势的关键因素。文章从理论和经验模型上对我国近10多年来外贸和经济增长的关系给出了相关的实证检验,旨在探讨并揭示国际贸易促进经济增长的内在机制。     

ROLLING REGRESSION VERSUS TIME‐VARYING COEFFICIENT MODELLING: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE OKUN'S LAW IN SOME EURO AREA COUNTRIES

During the last decade, economists have shown that the inverse relationship between economic growth and unemployment rate varies over time. Rolling regression has been the main tool used to quantify such a relationship. This methodology suffers from several well‐known problems which lead to spurious non‐linear patterns in the Okun's coefficient behaviour over time. Here, we take a penalized regression spline approach to estimate the Okun's time‐varying effects. As a result, spurious non‐linearities are suppressed and hence important time‐varying coefficient features revealed. Our empirical results show that the inverse relationship in some Euro area countries is spatially heterogeneous and time‐varying. The findings are complemented by the calculation of the rate of output growth needed for a stable unemployment rate, as proposed by Knotek.     

FEE VERSUS ROYALTY POLICY IN LICENSING THROUGH BARGAINING: AN APPLICATION OF THE NASH BARGAINING SOLUTION

In this paper, we consider a Cournot duopoly market in which the patent‐holding firm negotiates with its rival firm about payments for licensing a cost‐reducing innovation. Applying the Nash bargaining solution, we compare two licensing policies, a fixed fee and a royalty. Our results are as follows. Royalty licensing is better than fixed fee licensing for both firms if the innovation is not drastic. So, royalty licensing is always carried out. Moreover, though there exists a case in which consumers prefer fixed fee licensing, royalty licensing is always superior to fixed fee licensing from the social point of view.     

城乡商贸统筹发展的模型设计与博弈分析——以浙江省“千万工程”实施绩效为例

统筹城乡商贸是统筹城乡发展的重要路径和组成部分。城乡商贸统筹发展取决于农村消费者、商贸流通企业、政府三方主体之间的博弈,三方博弈的结果直接影响城乡商贸统筹发展的成效。构建了三方主体的效用指标体系和博弈模型,以浙江省“千万工程”实施绩效为例开展了实证研究,分析了博弈前后三方主体在统筹城乡商贸活动前后的效用值变化,最终得出了“政府支持、企业投入、农村消费者响应”的统筹均衡解。