Co-breaking,cointegration, and weak exogeneity: Modelling aggregate consumption in Japan

This paper aims to estimate a parsimonious data-congruent model for aggregate real consumption in Japan using quarterly data over the past two decades. Testing co-breaking, cointegration and weak exogeneity plays an important role in pursuing the model reduction. It is demonstrated that co-breaking removes a deterministic shift caused by the collapse of the bubble economy in Japan in the early 1990s. Multivariate cointegration analysis then reveals that inflation plays a critical role in accounting for the long-run behaviour of the aggregate consumption. Further analysis finds that inflation and aggregate income are weakly exogenous with respect to a set of parameters of interest. Finally, a parsimonious data-congruent model for the aggregate consumption is estimated conditional on the set of weakly exogenous variables.     

Empirical modeling of Japan’s markup and inflation, 1976–2000

This paper aims to pursue an empirical model of Japan’s markup and inflation using historical time series data covering the last quarter of the 20th century. A multivariate cointegration analysis of Japan’s macroeconomic data indicates the existence of a long-run economic linkage, which is interpreted as an empirical representation of countercyclical markup. A set of variables in the cointegrated system, apart from markup and inflation, are judged to be weakly exogenous for parameters of interest, thereby allowing us to estimate a partial model given these exogenous variables. The model reduction is then conducted so as to achieve a parsimonious representation of countercyclical markup and inflation dynamics over the sample period of interest.     

MODELLING TIME SERIES DATA OF MONETARY AGGREGATES USING I(2) AND I(1) COINTEGRATION ANALYSIS

The objective of this paper is to consider methodology for modelling time series data of monetary aggregates such as monetary base and broad money. A brief review is made with regard to the likelihood‐based cointegration analysis of I(2) (integrated of order 2) data and I(2)‐to‐I(1) transformations. The paper then investigates procedures for econometric modelling of monetary aggregates, which are in general deemed to be I(2) variables analogous to price indices. It is shown that I(2)‐to‐I(1) transformations centering on a money multiplier play an important role in the modelling procedures. Finally, the study presents an empirical illustration of the proposed methodology using monetary aggregate data from Japan.     

A dynamic econometric system for the real yen–dollar rate

This paper investigates the existence of theory-consistent cointegrating relationships between the real yen–dollar exchange rate and economic fundamentals in Japan and the US. After rigorous cointegration analysis, the paper constructs a data-congruent simultaneous equations system for the real yen–dollar rate. Multivariate cointegration analysis covering the post-Bretton Woods period reveals two long-run relationships which are consistent with macroeconomic theories: one is based on a condition of uncovered interest rate parity incorporating the Japanese current account balance, and the other on a structural balance-of-payments equation. Several topics in time series econometrics such as exogeneity are also discussed in the model construction. Finally, a parsimonious dynamic system centering on the real yen–dollar rate is presented as a set of equilibrium correction models conditional on weakly exogenous variables.      

Who Faces Higher Prices? An Empirical Analysis Based on Japanese Homescan Data

On the basis of household‐level scanner data (called homescan data) for Japan, we construct a household‐level price index and investigate the causes of price differences across households. We observe large price differentials across households, a result that is consistent with the previous research based on the data in the USA. However, the differences across age and income groups are small. In addition, we find that elderly people face higher prices than the younger ones, which is contrary to the results of the previous research. The most important determinant of the price level is the extent to which households rely on bargain sales; doubling purchases of goods at bargain sales decreases the price level by about 2%, while shopping frequency only has a limited effect on the price level.     

An empirical investigation of monetary interaction in the Korean economy

This paper conducts an econometric investigation of monetary interaction in the Korean economy over the past two decades. The study pays close attention to a critical role played by broad money and an interest rate term spread in the economy. A vector autoregression reveals two cointegrating relationships, both of which are consistent with macroeconomic theory: the first relationship corresponds to a broad money demand function, while the second represents a monetary policy rule function. The cointegrated system is then reduced to a vector equilibrium correction system, which characterizes the interaction between money demand and monetary policy rule. It is also demonstrated that the preferred model is a reliable forecasting device, suggesting that the broad money contains information about the real economy in the future.     

Dynamics of Growth,Poverty and Inequality: A Panel Analysis of Regional Data from Thailand and the Philippines*

Using panel data for provinces compiled from household expenditure microdata, the present paper empirically investigates the relationships among growth, poverty and inequality in Thailand and the Philippines. The empirical model avoids the potential bias due to the fact that the entire distribution of individual‐level consumption changes over time and empirical variables for growth, poverty and inequality are often compiled from the consumption distribution. The system generalized method of moments estimation results strongly suggest that inequality reduced the growth rate of per‐capita consumption, and that differences in inequality explain a substantial portion of the Philippine–Thai difference in growth and poverty reduction since the late 1980s.     

A Recursive Monte Carlo Study of Structural-Break Sensitivity of Adjustment Coefficients in Cointegrated VAR Systems

This paper studies the sensitivity of adjustment coefficients to various structural breaks in a cointegrated vector autoregressive system. A Monte Carlo simulation study is conducted in a recursive manner to examine fluctuations of finite-sample estimates of the coefficients. The study reveals the wide-ranging influences of breaks on the estimates, which can give rise to inference for spurious time-varying adjustment coefficients, although the underlying true coefficients are stable and time-invariant. It is thus advisable to be cautious about seemingly time-varying adjustment coefficients when analyzing time series data subject to structural breaks.