Jean-Francois Lamarche

Information-theoretic estimation of preference parameters: macroeconomic applications and simulation evidence

This paper investigates the behaviour of estimators based on the Kullback-Leibler information criterion (KLIC), as an alternative to the generalized method of moments (GMM). We first study the estimators in a Monte Carlo simulation model of consumption growth with power utility. Then we compare KLIC and GMM estimators in macroeconomic applications, in which preference parameters are estimated with aggregate data. KLIC probability measures serve as useful diagnostics. In dependent data, tests of overidentifying restrictions in the KLIC framework have size properties comparable to those of the J-test in iterated GMM, but superior size-adjusted power.

Evidence of nonlinear mean reversion in the real interest rate

This article utilizes tests for a unit root that have power against nonlinear alternatives to provide empirical evidence on the time series properties of the ex-post real interest rate in the G7 countries. We find that the unit root hypothesis can be rejected in the presence of a nonlinear alternative motivated by theoretical literature on optimal monetary policy rules. This represents a reversal of the results obtained using standard linear unit-root and cointegration tests. Tests for linearity reject this hypothesis for Canada, France, Italy and Japan for which we estimate nonlinear models capturing the dynamics of the interest rate. For these countries, ex-post real interest rates follow a nonlinear model characterized by mean reversion and provide statistical evidence for the Fisher effect.

Have Structural Changes Eliminated the Out-of-Sample Ability of Financial Variables To Forecast Real Activity After the Mid-1980s? Evidence From the Canadian Economy

This article evaluates how consistently reliable the information content of individual financial variables is for Canadas future output growth. We estimate the timing of structural changes in linear growth models and check robustness to specification changes, multiple breaks, and business cycle asymmetry. Our simulated out-of-sample forecast evaluation strategy, using the Mean Square Error F-type (MSE-F) and the new encompassing (ENC-NEW) tests, shows that the leading information content of most financial variables for Canadas future Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has deteriorated substantially after 1984:04, but the 1–3-year term spread exhibits a consistently reliable predictive ability at the 1 and 2 quarter horizons and has significant forecasting ability at the 8 quarter horizon. Also, the real M1 money growth has regained its ability to forecast output growth since 1991:01.

Structural change tests for GEL criteria

ABSTRACT This article examines structural change tests based on generalized empirical likelihood methods in the time series context, allowing for dependent data. Standard structural change tests for the Generalized method of moments (GMM) are adapted to the generalized empirical likelihood (GEL) context. We show that when moment conditions are properly smoothed, these test statistics converge to the same asymptotic distribution as in the GMM, in cases with known and unknown breakpoints. New test statistics specific to GEL methods, and that are robust to weak identification, are also introduced. A simulation study examines the small sample properties of the tests and reveals that GEL-based robust tests performed well, both in terms of the presence and location of a structural change and in terms of the nature of identification.

Estimation of a Nonlinear Taylor Rule Using Real-Time U.S. Data

Abstract This paper extends the work in Orphanides (2003) by re-examining the empirical evidence for a Taylor rule in a nonlinear framework. In doing so, it updates the Greenbook dataset used by the afore mentioned author to the most recent available period. A three-regime threshold regression model is utilized to capture the possibly asymmetric policy reaction function used by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The theoretical foundations for such an approach to monetary policy are discussed in Orphanides and Wilcox (2002). Our results indicate that the estimated Taylor rule for the U.S., based on real-time Greenbook data for the period 1982:3-2003:4, is probably nonlinear.

A robust bootstrap test under heteroskedasticity

Abstract A test for an unknown structural break based on an heteroskedasticity-robust artificial regression is considered. The test has good finite sample properties under different resampling procedures and transformations of the residuals.

STRUCTURAL CHANGE TESTS BASED ON IMPLIED PROBABILITIES FOR GEL CRITERIA

This paper proposes Pearson-type statistics based on implied probabilities to detect structural change. The class of generalized empirical likelihood estimators (see Smith (1997)) assigns a set of implied probabilities to each observation such that moment conditions are satisfied. The proposed test statistics for structural change are based on the information content in these implied probabilities. We consider cases of structural change with unknown breakpoint which can occur in the parameters of interest or in the overidentifying restrictions used to estimate these parameters. We also propose a structural change test based on implied probabilities that is robust to weak identification or cases in which parameters are completely unidentified. The test statistics considered here have competitive size and power properties. Moreover, they are computed in a single step which eliminates the need to compute the weighting matrix required for GMM estimation.