{"title":"Exploiting Payments to Track Italian Economic Activity: The Experience at Banca D’Italia","authors":"Valentina Aprigliano, Guerino Ardizzi, Alessia Cassetta, Alessandro Cavallero, Simone Emiliozzi, Alessandro Gambini, R. Zizza, Nazzareno Renzi","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3852157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3852157","url":null,"abstract":"This paper provides an overview of how information on payments has been recently exploited by Banca d’Italia staff for the purposes of tracking economic activity and forecasting. In particular, the payment data used for this work are drawn from the payment systems managed by Banca d’Italia (BI-COMP and TARGET2) and from the Anti-Money Laundering Aggregate Reports submitted by banks and by Poste Italiane to the Banca d’Italia’s Financial Intelligence Unit (Unità di Informazione Finanziaria, UIF). We show that indicators drawn from these sources can improve forecasting accuracy; in particular, those available at a higher frequency have proved crucial to properly assessing the state of the economy during the pandemic. Moreover, these indicators make it possible to assess changes in agents’ behaviour, notably with reference to payment habits, and, thanks to their granularity, to delve deeper into the macroeconomic trends, exploring heterogeneity by sector and geography.","PeriodicalId":203235,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Forecasting & Simulation (Monetary) (Topic)","volume":"38 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115702454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Imperfect Credibility versus No Credibility of Optimal Monetary Policy","authors":"Jean-Bernard Chatelain, K. Ralf","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3220239","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3220239","url":null,"abstract":"A minimal central bank credibility, with a non-zero probability of not renegning his commitment (\"quasi-commitment\"), is a necessary condition for anchoring inflation expectations and stabilizing inflation dynamics. By contrast, a complete lack of credibility, with the certainty that the policy maker will renege his commitment (\"optimal discretion\"), leads to the local instability of inflation dynamics. In the textbook example of the new-Keynesian Phillips curve, the response of the policy instrument to inflation gaps for optimal policy under quasi-commitment has an opposite sign than in optimal discretion, which explains this bifurcation.","PeriodicalId":203235,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Forecasting & Simulation (Monetary) (Topic)","volume":"57 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130047133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Interest Rate Differentials Under an Exchange Rate Convertibility Zone: A Carry Trade Perspective","authors":"J. Fung, F. Lam","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4246410","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4246410","url":null,"abstract":"This study is motivated by the negative HKD-USD interest rate differentials observed after the US interest rate hike on December 17, 2015. We first analyze two practical concerns that are typical from the perspective of a carry trader: (1) the difference in borrowing rate and lending rate of a currency, and (2) the exchange rate loss perceived from prevailing HKD/USD market condition using a truncated distribution that reflects full confidence in the HKD/USD Convertibility Zone under the Linked Exchange Rate System (LERS). We find that these considerations largely rationalize the observed interest rate differentials. We then perform robust Bayesian statistical inference on the negatively skewed effective carry-to-risk ratios. We find that the most probable and the typical effective carry-to-risk ratios are economically small. Our results are consistent with the Hong Kong Currency Board’s intrinsic stabilising mechanism functioning efficiently.","PeriodicalId":203235,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Forecasting & Simulation (Monetary) (Topic)","volume":"80 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123209533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Uncertainty in a Disaggregate Model: A Data Rich Approach Using Google Search Queries","authors":"Kalvinder K. Shields, T. Tran","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3492817","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3492817","url":null,"abstract":"This paper estimates the impact of uncertainty shocks in a disaggregate model featuring state-level unemployment and uncertainty, which is measured using Google search data. We show that the disaggregate model captures important spillover effects which a model using aggregate data would overlook resulting in significantly different peak responses and time dynamic effects. We find the effect of uncertainty shocks on state-level unemployment is recessionary and heterogeneous. The importance of national factors in propagating the effect of uncertainty is also heterogeneous across states, and overall less relevant than state-level factors. These heterogeneous effects are found to be related to state-specific industry compositions and the fiscal position.","PeriodicalId":203235,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Forecasting & Simulation (Monetary) (Topic)","volume":"61 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126175889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Effects of Conventional and Unconventional Monetary Policy on Forecasting the Yield Curve","authors":"Yunjong Eo, K. Kang","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3369352","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3369352","url":null,"abstract":"We investigate how conventional and unconventional monetary policies affect the dynamics of the yield curve by assessing the performance of individual yield curve models and their mixtures. Out-of-sample forecasts for U.S. bond yields show that the arbitrage-free Nelson-Siegel model and its mixtures with other models perform well in the period of conventional monetary policy, whereas the random walk model outperforms all the other models in the period of unconventional monetary policy. The diminished role of the no-arbitrage restriction in forecasting the yield curve since 2009 can be attributed to unconventional monetary policy, which resulted in low correlations between short- and long-term bond yields and little variation in the short-term rates. During the period of the maturity extension program in 2011--2012, the superiority of the random walk forecasts is more pronounced, reinforcing our finding that the monetary policy framework affects yield curve forecast accuracy.","PeriodicalId":203235,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Forecasting & Simulation (Monetary) (Topic)","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129871801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using the Federal Reserve’s Balance Sheet to Predict Macroeconomic Outcomes","authors":"Michael J. Crawley","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3319505","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3319505","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates whether the U.S. Federal Reserve’s balance sheet can be used to predict macroeconomic outcomes. The Federal Reserve writes its own accounting standards, and I recast portions of the Federal Reserve’s weekly balance sheet as if it more closely followed Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Specifically, I estimate the fair value of the Federal Reserve’s U.S. Treasury notes and bonds and calculate the associated unrealized gains and losses. I demonstrate that unrealized gains (losses) on the Federal Reserve’s U.S. Treasury notes and bonds are associated with lower (higher) one-quarter ahead inflation and real gross domestic product growth. Additionally, I show that modifying proxies for macroeconomic news to incorporate the predictive value of unrealized gains and losses on the Federal Reserve’s U.S. Treasury notes and bonds helps explain equity returns around the release of macroeconomic data.","PeriodicalId":203235,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Forecasting & Simulation (Monetary) (Topic)","volume":"94 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122053360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Basturk, A. Borowska, S. Grassi, Lennart F. Hoogerheide, H. K. van Dijk
{"title":"Forecast Density Combinations of Dynamic Models and Data Driven Portfolio Strategies","authors":"N. Basturk, A. Borowska, S. Grassi, Lennart F. Hoogerheide, H. K. van Dijk","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3265977","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3265977","url":null,"abstract":"A dynamic asset-allocation model is specified in probabilistic terms as a combination of return distributions resulting from multiple pairs of dynamic models and portfolio strategies based on momentum patterns in US industry returns. The nonlinear state space representation of the model allows efficient and robust simulation-based Bayesian inference using a novel non-linear filter. Combination weights can be cross-correlated and correlated over time using feedback mechanisms. Diagnostic analysis gives insight into model and strategy misspecification. Empirical results show that a smaller flexible model-strategy combination performs better in terms of expected return and risk than a larger basic model-strategy combination. Dynamic patterns in combination weights and diagnostic learning provide useful signals for improved modeling and policy, in particular, from a risk-management perspective.","PeriodicalId":203235,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Forecasting & Simulation (Monetary) (Topic)","volume":"178 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126763641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Financial Equilibrium in the Presence of Technological Change","authors":"Krzysztof Waśniewski","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2975683","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2975683","url":null,"abstract":"This article explores the issue of observable instability in financial markets interpreted as a long-term process of adaptation to demand for money, which, in turn, is based on the expected depreciation of fixed assets. Exploration is based on verifying empirically the hypothesis that the velocity of money is significantly, negatively correlated with the pace of technological change. The purpose of exploration is to assess the well-founded of policies, which use financial and monetary tools, rather than the straightforwardly fiscal ones, to stimulate technological change. Empirical research suggests that aggregate depreciation of fixed assets is a significant factor inducing slower a circulation of money.","PeriodicalId":203235,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Forecasting & Simulation (Monetary) (Topic)","volume":"89 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114736262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Improving Forecast Accuracy of Financial Vulnerability: Partial Least Squares Factor Model Approach","authors":"Hyeongwoo Kim, Kyunghwan Ko","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2962775","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2962775","url":null,"abstract":"We present a factor augmented forecasting model for assessing the financial vulnerability in Korea. Dynamic factor models often extract latent common factors from a large panel of time series data via the method of the principal components (PC). Instead, we employ the partial least squares (PLS) method that estimates target specific common factors, utilizing covariances between predictors and the target variable. Applying PLS to 198 monthly frequency macroeconomic time series variables and the Bank of Korea's Financial Stress Index (KFSTI), our PLS factor augmented forecasting models consistently outperformed the random walk benchmark model in out-of-sample prediction exercises in all forecast horizons we considered. Our models also outperformed the autoregressive benchmark model in short-term forecast horizons. We expect our models would provide useful early warning signs of the emergence of systemic risks in Korea's financial markets.","PeriodicalId":203235,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Forecasting & Simulation (Monetary) (Topic)","volume":"36 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127139827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Price Discovery within Foreign Exchange Markets and the Severity of Information Risk","authors":"Oghenovo A. Obrimah","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2588555","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2588555","url":null,"abstract":"Using incidences of negative bid-ask spreads as evidence of information events, I find the same population of dealers manages information risk differentially, depending on the probability of informed trading within foreign exchange markets. In markets with a positive probability of negative bid-ask spreads, dealers are willing to trade-off a longer duration to information revelation for higher bid-ask spreads and predictability in bid-ask spreads. In markets with a zero probability of negative bid-ask spreads, dealers arrive at information revelation faster but at the expense of relatively lower bid-ask spreads and significantly higher volatility in bid-ask spreads. These findings provide evidence that conditional on the information structure within foreign exchange markets, dealers can generate information either by attracting informed investors or discretionary liquidity traders into foreign exchange markets.","PeriodicalId":203235,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Forecasting & Simulation (Monetary) (Topic)","volume":"602 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116335751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}