Yin Lu , Chunbai Tao , Di Wang , Gazi Salah Uddin , Libo Wu , Xuening Zhu
{"title":"Robust estimation for dynamic spatial autoregression models with nearly optimal rates","authors":"Yin Lu , Chunbai Tao , Di Wang , Gazi Salah Uddin , Libo Wu , Xuening Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spatial autoregression has been extensively studied in various applications, yet its robust estimation methods have received limited attention. In this work, we introduce two dynamic spatial autoregression (DSAR) models aimed at capturing temporal trends and depicting the asymmetric network effects of the units. For both DSAR models, we propose a truncated Yule–Walker estimation method, which is tailored to achieve robust estimation in the presence of heavy-tailed data. Additionally, we extend this robust estimation procedure to a constrained estimation framework using the Dantzig selector, enabling the identification of sparse network effects observed in real-world applications. Theoretically, the minimax optimality of proposed estimators is derived under certain conditions on the weighting matrix. Empirical studies, including an analysis of financial contagion in the Chinese stock market and the dynamics of live streaming popularity, demonstrate the practical efficacy of our methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15629,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Econometrics","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106065"},"PeriodicalIF":9.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144696381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sieve estimation of state-varying factor models","authors":"Liangjun Su , Sainan Jin , Xia Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106064","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106064","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, we propose a sieve approach to estimate state-varying factor models, where the factor loadings vary over specific state variables. Our methodology consists of a two-step estimation procedure for the parameters of interest. In the first step, we achieve preliminary consistent estimates of the factors and factor loadings via nuclear norm regularization (NNR). In the second step, we perform post-NNR iterative least squares estimations for the factors and factor loadings. We establish the asymptotic properties of these estimators. Based on the estimation theory, we propose a test for the null hypothesis of constant factor loadings and examine the asymptotic properties of the test statistic. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the favorable performance of the proposed estimation procedure and testing method in finite samples. An application to a U.S. macroeconomic dataset suggests potential state-dependency within the U.S. economy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15629,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Econometrics","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106064"},"PeriodicalIF":9.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144686202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A general test for functional inequalities","authors":"Jia Li , Zhipeng Liao , Wenyu Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106063","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106063","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper develops a nonparametric test for general functional inequalities that include conditional moment inequalities as a special case. It is shown that the test controls size uniformly over a large class of distributions for observed data, importantly allowing for general forms of time series dependence. New results on uniform growing dimensional Gaussian coupling for general mixingale processes are developed for this purpose, which readily accommodate most applications in economics and finance. The proposed method is applied in a portfolio evaluation context to test for “all-weather” portfolios with uniformly superior conditional Sharpe ratio functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15629,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Econometrics","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106063"},"PeriodicalIF":9.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144631495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Layered policy analysis in program evaluation using the marginal treatment effect","authors":"Ismael Mourifié , Yuanyuan Wan","doi":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper proposes a unified approach to derive sharp bounds on conventional policy parameters when the instrumental variables (IVs) are potentially invalid. Using a <em>vine copula</em> approach, we propose a novel characterization of the identified sets for the marginal treatment effect (MTE) and the policy-relevant treatment effect (PRTE) parameters. Our method has various advantages: First, it explicitly demonstrates how imposing different IV-related assumptions with different credibility levels affects the MTE and PRTE’s identified set. Second, it provides a basis for testing model specifications and hypotheses about various imperfect IV-related assumptions. Third, it provides a tractable way to inform policy choices in the presence of uncertainty of the validity of identifying assumptions. Our approach enlarges the MTE framework’s scope by showing how it can be used to inform policy decisions even when valid instruments are not available.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15629,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Econometrics","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106060"},"PeriodicalIF":9.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144596430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Global identification, estimation and inference of structural impulse response functions in factor models: A unified framework","authors":"Xu Han","doi":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106057","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106057","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper develops a theory for the global identification, estimation and inference of impulse response functions (IRFs) in structural factor models (SFMs). We examine the impact of normalization choices on IRF identification and propose to use identification restrictions robust to such choices. A new theorem is established to address IRF identification under both recursive and nonrecursive schemes in SFMs. Moreover, we develop two new estimators for structural IRFs under principal component normalization and establish their asymptotic distributions. We also propose a test for overidentifying restrictions. Simulation results demonstrate the validity of the asymptotic approximations and the favorable finite-sample properties of the overidentification test. To illustrate the flexibility of our methodology, we employ a hybrid identification scheme and analyze the dynamic effects of oil shocks using a US dataset.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15629,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Econometrics","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106057"},"PeriodicalIF":9.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144587828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bernstein-type inequalities and nonparametric estimation under near-epoch dependence","authors":"Zihao Yuan , Martin Spindler","doi":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The main contributions of this paper are twofold. First, we derive Bernstein-type inequalities for irregularly spaced data under near-epoch dependent (NED) conditions and deterministic domain-expanding-infill (DEI) asymptotics. By introducing the concept of “effective dimension” to describe the geometric structure of sampled locations, we illustrate – unlike previous research – that the sharpness of these inequalities is affected by this effective dimension. To our knowledge, ours is the first study to report this phenomenon and show Bernstein-type inequalities under deterministic DEI asymptotics. This work represents a direct generalization of the work of Xu and Lee (2018), thus marking an important contribution to the topic. As a corollary, we derive a Bernstein-type inequality for irregularly spaced <span><math><mi>α</mi></math></span>-mixing random fields under DEI asymptotics. Our second contribution is to apply these inequalities to explore the attainability of optimal convergence rates for the local linear conditional mean estimator under algebraic NED conditions. Our results illustrate how the effective dimension affects assumptions of dependence. This finding refines the results of Jenish (2012) and extends the work of Hansen (2008), Vogt (2012), Chen and Christensen (2015) and Li, Lu, and Linton (2012).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15629,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Econometrics","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106054"},"PeriodicalIF":9.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144579228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fast computation of exact confidence intervals for randomized experiments with binary outcomes","authors":"P.M. Aronow , Haoge Chang , Patrick Lopatto","doi":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106056","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Given a randomized experiment with binary outcomes, exact confidence intervals for the average causal effect of the treatment can be computed through a series of permutation tests. This approach requires minimal assumptions and is valid for all sample sizes, as it does not rely on large-sample approximations such as those implied by the central limit theorem. We show that these confidence intervals can be found in <span><math><mrow><mi>O</mi><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>n</mi><mo>log</mo><mi>n</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span> permutation tests in the case of balanced designs, where the treatment and control groups have equal sizes, and <span><math><mrow><mi>O</mi><mrow><mo>(</mo><msup><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span> permutation tests in the general case. Prior to this work, the most efficient known constructions required <span><math><mrow><mi>O</mi><mrow><mo>(</mo><msup><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span> such tests in the balanced case (Li and Ding, 2016), and <span><math><mrow><mi>O</mi><mrow><mo>(</mo><msup><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn></mrow></msup><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span> tests in the general case (Rigdon and Hudgens, 2015). Our results thus facilitate exact inference as a viable option for randomized experiments far larger than those accessible by previous methods. We also generalize our construction to produce confidence intervals for other causal estimands, including the relative risk ratio and odds ratio, yielding similar computational gains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15629,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Econometrics","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106056"},"PeriodicalIF":9.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144579227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"High frequency factor analysis with partially observable factors","authors":"Dachuan Chen , Wenqi Lu , Siyu Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper considers a novel factor structure – <em>Partially Observable Factor Model</em> – where both observable factors and latent factors exist in the model simultaneously. Such factor structure can make sure both interpretability and goodness-of-fit at the same time. Necessary estimation methodologies for this partially observable factor model are developed in this paper for the high frequency data. The proposed estimation methodology is robust to jumps, microstructure noise and asynchronous observation times simultaneously.</div><div>When the observable factors are exogenous, we provide the estimation theory for the integrated eigenvalues of the residual covariance matrix, which including the bias-corrected estimator, central limit theorem and asymptotic variance estimator. As a result, the asymptotic normality of the bias-corrected estimator can be applied to test the existence of the latent factors.</div><div>When the observable factors are endogenous, we propose a novel framework of high frequency unsupervised exogenous component learning (HF-UECL), which can help people quantify the contributions of the observable factors into the latent factors. This is the first work on high frequency instrumental variables, and it can be regard as a necessary and non-trivial extension of the Projected-PCA in the world of continuous-time model. Statistical inferences have been established for the loadings of the observable factors onto the latent factors.</div><div>Monte Carlo simulation demonstrates the validity of our estimation methodologies. Empirical study demonstrates that (i) in the exogenous setting, the latent factors significantly exist in the residual process of the high frequency regression; (ii) in the endogenous setting, the correlations between the observable factors and latent factors do exist significantly.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15629,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Econometrics","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106058"},"PeriodicalIF":9.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bias correction for quantile regression estimators","authors":"Grigory Franguridi , Bulat Gafarov , Kaspar Wüthrich","doi":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We study the bias of classical quantile regression and instrumental variable quantile regression estimators. While being asymptotically first-order unbiased, these estimators can have non-negligible second-order biases. We derive a higher-order stochastic expansion of these estimators using empirical process theory. Based on this expansion, we derive an explicit formula for the second-order bias and propose a feasible bias correction procedure that uses finite-difference estimators of the bias components. The proposed bias correction method performs well in simulations. We provide an empirical illustration using Engel’s classical data on household food expenditure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15629,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Econometrics","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106053"},"PeriodicalIF":9.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144562891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Asymptotic theory of the best-choice rerandomization using the Mahalanobis distance","authors":"Yuhao Wang , Xinran Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106049","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeconom.2025.106049","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rerandomization, a design that utilizes pretreatment covariates and improves their balance between different treatment groups, has received attention recently in both theory and practice. From a survey by Bruhn and McKenzie (2009), there are at least two types of rerandomization that are used in practice: the first rerandomizes the treatment assignment until covariate imbalance is below a prespecified threshold; the second randomizes the treatment assignment multiple times and chooses the one with the best covariate balance. In this paper we will consider the second type of rerandomization, namely the best-choice rerandomization, whose theory and inference are still lacking in the literature. In particular, we will focus on the best-choice rerandomization that uses the Mahalanobis distance to measure covariate imbalance, which is one of the most commonly used imbalance measure for multivariate covariates and is invariant to affine transformations of covariates. We will study the large-sample repeatedly sampling properties of the best-choice rerandomization, allowing both the number of covariates and the number of tried complete randomizations to increase with the sample size. We show that the asymptotic distribution of the difference-in-means estimator is more concentrated around the true average treatment effect under rerandomization than under the complete randomization, and propose large-sample accurate confidence intervals for rerandomization that are shorter than that for the completely randomized experiment. We further demonstrate that, with moderate number of covariates and with the number of tried randomizations increasing polynomially with the sample size, the best-choice rerandomization can achieve the ideally optimal precision that one can expect even with perfectly balanced covariates. The developed theory and methods for rerandomization are also illustrated using real field experiments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15629,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Econometrics","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106049"},"PeriodicalIF":9.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144479985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}