Signs of dependence and heavy tails in non-life insurance data

In this paper, we study data from the yearly reports the four major Swedish non-life insurers have sent to the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA). We aim at finding marginal distributions of, and dependence between, losses on the five largest lines of business (LoBs) in order to create models for solvency capital requirement (SCR) calculation. We try to use data in an optimal way by sensibly defining an accounting year loss in terms of actuarial liability predictions and by pooling observations from several companies when possible to decrease the uncertainty about the underlying distributions and their parameters. We find that dependence between LoBs is weaker in our data than what is assumed in the Solvency II standard formula. We also find dependence between companies that may affect financial stability and must be taken into account when estimating loss distribution parameters. Moreover, we discuss under what circumstances an insurer is better (or worse) off using an internal model for SCR calculation, instead of the standard formula.     

Optimal portfolio selection in nonlinear arbitrage spreads

This paper analytically solves the portfolio optimization problem of an investor faced with a risky arbitrage opportunity (e.g. relative mispricing in equity pairs). Unlike the extant literature, which typically models mispricings through the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) process, we introduce a nonlinear generalization of OU which jointly captures several important risk factors inherent in arbitrage trading. While these factors are absent from the standard OU, we show that considering them yields several new insights into the behavior of rational arbitrageurs: Firstly, arbitrageurs recognizing these risk factors exhibit a diminishing propensity to exploit large mispricings. Secondly, optimal investment behavior in light of these risk factors precipitates the gradual unwinding of losing trades far sooner than is entailed in existing approaches including OU. Finally, an empirical application to daily FTSE100 pairs data shows that incorporating these risks renders our model's risk-management capabilities superior to both OU and a simple threshold strategy popular in the literature. These observations are useful in understanding the role of arbitrageurs in enforcing price efficiency.     

Investment Under Uncertainty and Dynamic Adjustment in the Finnish Pork Industry

A stochastic dual model of investment under uncertainty is used to investigate structural adjustment in the Finnish hog industry. Value function restrictions are found to be comparable to those in existing dual models assuming deterministic state variables. The model also allows for an asymmetry in investment response during capital expansion and contraction phases. Empirical results show that investments respond negatively to increased uncertainty and that labor adjusts more slowly during contraction phases than during expansions. Results on economies of size, uncertainty effects, and adjustment rigidities have important implications for hog industry response to Finland's entry into the EU.     

Impact of openness, economic policy reform and regional shocks on trade and growth of Thailand： An econometric study

Thailand has currently enhanced and promoted intensive trade and investment liberalization and implemented long-term growth policy according with current regional economic integration, WTO obligations and globalization. Nevertheless, several recent internal and external factors e.g. the massive SARS and avian flu outbreaks, the Indian Ocean tsunami devastation, the Asia financial crisis and domestic policy reforms （ICSEAD, 2006） have also impeded this policy. While the issues are important for Thailand and developing countries in Asia, only limited research has been undertaken to investigate them. The paper conducts a substantive quantitative study to contribute to these trade and development policy issues. A new econometric modelling policy method, namely the generalized gravity theory （Tran Van Hoa, 2004） is used to develop a simple flexible simultaneous-equation econometric model of Thailand＇s openness model with its seven major trade partners （ASEAN-4, Australia, the USA, the EU, China, Japan and India）. Using data from the ICSEAD, the World Development Indicators and the Bank of Thailand databases, the paper reveals efficient and reliable empirical findings on trade-growth causality, trade determination including the impact of shocks and policy reform on trade and growth between Thailand and its major trade partners over the past two decades. The paper also provides evidence on the linkages between trade in goods, FDI and services and regional economic integration for more credible policy implications.     

Government success,failure of the market: a case study of rural India

Contrary to current thinking, in this paper we argue that a careful examination of government intervention suggests that governments did not fail in all their interventions. For example, in terms of achieving self‐sufficiency in food requirements, Indian government intervention was highly successful. However, in terms of solving rural poverty, the government left it to the market, and the market failed to resolve the poverty problem. Rural poverty, instead of falling, increased and subsequently, the government had to intervene to address the poverty.     

Dynamic general equilibrium analysis of improved weed management in Australia's winter cropping systems*

A recent analysis indicated that the direct financial cost of weeds to Australia's winter grain sector was approximately $A1.2bn in 1998–1999. Costs of this magnitude represent a large recurring productivity loss in an agricultural sector that is sufficient to impact significantly on regional economies. Using a multi‐regional dynamic computable general equilibrium model, we simulate the general equilibrium effects of a hypothetical successful campaign to reduce the economic costs of weeds. We assume that an additional $50m of R&D spread over five years is targeted at reducing the additional costs and reduced yields arising from weeds in various broadacre crops. Following this R&D effort, one‐tenth of the losses arising from weeds is temporarily eliminated, with a diminishing benefit in succeeding years. At the national level, there is a welfare increase of $700m in discounted net present value terms. The regions with relatively high concentrations of winter crops experience small temporary macroeconomic gains.     

人民币汇率传递机制研究与启示

汇率传递是指汇率波动通过直接或间接的渠道影响国内价格，影响汇率传递的因素主要包括外贸依存度、市场竞争和市场创新等方面。我国汇率传递效应受市场不完全竞争的影响，其汇率传递效应亦不完全。可以通过企业加速产品结构调整和技术创新，适应汇率弹性增强的需要；加快产业升级与结构调整；并继续实行富有弹性的汇率制度。     

Two-Rate Property Tax Effects on Land Development

Economists have long understood that the conventional property tax causes the housing stock to be smaller than it would be in the presence of a nondistortionary tax such as a land or site value tax. This article brings together the results from models of housing development timing and structural density with the results of a modern model of a graded property tax in an urban setting. The combination of results is used to investigate the effects of a communitys movement from a property tax to a two-rate tax system where land is taxed at a higher rate than structures. The conditions under which increasing reliance on a land or site value tax will increase housing structural density and speed of development are identified and examined. Policy implications are drawn.     

Current-Account Reversals in Developing Countries: The Role of Fundamentals

This paper studies episodes of current-account reversal in developing countries (DCs) in the period 1965–1994. First, a number of persistent shifts (reversals) in the current-account balance dynamics are identified by structural break and segmented trend tests; then, the relationship between these reversals and a set of fundamentals suggested by the intertemporal approach to the current account is investigated in a panel-data set-up. We find that fundamentals play a different role in episodes of persistent deterioration or improvement of the current-account balance in DCs.     

低碳出行意识、出行行为和出行幸福感研究

为了合理地引导人们采用低碳方式出行并提高出行幸福感，以低碳出行意识为突破口，基于“意识-行为-幸福感”这一条链提出了研究模型。通过问卷调查共获得582份有效问卷，以低碳氛围、低碳出行意识、低碳出行行为、出行幸福感、个人社会经济属性为潜变量构建结构方程模型，进行数据分析。研究结果表明，低碳出行行为和低碳出行意识均对出行幸福感有积极的直接影响；低碳氛围对出行幸福感有积极的间接影响；低碳出行意识有待于有效地转化成低碳出行行为。研究结果为低碳出行意识、低碳出行行为、出行幸福感三者之间的关系提供了证据，丰富了出行幸福感理论，对决策者引导人们习惯性地采用低碳方式出行以提高居民出行幸福感具有借鉴意义。