Econometrics

1155 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bayesian Approach to Disentangling Technical and Environmental Productivity

by Emir Malikov, Subal C. Kumbhakar and Efthymios G. Tsionas

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 443-465; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020443 - 16 Jun 2015

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5879

This paper models the firm’s production process as a system of simultaneous technologies for desirable and undesirable outputs. Desirable outputs are produced by transforming inputs via the conventional transformation function, whereas (consistent with the material balance condition) undesirable outputs are by-produced via the [...] Read more.

This paper models the firm’s production process as a system of simultaneous technologies for desirable and undesirable outputs. Desirable outputs are produced by transforming inputs via the conventional transformation function, whereas (consistent with the material balance condition) undesirable outputs are by-produced via the so-called “residual generation technology”. By separating the production of undesirable outputs from that of desirable outputs, not only do we ensure that undesirable outputs are not modeled as inputs and thus satisfy costly disposability, but we are also able to differentiate between the traditional (desirable-output-oriented) technical productivity and the undesirable-output-oriented environmental, or so-called “green”, productivity. To measure the latter, we derive a Solow-type Divisia environmental productivity index which, unlike conventional productivity indices, allows crediting the ceteris paribus reduction in undesirable outputs. Our index also provides a meaningful way to decompose environmental productivity into environmental technological and efficiency changes. Full article

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394 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Strategic Interaction Model with Censored Strategies

by Nazgul Jenish

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 412-442; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020412 - 01 Jun 2015

Viewed by 4152

Abstract

In this paper, we develop a new model of a static game of incomplete information with a large number of players. The model has two key distinguishing features. First, the strategies are subject to threshold effects, and can be interpreted as dependent censored [...] Read more.

In this paper, we develop a new model of a static game of incomplete information with a large number of players. The model has two key distinguishing features. First, the strategies are subject to threshold effects, and can be interpreted as dependent censored random variables. Second, in contrast to most of the existing literature, our inferential theory relies on a large number of players, rather than a large number of independent repetitions of the same game. We establish existence and uniqueness of the pure strategy equilibrium, and prove that the censored equilibrium strategies satisfy a near-epoch dependence property. We then show that the normal maximum likelihood and least squares estimators of this censored model are consistent and asymptotically normal. Our model can be useful in a wide variety of settings, including investment, R&D, labor supply, and social interaction applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spatial Econometrics)

417 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Asymptotic Distribution and Finite Sample Bias Correction of QML Estimators for Spatial Error Dependence Model

by Shew Fan Liu and Zhenlin Yang

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 376-411; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020376 - 21 May 2015

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5489

Abstract

In studying the asymptotic and finite sample properties of quasi-maximum likelihood (QML) estimators for the spatial linear regression models, much attention has been paid to the spatial lag dependence (SLD) model; little has been given to its companion, the spatial error dependence (SED) [...] Read more.

In studying the asymptotic and finite sample properties of quasi-maximum likelihood (QML) estimators for the spatial linear regression models, much attention has been paid to the spatial lag dependence (SLD) model; little has been given to its companion, the spatial error dependence (SED) model. In particular, the effect of spatial dependence on the convergence rate of the QML estimators has not been formally studied, and methods for correcting finite sample bias of the QML estimators have not been given. This paper fills in these gaps. Of the two, bias correction is particularly important to the applications of this model, as it leads potentially to much improved inferences for the regression coefficients. Contrary to the common perceptions, both the large and small sample behaviors of the QML estimators for the SED model can be different from those for the SLD model in terms of the rate of convergence and the magnitude of bias. Monte Carlo results show that the bias can be severe, and the proposed bias correction procedure is very effective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spatial Econometrics)

259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Jackknife Correction to a Test for Cointegration Rank

by Marcus J. Chambers

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 355-375; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020355 - 20 May 2015

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5023

Abstract

This paper investigates the performance of a jackknife correction to a test for cointegration rank in a vector autoregressive system. The limiting distributions of the jackknife-corrected statistics are derived and the critical values of these distributions are tabulated. Based on these critical values [...] Read more.

This paper investigates the performance of a jackknife correction to a test for cointegration rank in a vector autoregressive system. The limiting distributions of the jackknife-corrected statistics are derived and the critical values of these distributions are tabulated. Based on these critical values the finite sample size and power properties of the jackknife-corrected tests are compared with the usual rank test statistic as well as statistics involving a small sample correction and a Bartlett correction, in addition to a bootstrap method. The simulations reveal that all of the corrected tests can provide finite sample size improvements, while maintaining power, although the bootstrap procedure is the most robust across the simulation designs considered. Full article

282 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Seasonal KPSS Test: Examining Possible Applications with Monthly Data and Additional Deterministic Terms

by Ghassen El Montasser

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 339-354; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020339 - 13 May 2015

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 6151

Abstract

The literature has been notably less definitive in distinguishing between finite sample studies of seasonal stationarity than in seasonal unit root tests. Although the use of seasonal stationarity and unit root tests is advised to determine correctly the most appropriate form of the [...] Read more.

The literature has been notably less definitive in distinguishing between finite sample studies of seasonal stationarity than in seasonal unit root tests. Although the use of seasonal stationarity and unit root tests is advised to determine correctly the most appropriate form of the trend in a seasonal time series, such a use is rarely noted in the relevant studies on this topic. Recently, the seasonal KPSS test, with a null hypothesis of no seasonal unit roots, and based on quarterly data, has been introduced in the literature. The asymptotic theory of the seasonal KPSS test depends on whether data have been filtered by a preliminary regression. More specifically, one may proceed to extracting deterministic components, such as the mean and trend, from the data before testing. In this paper, we examine the effects of de-trending on the properties of the seasonal KPSS test in finite samples. A sketch of the test’s limit theory is subsequently provided. Moreover, a Monte Carlo study is conducted to analyze the behavior of the test for a monthly time series. The focus on this time-frequency is significant because, as we mentioned above, it was introduced for quarterly data. Overall, the results indicated that the seasonal KPSS test preserved its good size and power properties. Furthermore, our results corroborate those reported elsewhere in the literature for conventional stationarity tests. These subsequent results assumed that the nonparametric corrections of residual variances may lead to better in-sample properties of the seasonal KPSS test. Next, the seasonal KPSS test is applied to a monthly series of the United States (US) consumer price index. We were able to identify a number of seasonal unit roots in this time series. [1] [1] Table 1 in this paper is copyrighted and initially published by JMASM in 2012, Volume 11, Issue 1, pp. 69–77, ISSN: 1538–9472, JMASM Inc., PO Box 48023, Oak Park, MI 48237, USA, ea@jmasm.com. Full article

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7847 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The SAR Model for Very Large Datasets: A Reduced Rank Approach

by Sandy Burden, Noel Cressie and David G. Steel

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 317-338; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020317 - 11 May 2015

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 8186

Abstract

The SAR model is widely used in spatial econometrics to model Gaussian processes on a discrete spatial lattice, but for large datasets, fitting it becomes computationally prohibitive, and hence, its usefulness can be limited. A computationally-efficient spatial model is the spatial random effects [...] Read more.

The SAR model is widely used in spatial econometrics to model Gaussian processes on a discrete spatial lattice, but for large datasets, fitting it becomes computationally prohibitive, and hence, its usefulness can be limited. A computationally-efficient spatial model is the spatial random effects (SRE) model, and in this article, we calibrate it to the SAR model of interest using a generalisation of the Moran operator that allows for heteroskedasticity and an asymmetric SAR spatial dependence matrix. In general, spatial data have a measurement-error component, which we model, and we use restricted maximum likelihood to estimate the SRE model covariance parameters; its required computational time is only the order of the size of the dataset. Our implementation is demonstrated using mean usual weekly income data from the 2011 Australian Census. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spatial Econometrics)

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1044 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selection Criteria in Regime Switching Conditional Volatility Models

by Thomas Chuffart

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 289-316; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020289 - 11 May 2015

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5759

Abstract

A large number of nonlinear conditional heteroskedastic models have been proposed in the literature. Model selection is crucial to any statistical data analysis. In this article, we investigate whether the most commonly used selection criteria lead to choice of the right specification in [...] Read more.

A large number of nonlinear conditional heteroskedastic models have been proposed in the literature. Model selection is crucial to any statistical data analysis. In this article, we investigate whether the most commonly used selection criteria lead to choice of the right specification in a regime switching framework. We focus on two types of models: the Logistic Smooth Transition GARCH and the Markov-Switching GARCH models. Simulation experiments reveal that information criteria and loss functions can lead to misspecification ; BIC sometimes indicates the wrong regime switching framework. Depending on the Data Generating Process used in the experiments, great care is needed when choosing a criterion. Full article

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532 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nonparametric Regression Estimation for Multivariate Null Recurrent Processes

by Biqing Cai and Dag Tjøstheim

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 265-288; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020265 - 14 Apr 2015

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5478

Abstract

This paper discusses nonparametric kernel regression with the regressor being a \(d\)-dimensional \(\beta\)-null recurrent process in presence of conditional heteroscedasticity. We show that the mean function estimator is consistent with convergence rate \(\sqrt{n(T)h^{d}}\), where \(n(T)\) is the number of regenerations for a \(\beta\)-null [...] Read more.

This paper discusses nonparametric kernel regression with the regressor being a \(d\)-dimensional \(\beta\)-null recurrent process in presence of conditional heteroscedasticity. We show that the mean function estimator is consistent with convergence rate \(\sqrt{n(T)h^{d}}\), where \(n(T)\) is the number of regenerations for a \(\beta\)-null recurrent process and the limiting distribution (with proper normalization) is normal. Furthermore, we show that the two-step estimator for the volatility function is consistent. The finite sample performance of the estimate is quite reasonable when the leave-one-out cross validation method is used for bandwidth selection. We apply the proposed method to study the relationship of Federal funds rate with 3-month and 5-year T-bill rates and discover the existence of nonlinearity of the relationship. Furthermore, the in-sample and out-of-sample performance of the nonparametric model is far better than the linear model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Linear Regression Modeling)

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348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Detecting Location Shifts during Model Selection by Step-Indicator Saturation

by Jennifer L. Castle, Jurgen A. Doornik, David F. Hendry and Felix Pretis

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 240-264; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020240 - 14 Apr 2015

Cited by 95 | Viewed by 13363

Abstract

To capture location shifts in the context of model selection, we propose selecting significant step indicators from a saturating set added to the union of all of the candidate variables. The null retention frequency and approximate non-centrality of a selection test are derived [...] Read more.

To capture location shifts in the context of model selection, we propose selecting significant step indicators from a saturating set added to the union of all of the candidate variables. The null retention frequency and approximate non-centrality of a selection test are derived using a ‘split-half’ analysis, the simplest specialization of a multiple-path block-search algorithm. Monte Carlo simulations, extended to sequential reduction, confirm the accuracy of nominal significance levels under the null and show retentions when location shifts occur, improving the non-null retention frequency compared to the corresponding impulse-indicator saturation (IIS)-based method and the lasso. Full article

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151 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Pitfall in Using the Characterization of Granger Non-Causality in Vector Autoregressive Models

by Umberto Triacca

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 233-239; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020233 - 09 Apr 2015

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4584

Abstract

It is well known that in a vector autoregressive (VAR) model Granger non-causality is characterized by a set of restrictions on the VAR coefficients. This characterization has been derived under the assumption of non-singularity of the covariance matrix of the innovations. This note [...] Read more.

It is well known that in a vector autoregressive (VAR) model Granger non-causality is characterized by a set of restrictions on the VAR coefficients. This characterization has been derived under the assumption of non-singularity of the covariance matrix of the innovations. This note shows that if this assumption is violated, then the characterization of Granger non-causality in a VAR model fails to hold. In these situations Granger non-causality test results must be interpreted with caution. Full article

607 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Return and Volatility Spillovers across Equity Markets in Mainland China, Hong Kong and the United States

by Hassan Mohammadi and Yuting Tan

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 215-232; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020215 - 02 Apr 2015

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 6595

Abstract

Examinations of the dynamics of daily returns and volatility in stock markets of the U.S., Hong Kong and mainland China (Shanghai and Shenzhen) over 2 January 2001 to 8 February 2013 suggest: (1) evidence of unidirectional return spillovers from the U.S. to the [...] Read more.

Examinations of the dynamics of daily returns and volatility in stock markets of the U.S., Hong Kong and mainland China (Shanghai and Shenzhen) over 2 January 2001 to 8 February 2013 suggest: (1) evidence of unidirectional return spillovers from the U.S. to the other three markets; but no spillover between Hong Kong and either of the two mainland China markets; (2) evidence of unidirectional ARCH and GARCH effects from the U.S. to the other three markets; (3) correlations of returns vary across markets, with the highest correlation of 93.5% between the two Chinese markets, medium correlation of 30% between mainland China and Hong Kong markets and low correlations of 6.4% and 7.2% between the U.S. and China’s two markets; thus, international investors may benefit by allocating their assets in China’s markets; (4) the patterns of dynamic conditional correlations from the DCC model suggest an increase in correlation between China and other stock markets since the most recent financial crisis of 2007. Full article

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799 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plug-in Bandwidth Selection for Kernel Density Estimation with Discrete Data

by Chi-Yang Chu, Daniel J. Henderson and Christopher F. Parmeter

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 199-214; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020199 - 31 Mar 2015

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6024

Abstract

This paper proposes plug-in bandwidth selection for kernel density estimation with discrete data via minimization of mean summed square error. Simulation results show that the plug-in bandwidths perform well, relative to cross-validated bandwidths, in non-uniform designs. We further find that plug-in bandwidths are [...] Read more.

This paper proposes plug-in bandwidth selection for kernel density estimation with discrete data via minimization of mean summed square error. Simulation results show that the plug-in bandwidths perform well, relative to cross-validated bandwidths, in non-uniform designs. We further find that plug-in bandwidths are relatively small. Several empirical examples show that the plug-in bandwidths are typically similar in magnitude to their cross-validated counterparts. Full article

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272 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Information Recovery in a Dynamic Statistical Markov Model

by Douglas J. Miller and George Judge

Econometrics 2015, 3(2), 187-198; https://doi.org/10.3390/econometrics3020187 - 25 Mar 2015

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4162

Abstract

Although economic processes and systems are in general simple in nature, the underlying dynamics are complicated and seldom understood. Recognizing this, in this paper we use a nonstationary-conditional Markov process model of observed aggregate data to learn about and recover causal influence information [...] Read more.

Although economic processes and systems are in general simple in nature, the underlying dynamics are complicated and seldom understood. Recognizing this, in this paper we use a nonstationary-conditional Markov process model of observed aggregate data to learn about and recover causal influence information associated with the underlying dynamic micro-behavior. Estimating equations are used as a link to the data and to model the dynamic conditional Markov process. To recover the unknown transition probabilities, we use an information theoretic approach to model the data and derive a new class of conditional Markov models. A quadratic loss function is used as a basis for selecting the optimal member from the family of possible likelihood-entropy functional(s). The asymptotic properties of the resulting estimators are demonstrated, and a range of potential applications is discussed. Full article

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Econometrics, Volume 3, Issue 2 (June 2015) – 13 articles , Pages 187-465

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