Welfare‐ranking ad valorem and specific tariffs under monopolistic competition

Abstract.  Actual trade and tariff policy prefers ad valorem tariffs to specific tariffs. Yet in this paper we show that, in a setting of monopolistic competition, realizing a given restriction on imports via a specific tariff would generate more consumer utility than obtaining the same restriction via an ad valorem tariff. JEL classification: F12     

Long memory and changing persistence

We study the empirical behaviour of semi-parametric estimation for long-memory models when the true data generating process exhibits a change in persistence. Evidence for long memory is likely to be found. Procedures for discrimination between different models are proposed.     

Non-stationary Interest Rate Differentials and the Role of Monetary Policy

Abstract

The present work deals with a frequently detected failure of the uncovered interest rate parity (UIP) – the absence of bivariate cointegration between domestic and foreign interest rates. We explain the non-stationarity of the interest differential via central bank reactions to exchange rate variations. Thereby, the exchange rate in levels introduces an additional stochastic trend into the system. Trivariate cointegration between the interest rates and the exchange rate accounts for the missing stationarity property of the interest differential. We apply the concept to the case of Turkey and Europe, where we can validate the theoretical considerations by multivariate time series techniques.     

Air accessibility and growth – The economic effects of a capacity expansion at Vienna International Airport

We use an econometric endogenous growth model to estimate the impact of air accessibility on GDP and investment growth. This is done in a dynamic panel system estimation framework for the EU-15 between 1993 and 2006. The results are then used to predict the economic effects of an increase in capacity at the Vienna International Airport using actual forecasts of the required information set. We find a GDP elasticity of air accessibility of 0.014 and an investment elasticity of 0.05 for our sample. Given the official passenger forecast this would lead to additional GDP growth in Austria of accumulated 0.81% based on the values of the restricted scenario (no third runway). In a more conservative forecast scenario of 3% annual passenger growth, a third runway is projected to increase GDP by 0.2% by 2040.     

Wertorientierte Steuerung von Lebensversicherungsunternehmen mittels stochastischer Prozesse

In this paper we present the concept for value based management of life insurance companies using stochastic process methods. The stochastic processes are used for modelling the random parameters determining the value. Stochastic processes in discrete and continuous time as well as with discrete and continuous state space are considered. As shown in the article this results in distribution functions for the corporate value which lie approximately or even exactly in the class of normal distribution functions.