The Impact of Uncertainty Shocks

Uncertainty appears to jump up after major shocks like the Cuban Missile crisis, the assassination of JFK, the OPEC I oil‐price shock, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This paper offers a structural framework to analyze the impact of these uncertainty shocks. I build a model with a time‐varying second moment, which is numerically solved and estimated using firm‐level data. The parameterized model is then used to simulate a macro uncertainty shock, which produces a rapid drop and rebound in aggregate output and employment. This occurs because higher uncertainty causes firms to temporarily pause their investment and hiring. Productivity growth also falls because this pause in activity freezes reallocation across units. In the medium term the increased volatility from the shock induces an overshoot in output, employment, and productivity. Thus, uncertainty shocks generate short sharp recessions and recoveries. This simulated impact of an uncertainty shock is compared to vector autoregression estimations on actual data, showing a good match in both magnitude and timing. The paper also jointly estimates labor and capital adjustment costs (both convex and nonconvex). Ignoring capital adjustment costs is shown to lead to substantial bias, while ignoring labor adjustment costs does not.     

Regional Labour Market Adjustment: Are Positive and Negative Shocks Different?

This paper analyses regional labour market adjustment in the Finnish provinces during 1971–96. It investigates the interrelations of employment, unemployment and labour force participation to examine how a change in labour demand is adjusted to. The study questions the usual assumption that positive and negative shocks evoke similar adjustment processes. Instead, we test for the possibility that the effects of positive and negative shocks are asymmetric. The analysis reveals that there is little asymmetry in the adjustment to region‐specific labour demand shocks, but adjustment to total (region‐specific plus common component) shocks displays more asymmetry. The region‐specific component of a labour demand shock has short‐lived effects on unemployment and participation, and its effect on employment is very small but permanent [persistent?]. Initially, most of the fall in employment is absorbed by the unemployment and participation rate, but after a few years migration plays a larger role in the adjustment process.     

The Network Origins of Aggregate Fluctuations

This paper argues that, in the presence of intersectoral input–output linkages, microeconomic idiosyncratic shocks may lead to aggregate fluctuations. We show that, as the economy becomes more disaggregated, the rate at which aggregate volatility decays is determined by the structure of the network capturing such linkages. Our main results provide a characterization of this relationship in terms of the importance of different sectors as suppliers to their immediate customers, as well as their role as indirect suppliers to chains of downstream sectors. Such higher‐order interconnections capture the possibility of “cascade effects” whereby productivity shocks to a sector propagate not only to its immediate downstream customers, but also to the rest of the economy. Our results highlight that sizable aggregate volatility is obtained from sectoral idiosyncratic shocks only if there exists significant asymmetry in the roles that sectors play as suppliers to others, and that the “sparseness” of the input–output matrix is unrelated to the nature of aggregate fluctuations.     

Employment Adjustment at the Firm Level. A Theoretical Model and an Empirical Investigation for West German Manufacturing Firms

In this paper, employment adjustment at the firm level is estimated with a large panel of business survey data from West German manufacturing. The specification is based on a framework of monopolistic competition in the product market. Special emphasis is devoted to the analysis of the impact of demand uncertainty, capacity constraints, technological change and competition. The empirical results reveal that demand uncertainty and capacity constraints significantly affect employment adjustment. Innovative firms are more successful; they increase employment and exhibit a higher utilization of capacities. Employment adjustment also depends on competition. In monopolistic markets, the volatility of employment is higher.     

Limited Rationality and Strategic Interaction: The Impact of the Strategic Environment on Nominal Inertia

Much evidence suggests that people are heterogeneous with regard to their abilities to make rational, forward‐looking decisions. This raises the question as to when the rational types are decisive for aggregate outcomes and when the boundedly rational types shape aggregate results. We examine this question in the context of a long‐standing and important economic problem: the adjustment of nominal prices after an anticipated monetary shock. Our experiments suggest that two types of bounded rationality—money illusion and anchoring—are important behavioral forces behind nominal inertia. However, depending on the strategic environment, bounded rationality has vastly different effects on aggregate price adjustment. If agents' actions are strategic substitutes, adjustment to the new equilibrium is extremely quick, whereas under strategic complementarity, adjustment is both very slow and associated with relatively large real effects. This adjustment difference is driven by price expectations, which are very flexible and forward‐looking under substitutability but adaptive and sticky under complementarity. Moreover, subjects' expectations are also considerably more rational under substitutability.     

A+H交叉上市股票间信息传递的不对称性研究

研究交叉上市的香港H股与内地A股市场H股板块间信息传递的不对称性问题。以收益率和波动性作为信息流动的代理变量,采集2003年1月至2009年4月H股指数和H股板块指数的日收盘数据,通过Granger因果检验和动态条件相关二元GARCH模型进行实证检测。结果发现:收益信息由H股市场向H股板块市场单向传递,波动信息主要由H股板块市场向H股市场传递,信息传递呈现不对称性,并分别符合"国际中心"和"国内偏好"假说;H股市场与H股板块市场间的条件相关性是动态变化的,在内地A股市场引进合格的香港机构投资者后相关性逐渐增加。     

The Effect of Demand–Supply Mismatches on Firm Risk

A supply chain management (SCM) system comprises many subsystems, including forecasting, order management, supplier management, procurement, production planning and control, warehousing and distribution, and product development. Demand–supply mismatches (DSMs) could indicate that some or all of these subsystems are not working as expected, creating uncertainties about the overall capabilities and effectiveness of the SCM system, which can increase firm risk. This article documents the effect of DSMs on firm risk as measured by equity volatility. Our sample consists of three different types of DSMs announced by publicly traded firms: production disruptions, excess inventory, and product introduction delays. We find that all three types of DSMs result in equity volatility increases. Over a 2‐year period around the announcement date, we observe mean abnormal equity volatility increases of 5.62% for production disruptions, 11.19% for excess inventory, and 6.28% for product introduction delays. Volatility increases associated with excess inventory are significantly higher than the increases associated with production disruptions and product introduction delays. Across all three types of DSMs, volatility changes are positively correlated with changes in information asymmetry. The results provide some support that volatility changes are also correlated with changes in financial and operating leverage.     

DEEP FINANCIAL INTEGRATION AND VOLATILITY

We investigate the relationship between foreign direct ownership of firms and firm‐ and region‐level output volatility using a novel panel data set for European countries. We document a positive, highly robust, relationship between firm‐level foreign ownership and volatility of value added. This relationship holds cross‐sectionally and in panels with firm fixed effects where the relationship captures within‐firm variation over time. Considering domestic firms with assets in foreign countries, we document that it is international diversification, rather than the nationality of the owner, that explains this positive correlation. Our results can also be found at the aggregate level, where we show that region‐level volatility is correlated positively with foreign investment in the region. We show that this positive relation between aggregate volatility and foreign investment can be explained by the granularity of the firm size distribution and the fact that foreign ownership is concentrated among the largest firms.     

FROM FLEXIBILITY TO INSECURITY: HOW VERTICAL SEPARATION AMPLIFIES FIRM‐LEVEL UNCERTAINTY

This article presents a model where firms may endogenously externalize part of their production process. We start from the premise that adaptation to uncertainty cannot be contracted upon in the worker/employer relationship. Vertical separation then balances flexibility gains against hold‐up costs of opportunistic behavior by outside contractors. In equilibrium, the degree of separation is shown to depend on the degree of product market competition, contractor's bargaining power, and the volatility of demand shocks. Our main result is that an increase in the degree of vertical separation amplifies the elasticity to demand shocks of firms' sales and employment. It does not, however, amplify aggregate uncertainty. Evidence from firm‐level data is shown to be largely consistent with the main implications of our theory. (JEL: L16, L23, L24)     

期权“净购买压力”的隐含信息

使用50ETF期权的高频数据,研究“净购买压力”指标对指数方向性和波动性变化的预测能力,并比较不同加总方法、看涨看跌、不同在值程度的期权以及非对称的“净购买压力”指标隐含信息的差异性.本文发现,50ETF期权“净购买压力”指标隐含着标的指数方向性和波动性的变化信息.在预测指数变化方向时,Delta加总的“净购买压力”隐含的信息已包含在简单加总的指标之中,看涨、看跌期权以及不同在值程度的期权在信息含量上存在差异性.在预测指数波动性时,使用简单加总和使用Gamma、Vega加总的“净购买压力”指标均隐含着未来市场的波动率信息,平值和虚值期权的“净购买压力”指标对波动率具有更强的预测能力.同时,“净购买压力”的隐含信息存在非对称特征.     

双因子非对称已实现SV模型及其实证研究

在基本的SV模型中引入包含丰富日内高频信息的已实现测度,同时考虑其偏差修正以及波动率非对称性与长记忆性,构建了双因子非对称已实现SV（2FARSV）模型.进一步基于连续粒子滤波算法,给出了2FARSV模型参数的极大似然估计方法.蒙特卡罗模拟实验表明,给出的估计方法是有效的.采用上证综合指数和深证成份指数日内高频数据计算已实现波动率（RV）和已实现极差波动率（RRV）,对2FARSV模型进行了实证研究.结果表明：RV和RRV都是真实日度波动率的有偏估计（下偏）,但RRV相比RV是更有效的波动率估计量;沪深股市具有强的波动率持续性以及显著的波动率非对称性（杠杆效应与规模效应）;2FARSV模型相比其它已实现波动率模型具有更好的数据拟合效果,该模型能够充分地捕获沪深股市波动率的动态特征（时变性、聚集性、非对称性与长记忆性）.     

An Empirical Estimation of the Investor Loss Function Associated with the Use of Analysts' Forecasts of Earnings

The aggregate investor loss function associated with the use of analysts' forecasts of earnings expresses the relation between loss and prediction error. Prior research suggested that the shape of this loss function should provide guidance in decision rules for investors. This study empirically estimates the investor loss function and finds an asymmetry in the relation between loss and analysts' prediction error. For overestimates of earnings, loss is a quadratic function of error; while for underestimates of earnings, loss is a linear function of error.     

股市波动的杠杆效应检验:一种新的方法

股市波动的非对称性特征一直是金融研究中关注的焦点问题。本文首次构建了一个非平衡似无关波动模型,从个股角度对波动的非对称性进行检验。通过与综合指数的对比研究,本文揭示了市场因素对波动非对称性的影响。实证结果表明,我国深证成份指数波动存在杠杆效应,而成份股波动却表现出反向杠杆效应。市场同时存在的共同因素和异质因素,是导致成份股波动和成份指数波动表现不一致的原因。进一步的研究结果表明,在消除共同因素影响后,成份股波动的反向杠杆效应会表现更明显。     

The Role of Automatic Stabilizers in the U.S. Business Cycle

Most countries have automatic rules in their tax‐and‐transfer systems that are partly intended to stabilize economic fluctuations. This paper measures their effect on the dynamics of the business cycle. We put forward a model that merges the standard incomplete‐markets model of consumption and inequality with the new Keynesian model of nominal rigidities and business cycles, and that includes most of the main potential stabilizers in the U.S. data and the theoretical channels by which they may work. We find that the conventional argument that stabilizing disposable income will stabilize aggregate demand plays a negligible role in the dynamics of the business cycle, whereas tax‐and‐transfer programs that affect inequality and social insurance can have a larger effect on aggregate volatility. However, as currently designed, the set of stabilizers in place in the United States has had little effect on the volatility of aggregate output fluctuations or on their welfare costs despite stabilizing aggregate consumption. The stabilizers have a more important role when monetary policy is constrained by the zero lower bound, and they affect welfare significantly through the provision of social insurance.     

利率调整对我国股市不同状态波动性的影响

基于马尔可夫结构转换模型研究利率调整对我国股市在不同波动状态情况下波动性的影响,特别在2014年~2015年沪市波动为上涨和下跌状态下的影响.考虑股市波动存在结构转换及杠杆效应,选用马尔可夫结构转换EGARCH(RS-EGARCH)模型对上证综指进行收益和波动率建模.结果显示沪市在上涨状态利好消息与同等程度利空消息冲击具有相同影响;在下跌状态利空消息冲击比利好消息的影响更大,这异于通常的杠杆效应.通过在RS-EGARCH模型均值和波动率方程中引入虚拟变量研究自2012年时隔两年后首次利率调整对沪市波动性的影响,研究发现利率下调在沪市上涨状态显著增加了收益率和波动率;而在下跌状态收益率显著降低.但通过对比研究,在2006年的利率调整对于2006年~2008年期间沪市上涨和下跌状态的波动性没有显著影响.     

中国股票市场的多分形波动率测度及其有效性研究

由多分形分析出发,提出了一种新型的金融市场多分形波动率测度Sα。与传统测度Δα相比,Sα更为充分地利用了多分形分析过程中产生的对描述金融市场波动有益的统计信息。以上证综指和深证成指1354个交易日内5个不同抽样频率的高频数据为例,通过运用具有bootstrap特性的SPA检验法,检验了Sα测度和Δα测度对中国股票市场真实波动率估计的有效性差异。实证研究表明,Sα测度对市场真实波动率的估计较Δα测度更为准确。     

股市预期收益率与波动关系的研究

利用SV_m模型对Koopman等的研究结论进行了验证,对SV_m模型进行了扩展,提出了一种能捕捉非对称效应的A-SV_m模型,并用该模型和SV_m模型对预期收益率与波动的关系进行了实证研究.研究结果与Koopman等人的结论不同,表明预期收益率与波动之间的关系是时变的,而且波动(条件方差)对预期收益率的影响并不显著.结合Harrison、Campbell等人的研究对结果进行了解释.     

一种拓展的二元混合分布模型及其在中国股票市场的实证研究

本文对二元混合分布模型进行了拓展,提出了一种能捕捉非对称效应的二元混合分布模型,并利用该模型对中国股票市场进行了实证研究。研究结果显示,1997年之前,在中国股市中相同强度的冲击,收益为正的冲击与交易量放量的冲击对波动的冲击分别大于收益为负的冲击和交易量缩量的冲击;而1997年后情况则相反。另外,本文的实证结果还表明,二元混合分布模型能够捕捉收益波动的持续性特征。     

考虑微观结构噪声与测量误差的波动率预测

以测量误差的分布理论为基础，本文将微观结构噪声的影响引入到测量误差的方差中，构建了包含微观结构噪声影响的HARQ-N模型。使用蒙特卡洛模拟与中国股市的高频数据对HAR、HARQ、HARQ-N模型与HAR-RV-N-CJ模型的估计和预测进行了比较，研究发现，HARQ模型和HARQ-N模型的测量误差修正项对波动率的影响系数统计显著为负，HARQ-N模型的测量误差项影响系数远大于HARQ模型，更大程度地减弱当期微观结构噪声和测量误差的影响。并且，考虑微观结构噪声和测量误差的HARQ-N模型样本内和样本外预测效果在统计上显著优于HAR模型、HARQ模型与HAR-RV-N-CJ模型。     

模糊厌恶下关系型借贷定价和最优贷款利率

考虑决策者是模糊厌恶的,利用实物期权方法,解析地给出了银行价值,企业价值和最优停贷水平。分析了模糊厌恶和基准波动率对最优贷款利率,最优停贷水平,企业价值和银行价值的影响。数值分析表明：模糊厌恶提高了贷款利率,降低了企业和银行价值。在基准波动率水平较小时,模糊厌恶推迟了停贷水平;在基准波动率较大时,模糊厌恶加速了停贷水平。此外,在模糊中性下,企业价值是基准波动率凸函数,银行价值是基准波动率凹函数。而在模糊厌恶下,企业价值和银行价值都随着基准波动率的增加而递减。本文从行为金融角度为中小企业"融资贵"提供了新的解释。